Have you also come across the issue of couldn’t import Calendar try again later Outlook? This error usually means Outlook can’t parse or process your ICS file most often because the file is corrupted, oversized, contains unsupported calendar properties, or Outlook  is having a temporary service issue.

You can solve this problem easily by verifying the .ics file format, importing the calendar into a new Outlook calendar, renaming and re-saving the ICS file, importing the ICS file using Outlook Desktop App, testing the .ics file in another calendar application, and with an alternative automated solution. We have explained all the possible solutions to solve your problem in this article.

What Does Couldn’t Import Calendar Try Again Later Error Mean?

This error couldn’t import calendar try again later Outlook shows that Outlook is unable to configure your data while you are trying to import. Additionally, the message shows that this is a temporary issue, and sometimes even retrying it later does not work. This problem can arise anytime while:

  • You are importing your .ics file into the Outlook application.
  • Even when you are adding an internet calendar using the link.
  • When you are syncing your calendar with the third-party apps.

Below, we will discuss some reasons why the Outlook application fails to import the ICS file.

Also Read: Outlook We Can’t Retrieve Your Calendar Events Right Now: Causes & Fixes

Quick Way to Fix Couldn’t Import Calendar Try Again Later Outlook Issue

If you need to fix the Outlook web .ics import stuck, try again later error easily and quickly, then here is a standalone SysTools ICS Splitter Tool that helps users to separate ICS files into smaller pieces in a hassle-free way. This software lets you to split ICS file by Count, Subject, Organizer, Date, Category, and Size effortlessly, so that by dividing your ICS file, Outlook can process and import the calendar data more easily. Click Here to know more about this tool

Why Outlook Fails to Import Calendars? Common Reasons

Knowing the cause of this issue helps you to use the right method to solve your problem easily. Below are the common reasons behind this issue:

  • When you have a corrupted or invalid ICS file in your system
  • It also happens when the size of the ICS file is large
  • The ICS file has unsupported properties of the calendar
  • When Outlook has service issues or unstable network issues

New Outlook VS Classic Outlook: Does the Import Process Differ?

The classic Outlook desktop app uses the Import/Export wizard, while New Outlook handles ICS imports through a different server-based process. If you encounter a “couldn’t import Calendar try again later Outlook” error, try importing the file using classic Outlook or Outlook on the web. Also, below we have given the how these two versions of Outlook differ when you need to import the ICS files. Understanding these differences can help you to choose which version to try if you are experiencing this error again.

Features Classic Outlook (2016, 2019, 365) New Outlook
Import Method File → Open & Export → Import/Export wizard Simplified, web-based import flow
Processing Local, desktop-based parsing Server-side / cloud-based processing
Large ICS Files Usually handles better, slower but more forgiving More likely to throw “try again later” on large/malformed files
Error Messages Sometimes more specific Often generic (“try again later”) since errors happen server-side
Custom/Unsupported Properties May still import with warnings More likely to reject the file outright
Availability Being phased out gradually by Microsoft Default on many newer Windows/Microsoft 365 installs
Workaround if Import Fails Split file Try switching to Classic Outlook or Outlook Web (OWA) temporarily
Best For Bulk/large calendar imports Simple, small calendar files

Note: If you are using New Outlook and this can’t import this file right now, try again later keeps appearing, then try the Classic Outlook or Outlook Web because it can be helpful with larger or slightly malformed files.

Fix the Error of Couldn’t Import Calendar Try Again Later Outlook – 5 Best Methods

If you want to fix the issue of couldn’t import calendar try again later in Outlook. Then, this section will provide you with 5 different methods that will help you to sort this importing error in Outlook seamlessly.

  • Manual Methods to fix the calendar import issue
  • Expert Method to solve the error in Outlook

Method 1: Verify Your ICS File Format

In this method, you will need to verify your ICS files are corrupted, incomplete, or not, as Outlook only supports structured .ics files. Follow the steps for verification:

  1. You need to right-click on the ICS file and open it using a text editor app.
  2. After opening it, confirm that the file starts and ends with BEGIN: VCALENDAR and END: VCALENDAR.
  3. Then, check if there are missing or duplicate calendar blocks in the file
  4. Finally, save your .ics file and again try importing it into Outlook

Method 2: Import the ICS File into New Calendar

You know, sometimes Outlook fails to import the calendar data into an existing calendar due to errors, for that importing the ICS file into new calendar may help to remove this couldn’t import calendar try again later Outlook error. Use the steps below:

  1. Open the Outlook app on your system
  2. After opening the app, go to a new blank calendar
  3. Choose the file and go to Open & Export and select the Import/Export option.
  4. From this import/export tab, choose the import an iCalendar file option
  5. At last, import the file into the newly created calendar

Method 3: Fix the Error Using Renaming ICS File

Sometimes, these issues come due to the long names or special characters in the .ics file.  For this, go through the steps below:

  • Rename the ICS File:
    You need to rename your .ics file. to a simple name without using spaces and special characters, and retry importing the ICS file again.

Method 4: Fix Using the ICS File in Another Application

This method is helpful as it determines whether the issue is in Outlook or the .ics file. To find the issue, you need to follow the steps given below:

  • Insert the ICS file into Google Calendar:
    First, add your ICS file in Google Calendar; if the file is not imported there too, then it may be corrupted, and if it works somewhere else, then the error must be with the Outlook application.

Method 5: How to Fix Couldn’t Import Calendar Try Again Later Outlook Through Expert Solution?

Now, even if Outlook shows this couldn’t import calendar, try again later error, you need to divide your ICS files into small chunks and then try to import it into Outlook. For dividing the ICS files. Use the professional tool as it is designed to split the ICS file based on Size, Count, Subject, Organizer, Date, and Category.

1. Download and launch the above-mentioned tool on your system and choose the split ICS file option.

download and install

2. Now, using the Add file button, insert your ICS file into the software.

click on add file option

3. To fix Couldn’t Import Calendar Try Again Later Outlook error using this method, select a splitting option such as split by size, category, events, and more.

choose splitting option

4.  Once the splitting is completed, click on the OK option

start the process

5. Now, click on View Report to see the result report and save the ICS file.

view the export report

6. At last, import the smaller ICS files into the Outlook application and verify whether the couldn’t Import Calendar Try Again Later Outlook is resolved or not.

Prominent Features of this Robust Solution

  1. One of the most reliable features is that it helps users to split their .ics files based on size, count, category, events, and many more.
  2. This tool also handles bulky ICS files without any data loss or errors while maintaining the structure.
  3. Offers a simple interface that is easy to use for both technical and non-technical users, and also solves the problem of couldn’t import calendar try again later Outlook.
  4. With this tool, users can easily split multiple ICS files as it supports batch processing when you are dealing with multiple calendars.
  5. This tool is fully compatible with both Windows and macOS versions.
  6. It makes clean, well-maintained, small chunks, which can be easily imported into Outlook.

Why Choose Professional Solution over Manual Techniques?

Here, we have provided a comparison table highlighting the difference between online tools,  an automated method, and a manual method. This table will help you in choosing the right approach to fix the couldn’t import Calendar try again later Outlook error.

Factors Manual Methods Online Tools Automated Method
Ease of Use Requires manually checking, renaming, or re-importing files Easy & Fast, Browser-Based Very Simple & GUI-Based
Technical Skill Needed Low, but trial-and-error can take multiple attempts Not Required No Coding Skills
Success Rate Moderate, but works only for simple format or naming issues Moderate, but depends on file size and tool quality High, especially for large or corrupted ICS files
Bulk / Large Calendars Limited, no built-in way to handle oversized files Limited & File Size Restrictions Offers Batch Processing & File Splitting
Data Security None if done carefully, but manual edits carry human error Files Uploaded to External Servers 100% Secure and Preserves Original Structure
Internet Dependency Not Needed for most steps Always Required Offline & Desktop-Based Utility
Cost No Upfront Cost, but Hidden Cost of Time & Repeated Manual Effort No Upfront Cost, but Risk to Data Privacy & File Size Limit Affordable One-Time Investment
End Note

In this blog, we have discussed the issue of couldn’t Import Calendar Try Again Later Outlook error while importing ICS files, with its common reasons to occur, and have given different user-friendly methods including an instant solution with its features, to fix this error of not importing calendar in Outlook.

Also Read: Why You Can’t Sync Outlook Calendar to Google? & Solutions