Jan Zdarsa Yesterday I informed you about the possibility easy synchronization between iPhone and Google Calendar and Contacts. Today I would like to look at what it brings us, how to easily and quickly set up this synchronization or what to watch out for.
Although this synchronization of Google services via the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol appeared for iPhone and Windows Mobile phones only yesterday, it is not such a novelty. Blackberry users have been enjoying Push on their phone for a long time. They even have Push for Gmail since April 2007, which is not yet available for iPhone or WM. Hopefully that will change soon.
But take it a little more broadly. Some of you don't use MobileMe services or don't know ActiveSync and actually don't really know what we're talking about. In short, it means that you previously had to request an update of the data on your phone, for example with some button for synchronization. But now after any change thanks Push technology your computer/iPhone lets the other know that a change has occurred and sends it an update. For example, after adding a contact to the iPhone, the update will also take place on the Google server. Of course, this only works if you are online and have push notifications turned on.
Google synchronization for iPhone and Windows Mobile is quite a hot thing so far and thus brings with it some limitations. You can synchronize maximum 5 calendars (Google already allows synchronization of up to 25 calendars) or limitations regarding contacts, where 3 email addresses, 2 Home Numbers, 1 Home Fax, 1 Mobile, 1 Pager, 3 Work and 1 Work Fax are synchronized for each contact. We shouldn't mind these limitations, but you're overrated be careful with mobile number restrictions. If you have multiple phone numbers listed as Mobile for a contact, if you don't change it before synchronizing, you will only have one! Watch out for it! It might also bother someone that there is no synchronization of photos in contacts.
If you use an Exchange server at work, for example, and have it set up that way on your iPhone, you can forget about another Exchange server in the form of a Google account. The iPhone can't have 2 Exchange accounts and as far as I know it's not because Apple said and the iPhone battery couldn't handle it, but the Exchange protocol itself can't. Google mentions i some other limitations.
Of course, turning on the Push option in the iPhone eats up a chunk of the battery. If you don't turn off your iPhone at night and don't leave it in the socket, I recommend turning off Push at night (or rather turning on Airplane mode).
In any case, and I really STRONGLY emphasize this, sync with Google before doing any testing back up all contacts and calendars. After synchronization, you will lose ALL contacts and events in the calendar and only those from the Google calendar or contacts will be uploaded there.
Backing up data on Mac (similar procedure is also on PC)
- Connect iPhone or iPod Touch
- Open the application iTunes
- In phone settings, click on the tab Info
- Under Contacts, check Sync Google Contacts
- Enter your Google username and password
- Click on Apply, to sync everything up.
- Note: At this moment, contacts from the Google server may have appeared on your iPhone from the Suggested Contacts item. These should disappear after setting up the synchronization on your iPhone. iPhone contacts will be synced to the "My Contacts" folder in Google Contacts. I personally did not use Google contacts until this time, so I deleted everything in the "My Contacts" tab.
- Don't forget to check that the number of contacts on your iPhone and on the Google server match. Look at the bottom of the contact sheet on the iPhone and then on the Google server in My Contacts.
- Go to next part – iPhone settings
Setting up Google sync calendars and contacts on iPhone
- Make sure your iPhone firmware is at least version 2.2
- Open it Settings
- Open it Mail, Contacts, Calendars
- Click on Add Account…
- choose microsoft Exchange
- Next to the item Email you can name this account whatever you want, for example Exchange
- A box Domain leave blank
- Do Username write your full email address in Google
- Fill in the account password in Password
- Click on the icon Next at the top of the screen
- A box will also appear on this screen Server & Hosting, in which type m.google.com
- Click on Next
- Choose the services you want to synchronize with Exchange. At this moment you can turn on only Contacts and Calendars.
- Click on Done and then double-click Sync
- Now everything is set
If you turn on Push, so there will be events in the calendar or contacts update automatically. If you do not have Push turned on, they will be updated after starting the respective applications, Calendars or Contacts.
The whole process went completely smoothly and I didn't have any major hiccups. The best were the adrenaline moments when I had 900 more contacts in my phone than Suggested Contacts from Google Contacts, but luckily after setting up the synchronization on the iPhone everything was fine as it should have been.
But I lost 2 contacts during the sync, which happened while backing up the contacts to Google Contacts and I was aware of it. I have no idea why these 2 contacts, but there is a big correlation between them. Both come from the same Exchange server and both contacts are from the same company.
If you are using multiple calendars, then open the page in Safari on the iPhone m.google.com/sync, select your iPhone here, click on it and select the calendars you want to sync. You may see a message that Your device is not supported. At that moment, click on Change language on the site, put English and then everything should work.
if you have Push on (Settings – Fetch New Data – Push), so all changes on the website or in your iPhone are automatically updated on the other device as well. If you have Push turned off, the update takes place after turning on the Contacts or Calendars application.
Unfortunately somehow the correct calendar coloring does not work, so your iPhone calendar will probably have a different color than the one on the website. This can be changed by changing the colors on the site and then everything should be fine. However, I will not give up my colors on the website and will wait for a correction.
And that's probably all I have for you on this topic :) Alternatively, ask under the article, if I know, I'll be happy to answer :)
I've been using the free mail2web.com service for almost two years and I still have no reason to change. See Push mail at mail2web.com
I want to ask: in google contacts (i.e. gmail) there is no entry for entering a phone number, or where are the full contacts in google? What's the point of syncing with Google when there's only email?
Certainly interesting for some. But getting rid of iPhone sync with powerbook because of Microsoft Exchange? I don't want that.
Really? I've never been able to do this before without using paid apps (I've tried the great BusySync). Otherwise it always only synced from Google Cal. to iCal. Even now it happened, I got rid of it.
Thank you! I didn't notice it.
Active sync is able to exchange honors, it is necessary to add two exchange honors from entourage.
What about iCal and address book? how do you want to sync them by push, when even Leopard can't connect to the exchange? It should probably be in snow leopard.
Point 13 "# Choose the services you want to synchronize using Exchange. You can only turn on Contacts and Calendars at this time.”
Does it mean that email can't be turned on at all, or it can, but nothing is syncing?
The inability to synchronize more than 5 calendars is not a limitation of Apple. Google doesn't allow this because it has a problem with other calendars showing up in the same colors. NuevaSync (8 calendars) or NemusSync (unlimited) proves that it is possible otherwise.
Hi, I'm asking for advice. I use synchro Google calendars through the nuevasync service, and now that Google is offering this service directly, I have quite a dilemma whether to stay with the working, stable synchronization or use the new Google services? I wonder what the transition to Google would entail Would it be easy to delete the account in the iPhone and set everything according to the instructions given here, but now I wonder if during this step I would lose the events in the calendar or contacts?
So: I logged into Gmail. In the left column of the menu I have Contacts and when I click on them, I only see email addresses where there is only Name, Details and Show in quick contacts. No other fields are there. Please give me a more detailed explanation. Thank you!
Problem solved - I went deeper into the contacts and longer fields were displayed. Good evening!
I would like to ask if it really works the same as MobileMe for anyone? I've been using MobileMe for more than a year now and I'm completely satisfied. Anyway, today I decided to at least sync my wife's contacts on their iPhone - but nothing! And I do anything in the contacts of the iPhone, or in the computer in Gmail - so nothing happens on the other side.... Is there a trick? ps I have everything set according to the instructions, plus push.
Jablickar: thank you very much for the message. Well, I also managed to synchronize it, but the moment I added "something" to the contact on the iPhone, even after a long time it did not appear in the Gmail contact on the computer - and not even the other way around - as it does in MobileMe. Well, I do not know? I no longer know the best and simplest way to synchronize contacts (when I synchronize via iTunes, some contacts are regularly lost). Does anyone have any TIPS please?
Jablickar: Yes, yes, he was connected. So, I would just like to ask you Jablickari - does it really synchronize to you in the same way as MobileMe?
Jablickar: Um, thank you very much. I'll try to synchronize my women one more time and I hope it will work...
Reminders: when setting sync. google calendar through exchange, the main calendar works normally, i.e. that the added event has notifications set exactly as it was manually entered. However, the next calendar always has a notification according to the default settings of the calendar at gmail.com. does it happen to anyone too? is it a feature or have I set something wrong somewhere?
Díky
it wasn't exactly as you wrote, but now I jumped there and it says: The device is not supported. Unfortunately, the Google Sync application is not supported on your device... Probably some problem... is there no other way?
So I described a few observations from the synchronization here http://forum.iphone.cz/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=20953
Otherwise, thank you very much for the instructions.
cau, contacts and mail work like clockwork for me, but I have a problem with the calendar - or rather, I don't know how to set up what should I get on the website on my iPhone? I can add new events to both the website and IP, but as I said, I can't figure out how to get the drive before I had exchange created events in IP to the website,,, please advise me....
thanks a lot
ICi
yes, I was able to copy the contacts to google contacts, but the calendar only allows me to synch with outlook... maybe I'll just try to somehow export the records from outlook and then import them into google..
Hello. I have one problem because I need to synchronize two things:
1. I synchronize Outlook 2007 and iPhone using a cable and iTunes (calendar, contacts, notes)
2. At the same time, I created an iPhone synchronization via Gmail exchange
I want to achieve that if I synchronize something with outlook, it will also be transferred to Gmail and vice versa. For now, however, I also have a situation where I have 2x calendars (from my PC and then gmail) and 2x contacts (From my PC - all from my PC and then Contacts to my email address). Can you advise me how to get it to use only one calendar and one contacts? Thank you.
hello, thanks for the instructions... however, I don't understand one thing... so I have two calendars in my iP - the basic one + this GoogleCalendar... on the PC I enter even in GoogleCalendar and it appears on my iphone... np... but I create something in the iphone calendar.... and how do I get it on GoogleCalendar in the web version…? I can only see both on my iPhone when I go to "All calendars"... thanks
Is there a replacement for Outlook? Windows live mail also has a calendar, but it does not appear in iTunes. for calendar synchronization
Hello, I would like advice on how to set up an Exchange account for an email on the list. Could someone give me some advice? Thank you in advance
Hello, I would like advice on how to set up an Exchange account if I have an email on the list? Thanks in advance for your help.
Hello, I tried to sync contacts and I end up with a message that the 3GS with the current FW is not supported for my device, after changing the language it only tells me how to do it in eng, but if I enter m.google.com again according to the procedure /sync I get back to the Czech version and the whole wheel again. Does anyone know what to do with it?
Díky
I have everything set up, but only the basic calendar syncs