Zoho CRM/Bookings Won't Sync with iCloud? App-Specific Password

Apple iCloud Calendar (CalDAV) Sync Failures

The issue

Zoho CRM or Zoho Bookings won't sync events to an Apple Calendar or iCloud account, even though the sign-in details being used look correct.

The workaround

Apple blocks any third-party app, including Zoho, from authenticating with a normal Apple ID password over CalDAV, the protocol iCloud uses for calendar syncing. This isn't a temporary restriction, it's how Apple ID authentication for calendar access has always worked for non-Apple apps. Instead, an app-specific password needs to be generated and used in place of the regular Apple ID password.

How to generate an app-specific password

  1. Sign in at appleid.apple.com.
  2. Confirm that Two-Factor Authentication is switched on for the account, since this is required before an app-specific password can be created.
  3. In the Sign-In and Security section, select App-Specific Passwords, then generate a new one and give it a clear name such as "Zoho CRM" or "Zoho Bookings".
  4. Copy the 16-character password Apple generates.
  5. In Zoho, use the Apple ID email address together with this app-specific password, rather than the normal Apple ID password, when setting up the calendar connection.
Note: If the connection still fails after this, double-check that the full app-specific password was copied correctly, including any dashes, and that it's being entered exactly as Apple generated it rather than retyped from memory.
Need help? If Zoho still won't sync with your Apple Calendar after this, our team can help you get to the bottom of it. Book a discovery call with 1 Cloud Consultants.