Which sync method fits your life?
You signed up for Am I Free to avoid double bookings and make your schedule easier to manage. But once you log in to connect your calendars, whether they are on Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook, you might wonder which setup is right for you.
Am I Free offers a few different ways to keep your calendars aligned, depending on how you work and how many schedules you juggle. Below is a simple breakdown of each sync method, what it does, and when it makes the most sense to use it.
The “one-way” sync
Best for: Viewing events from one calendar without affecting the original.
A one-way sync moves events in a single direction. You choose a “Source” calendar where events come from, and a “Target” calendar where those events appear.
If something changes on the “Source” calendar, the update shows up on the “Target”. However, changes made on the “Target” calendar never flow back to the “Source”.
Think of it as a read-only copy that stays up to date.
A common example: work-life separation
You want your work meetings to appear on your personal calendar so you do not accidentally book over them, like scheduling a dentist appointment right in the middle of a conference call.
The setup: Your work calendar is the “Source”. Your personal calendar is the “Target”.
The result: Your work events show up on your personal calendar, keeping your availability clear. Editing those events on your phone will not affect the original work calendar.
The “bi-directional” sync
Best for: Keeping two calendars perfectly in sync.
A bi-directional sync is designed to keep two calendars equally aligned, where both calendars act as a “Source” and a “Target”. Am I Free clones events from Calendar A into Calendar B, and vice versa. When you create or edit an event on either calendar, the change is automatically reflected on the other one.
A common example: the dual professional
You manage two professional calendars for different clients or roles, and availability on one must instantly block time on the other. This is especially useful when you have two email addresses for different consulting clients and need bookings on one calendar to immediately appear as busy on the other.
The setup: You connect both calendars using a bi-directional sync.
The result: Both calendars mirror each other. No matter where an event is created or updated, both schedules always match.
The “multiway” sync
Best for: Managing three or more calendars at once.
The multiway sync is the heavy lifter of calendar management. This is designed for people with several active calendars that all need to stay aligned. Just like bi-directional syncs, but across more than two calendars. Every calendar involved acts as both a “Source” and a “Target”.
A common example: the busy parent & professional
You use an Outlook calendar for work, a Google calendar for personal and family events, and another calendar for volunteering or side projects.
The setup: You connect all three calendars together in a multiway sync.
The result: An event added to any of the three calendars appears on all the others. Your availability stays consistent everywhere, without manual copying.
A quick note about time and syncing
When you create a new sync, Am I Free only looks forward.
Events starting from the moment the sync is created will be copied and kept up to date. Past events are ignored, which keeps syncing fast and avoids unnecessary clutter.
Ready to get started?
Am I Free is designed to be simple—no technical skills required. You simply log in, connect your calendar accounts, choose the sync method that fits your life, and let everything update automatically in the background.
You can try any of these sync methods today. Sign up free for a 14-day trial, no credit card required, and see how much easier calendar management can be.
