Natively Sync Google Calendar with iPhone/iPod Touch [Yay]

Aug 05

AceTech Articles iPhone, ipod, touch View Comments

Update: Google’s OTA Syncing

Google has released its own Over-The-Air syncing method for the iPhone/iPod Touch by licensing Microsoft’s ActiveSync technology. Reportedly, it works like NuevaSync but restricts you to 5 dedicated calendars. NuevaSync doesn’t do this, as far as I know. I will have a write-up on this pretty soon.

Continued…

NuevaSync (free) utilizes the built-in Microsoft Exchange support in the iPhone to make native synchronization of Google Calendar possible. Most importantly, the service actually uses PUSH (really this time) to propagate changes issued to the calendar immediately. Finally this has been made possible at no cost, without extra software.

Support for anything other than Outlook on the iPhone has been a long standing issue ever since the marveled mobile device was released. As I described earlier on the subject, one had to go through an irritable/expensive rigamarole to get Google Calendar events synchronized with the iPhone or iPod touch. And if you got it working in the end, you either had to make due with some missing data or pay good money for a third-party application to get the job done.

The bad news is that uptil the present, there is still no integrated way (as in via iTunes) to sync GCal events. The good news is that there’s a better way. It’s called OTA-syncing. OTA stands for Over The Air. And, oh yes, it’s built right in.

GCal meets Microsoft Exchange

In order to accomplish this PIM-sync bliss, there’s a [free] service out there called NuevaSync. NuevaSync will act like a MS Exchange server to haul in your GCal data. All you need to do to make this work is set up an account (free, web-form) with them and tell them which types of data you’d like to synchronize. Devices supported by NuevaSync are:

iPhone & iPod Touch 2.0
You need the 2.0 (or later) firmware to gain access to ActiveSync, and thus Exchange.
Any recent Windows Mobile device

NuevaSync will also sync Google Contacts over the air, if you want. This feature is supported integrally by Apple through their iTunes syncing procedure. Plaxo contacts syncing is also supported.

There’s a step-by-step howto available from NuevaSync‘s Website, in case you’d like to try it out. Do note that if you have any calendar information already stored on your device, it will be erased when you attempt to sync with GCal for the first time.

Actually, it’s PUSH, not SYNC

Similar to MobileMe’s promise, NuevaSync will actually PUSH the calendar events to and from your iPhone/iTouch. The differentiator between sync and push is subtle, yet significant:

Syncing will push through changes to your calendar in two-ways, all at once, and at a given time, e.g. when you hook your iPhone up via USB. Therefore, synchronization doesn’t tend to be as up-to-date as push.

Push, on the other hand, updates your calendar continuously. As soon something is altered — whether that’s on the device or to the calendar itself — the changes are funneled through to both locations immediately.

While Apple’s MobileMe service allegedly fails to make this promise come true, NuevaSync propagates changes within a few minutes. Bliss.

Conclusion

After actively having used this service, I’m willing to vouch for its truthfulness and usefulness. It has worked like a charm for me and has finally settled my obsession with getting this to work at no extra charge. On the other hand, I’d love it if Apple made OTA iTunes/podcast syncing possible like the Zune does.

But that, for now, is wishful thinking…

Mich

Thank you thank you thank you. I have tried to find a way to get my calendar without going from Google to Outlook and then to my ipod. Plus, when you do it that way, I could only get my calendar, not the rest of my family members. THIS IS AWESOME!
Ace

Apple has added over-the-air podcast downloading with the iPhone/iPod Touch 2.2 software update.
Jerome

Thank you very much for a great tip. Makes the iTouch (mine at least) a very usable PDA.
rob

I assume there is no way to use NuevaSync for those of us with a microsoft outlook account already pushing messages through "exchange?" Any other suggestions?
Nick

Thank you soooo much!!! Finally!! A gcal sync with my ipod!!! So stoked!!
Sam

Thanks Ace!
Ace

@sam:

Much obliged!

In fact, NuevaSync is so good and reliable I've forgotten I was using it. I have yet to see anything go wrong with this service. Stability like this is pretty rare.

Note that if you're planning to have sensitive information synced to your iPod Touch, it would be smart to switch on the PIN-code feature in case the device gets into the wrong hands. Other than that, I don't see any reason to not make the jump.

Thanks a lot for visiting!
Greets,

Ace
sam

Hi Ace,

Thanks for the tip! I'm also thinking of purchasing a 2Gen ipod touch and using it as a PDA.

Now that you've been using neuvasync for over a month, have you noticed any reliability problems with the syncing/pushing? i.e. lost events, mis-translated fields, etc? I want to sync my calendars, but the data is critical and I would prefer that the sync software doesn't corrupt it :)

thanks!

sam.
Ace

@Npod:

Just subscribe to your friends' calendars in Google Calendar, and make sure it's enabled by ticking the calendar's box in the calendar list. Your new calendar should be pushed to the iPod soon thereafter. I'm sure this works since I used this feature myself.

Thanks for visiting!

Ace
Npod

Thanks for all the great info Ace. I'm thinking of getting an iPod Touch as well. If I have multiple calendars in G-Cal (viewing other friends shared calendars) can I push those calendars to the ipod as well?

Thanks

N

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