How To Link My Gmail Calendar To My Iphone

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MrGroove,

I just bought a new iPhone but I can't figure out how-to synchronize my email, calendar, and contact list with my computer. Can you help please?

MrGroove gets this question at least 2 or 3 times a week, so he asked me to do a quick write-up with the details on How-To Sync your iPhone or iPod Touch Email, Calendar, and Contacts.

What is Microsoft ActiveSync?

Microsoft ActiveSync is a feature built into Microsoft's flagship email product Microsoft Exchange. It allows mobile devices to sync Email, Calendar, and Contacts over the Internet to a corporate inbox.

Google Sync – Microsoft ActiveSync

Google licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft so any ActiveSync capable device (iPhone, Android, and Windows Mobile) can now take advantage of ActiveSync to Sync their Mobile phone to the Google/GMAIL Suite of applications (Email, Calendar, Contacts.) Being that an iPhone and iPod Touch have either WiFi or 3G, this will allow you to SYNC your device to Google wherever you are in real-time!

Apple iPhone and iPod Touch Active Sync with Google Sync

One answer for you home users is to SYNC your Apple device with your GMAIL Calendar and Address Book/Contacts via the new Google Sync Service.

Features

Synchronize your contacts. Get your Google contacts quickly and easily to your phone. With Sync, you can have access to your address book at anytime and place that you need it.

Get calendar alerts. Using your phone's native calendar, you can now access your Google calendar, and be alerted for upcoming appointments with sound or vibration.

Always in sync. Your contacts stay synchronized whether you access them from your phone or from your computer. Add or edit contact information right on your device or on your Google account on the web.

Before we get into the How-To. Please note the following:

FIXED! Google Sync via ActiveSync will now sync your Email, Calendar, and Contacts as long as your running the latest iPhone and iPod Code! Google Sync via ActiveSync will not Sync your GMAIL Email. Google Sync only Synchronizes your Google Calendar and Contact List/Address Book. At this time, keep your Gmail Inbox in Sync via iMap.
Fixed again! The latest iPhone's OS will now support multiple ActiveSync accounts! For those of you who are already syncing your iPhone with your Corporate Email Server via ActiveSync, you're outta luck. The iPhone and iPod Touch only allow you to set up 1 ActiveSync connection. You will need to choose between your Corporate Email or Google Services, or do like me and just use GMAIL via iMAP on the iPhone.

1. First, confirm your iPhone or iPod Touch has the latest firmware; 2.2 or higher is required. You can find your Firmware settings under Settings > General > About > Version on your device. If you find you need to update your firmware you can do so easily with iTunes.

2a. Tap the Settings application icon

iPhone Settings Menu

2b. Tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars

Apple iPhone open Mail, Contacts and Calendars

3. Tap Add Account

Apple iPhone and iPod Touch Add Mail Account

4. Tap Microsoft Exchange

Apple iPhone and iPod Touch Add Mail Exchange Server ActiveSync

5. Enter the required information into the fields on this next page

Email – Be sure to Enter your Full Email Address (ignore the screenshot below; I need to update it.)
Server – You must enter m.google.com however you will only get this option AFTER you enter your username.
Domain – Leave that blank. This setting is for corporations ONLY (who have their own Exchange Server.)
Username – Must match your Google account information. Although the Google Instructions show a screenshot of "User@googlemail.com" – for 99.999% of us, this will not work since we all use "user@gmail.com." So, just use your GMAIL account info.
Password – Yeah, that's your GMAIL Password.
Description – This can be anything; I usually use my email address.
SSL – On.

Apple iPhone and iPod Touch ActiveSync Configuration for Google Sync

6. Tap Off or On anything you want to Sync with your GMAIL Account. Click Done.

Apple iPhone and iPod Touch Disable Mail Sync with ActiveSync Exchange

All done!

Now that you have synced your device, any changes made to the iPhone/iPod Email, Calendar, and Contacts Address Book will automatically update your Google Calendar and Contacts Address Book and vice versa (when the Internet is available to the device of course.) VERY GROOVY INDEED!!!

Questions? Comments?

Tags: iphone, ipod-touch, google-sync, gmail, apple, activesync, exchange, email, calendar, contacts, address-book