How to fix “your calendar couldn't be refreshed” and “the server responded with an error”
These messages mean a subscribed calendar could not sync. The client reached the calendar URL or account and the refresh failed. It is usually a bad URL or a problem at the source, not your device. Jump to your situation below or work through the methods in order.
By Neeraj Singh ~7 min Updated Jun 2026 90% found this helpful
Error message
Your calendar couldn't be refreshed. The server responded with an error. The request for account ... failed.
Summary
These messages appear when a subscribed, read-only calendar cannot sync. Your client contacted the calendar URL or account, but the refresh did not succeed. The usual causes are a subscription URL that is wrong or has changed, the source server being down or returning an error, an SSL certificate problem on the connection, a malformed .ics at the source, expired account credentials or a token, the client refreshing too often and being throttled, or simply no network. Most of the time the fault is at the source or in the URL, not on your device. The fix is to test the subscription URL in a browser to confirm it returns a valid calendar, re-add the subscription with the correct webcal or HTTPS address, resolve any certificate or source-file problem, re-authenticate the account, and reduce the refresh frequency if the server is throttling you.
What this error means
A subscribed calendar is a one-way link: your client periodically fetches an .ics file from a URL, or an account, and shows the events read-only. A refresh failure means that fetch did not work, the server was unreachable, returned an error, presented an untrusted certificate, or sent back something the client could not use.
Because the data lives at the source, these errors are usually not about your device at all. A changed or wrong URL, a provider outage, an expired certificate, or a broken .ics on the far end will all surface as a refresh failure. Testing the URL directly is the quickest way to see where the break is.
Common causes
The subscription URL is wrong or has changed.
The calendar server is down or returning an error.
An SSL certificate problem blocks the connection.
The source .ics file is malformed.
The account credentials or access token expired.
The client refreshes too often and the server is throttling it.
There is no network connection, or a VPN or proxy is blocking it.
Expert insight
“The wording sounds like your phone is broken, but a subscribed calendar is just fetching a file from someone else's server, so the break is usually over there. My first move is always to take the subscription URL, change webcal to https, and paste it into a browser. If the browser downloads a normal .ics, the source is fine and I look at the device or the certificate. If the browser errors out, the problem is the URL or the provider, and no amount of fiddling on the phone will fix it.”
Manager, Tech Support & Operations · 19+ years fixing Windows and system errors
✓ How to fix it
Method 1
Test the subscription URL in a browser
1Take the subscription URL and replace webcal:// with https://, then open it in a browser.
2If it downloads a valid .ics, the source is fine and the issue is local. If it errors, the URL or provider is the problem.
3This one test tells you which side to fix.
Method 2
Remove and re-add the subscription
1Delete the calendar subscription and add it again using the exact, current URL from the provider.
2URLs change, and a stale one is a common cause of refresh failures.
3Use the canonical address the provider gives you.
Method 3
Fix a certificate problem
1If the URL shows a certificate warning in the browser, the connection cannot be verified.
2Follow the cURL error 60 fix to repair the certificate, chain or device clock.
3Then retry the refresh.
Method 4
Check the source file and server
1If the browser downloads the file but it is broken, the source .ics is malformed, follow the parse-error fix or ask the provider to correct it.
2If the server returns an error or is down, wait and retry, or contact the provider.
3A provider outage is outside your control.
Method 5
Re-authenticate the account
1For an account-based calendar, an expired password or token causes “the request for account failed”.
2Remove and re-add the account, or re-enter the credentials.
3Complete any sign-in or two-factor prompt.
Method 6
Reduce the refresh frequency
1If the calendar refreshes very often, the server may throttle or block it.
2Set the subscription to refresh less frequently, for example hourly or daily.
3This avoids hitting rate limits on the source.
Method 7
Check the connection
1Confirm the device has a working internet connection.
2Disable a VPN or proxy briefly to rule it out, since it can block the calendar host.
3Retry on a different network if the problem persists.
A subscribed calendar pulls from someone else's server, so most refresh failures are at the source or in the URL, not on your device. Test the URL in a browser first, that single check tells you whether to fix the provider side or your own device, certificate or account. Avoid setting an aggressive refresh interval, which can get the subscription throttled.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my subscribed calendar refresh?
Your client could not fetch the calendar from its URL or account. Usually the URL is wrong or changed, the source server has an error, the certificate cannot be verified, or the account credentials expired.
How do I test the subscription URL?
Replace webcal:// with https:// and open the URL in a browser. If it downloads a valid .ics the source is fine and the issue is local. If it errors, the URL or provider is at fault.
What does “the request for account failed” mean?
The account-based calendar could not authenticate, usually an expired password or token. Remove and re-add the account, or re-enter the credentials and complete any sign-in prompt.
The server responded with an error, is it my fault?
Usually not. That means the source server returned an error or is down. Wait and retry, confirm the URL is current, or contact the calendar provider.
Could refreshing too often cause this?
Yes. A subscription that refreshes very frequently can be throttled or blocked by the server. Set it to refresh hourly or daily instead.
Is this a problem with my phone?
Rarely. A subscribed calendar pulls from another server, so the break is usually the URL or the source. Test the URL in a browser to confirm before changing device settings.
Still not working?
If the URL downloads a clean .ics in a browser but the calendar still will not refresh on your device, remove the subscription, restart the device, and re-add it, which clears a stuck sync state. For an account calendar, fully signing out and back in often resolves a token that will not refresh. You can also submit your error to us for a tailored fix.
