09 February 2009 ~ Comments ~ Share ~

How to sync multiple calendars with iphone for Google Apps?

Tips and Tricks iPhone
Looks like talk of the day is really the Google Sync, released today.  Google Sync lets you sync your Gmail Contacts and Calendar with mobile devices like Blackberry, Windows Mobile and iPhone.
As mentioned on Google Mobile Blog,
Google Sync allows you to get your Gmail Contacts and Google Calendar events to your phone. Once you set up Sync on your phone, it will automatically begin synchronizing your address book and calendar in the background, over-the-air.  Sync uses push technology so any changes or additions to your calendar or contacts are reflected on your device in minutes. The connection is always on so you don’t have to manually sync your phone after Sync has been set up.
The sync is a two way process so no matter where you made the changes, all synced devices will reflect the latest information.  To undestand more about this process, check out the embedded video:
(e-Newsletter readers, please follow the link to video on Youtube)

How to sync multiple calendars with iPhone?

  1. If you are a pure Gmail user, then just follow the steps mentioned here.  Once setup, go to http://m.google.com/sync on safari your iphone device to select which all calendars you want to sync to your device.  At present you can sync upto 5 calendars.
  2. If you are an Google App user having your own domain, then its a little tricky.  As the above mentioned link works only for Gmail users.  If you enter your domain user name and password details, it will simple not accept it.  So how to do that?  Do the following:
    • Instead of going to http://m.google.com/sync, go to http://m.google.com in safari.
    • Tap on “Google Apps user? Tap to configure for your domain.”
    • Login using your domain username and password, if you are already logged in then you will see the below page.
    • You see, here is a new icon ‘Sync’.  Click on Sync.  You will see the below page.
    • Tap on ‘Sign in with your Google Apps Account’ and sign-in.
    • You will see the device linked to your account.  Tap on it and from there you will be able to select the calendars you want to sync with your iphone.
    • Nothing fancy, just a little tricky and lengthy process which is not quite that obvious.
Make sure you take proper backup of your existing calendar and contacts.
Personally, I am really very happy with this new feature from Google.  Google Sync made my life really simple.  Thanks to Google Mobile team.
Couple of things which I am looking forward from Google Gmail team is a full fledged support for contacts with photos, categories, social profiles and many other fields like birthdays, anniversaries etc.  At least look at the contact manager in Microsoft Outlook for some ideas Currently, Google contacts is the worst contacts manager I have ever seen and that is why I never used Google contacts till date.
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  • AFTOC
    Thank you so much for the multiple calender tips!
  • denialpolez
    Brilliant, thanks for the tips.


    I have to add some info for international iphone users.



    I just spent a week trying to sync multiple calendars.



    By default you can push one from your google calendar, but if you are a non-us iPhone - gmail - google apps user, and you want to sync up to 5 calendars in different colours there's a detail to put special attention:



    ikspres said... in google mobile blog:



    If you want to sync with multiple calendars and can not find config menu in http://m.google.com/sync.


    <br    > I guess you may be a Google Apps user.



    In that case visit http://m.google.com/?d=yourdomainname.com





    AND FOR INTERNATIONAL USERS - OUTSIDE US



    (and change language to English) then you´ll get the sync icon, other languages will not show up the sync icon.
  • Anurag Bansal
    @denialpolez:
    Thanks for this tip for international users. It will really help lots of readers.

    I appreciate it.



    Cheers

    Anurag Bansal
  • Robert Andrews
    Can you only sync up to 5 calendars?
    That's incredibly limiting!!
  • Anonymous
    WOW! to Anurag. You have spent quite some time to make our lives easier...thanks man.
  • Anurag Bansal
    Thanks for your kind words my friend.
  • Seth
    Incredible. You are the man. I have been bummed out for the last few weeks because I didnt know that this was possible.


    You have restored my faith in technology.
  • Nosugref
    Great article, although I am having one problem. I am able to sign in to my google apps account, but When I get to the part:


    "You will see the device linked to your account. Tap on it and from there you will be able to select the calendars you want to sync with your iphone."



    I do not see any device linked to my account. It just shows me that I'm logged in, and let's me log out, get help, etc. Any body else encounter this? Any suggestions?
  • Chris Tanner
    Nosugref - make sure that you have set up your iphone using the standard Google Sync recommendations for calendar (using the MS Exchange option) before adding extra calendars, and also make sure that you have enabled wireless devices in your Apps account - you should then see your phone on the list.
    Chris
  • Anonymous
    omg! multiple calenders with google apps -- awesome!
  • Larry McJunkin
    Only one problem I have after the initial sync (which works great)...I have all my contacts and calendars from Google, but from that point on any change I make to Calendars works fine, but any change to a contact, or adding/deleting a contact, never gets pushed to my iPhone.
  • Anurag Bansal
    Have you set up a Microsoft Exchange account for Gmail Contacts and Calenda? If not, do that first.
    Then make sure your contacts are getting synced with Google Contacts not Outlook or anything else. (Hint: Check iTunes sync settings)

    That should fix your problem.
  • Larry McJunkin
    Yes...setup the Exchange account for contacts and calendar and calendar is working fine. Any changes I make to calendar on the iPhone sync immediately to Google Calendar and vice-versa. BUT...any changes I make to Google contacts never get made to the iPhone contacts. I've tried having Google Sync enable on the General Tab in Address Book preferences and it made no difference. I'll try again to also add Google Sync in the iTunes section. I just have to find the right combination, but all I want is for Google Contacts to be my main contacts and for it to synct to the iPhone and also the Desktop Address Book.
  • Ben
    Brilliant workaround, thanks for your effort on this Anurag. I now have all my Todo and Google events syncing on my iPhone calendar perfectly. Amazing.
  • Anurag Bansal
    You are very welcome Ben..
    Let me know if you have further questions.



    Thanks
  • jeff
    Great post !! I have been looking to see how to do this
  • saira
    You are a genius!! thank you, iv been trying to resolve this for the last few hours
  • ilan
    Hi
    I appreciate if you can help.
    I follow the instruction of the Google apps but after entering the domain, I can see the Sync icon (i also can't see the talk and calendar icons.
    The administrator told me that everything set.
    I managed to sync my contacts and my main calendar.. but I have more calendars ..
  • ilan
    ok ... sorry for the last comments .. I change language and I see it .. but when I click on the icon Im getting Server Error - Sorry, you've reached a login page for a domain that isn't using google Apps. Please check web address and try again.

    Any idea what is wrong?

    Ilan
  • ilan
    All set .. stupid spelling problem ...
  • Martina
    Please, can somebody help me? I've done exactly that is written in this article. But there is a warning after tap a ‘Sign in with your Google Apps Account’ - Synchronization has been disabled for your domain. Please contact your administrator - where can I enable a synchronization or should I set an exchange account at first? I tried to set it (Google sync help), but it didn't work. I have my own domain. Is it because of that? What should I set at exchange account? Please, somebody help me.
  • @martina That means, Google Sync is not enabled for your domain. Visit http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?h... to first enable Google Mobile Sync for your domain, or ask you admin to do it for you. Then only you will be able to use it to set up exchange account.
    Hope it helps. Let me know if you still have issues enabling it.
    Thanks
  • Frank C. Tannehill
    Is there a way to synchronize my iPhone with the calendar on my domain because I have many events saved there for my readers to see. I'd like to be able to get them into my Google calendar as well.
  • As long as you are using Google Apps, you can use this tutorial to sync your
    iPhone calendar with Google calendar. Once the mentioned steps are
    completed, whenever you add/delete/modify any calendar entry, then will be
    synced with Google.
    Let me know if you find any issue or have any specific question.
  • MHE2
    Hello I make all what is neserarry, to SYNC 3 GOOGLE APPS Calendar
    1. Disable Standard Calender in Exchange account.
    2. Viste Google mobile sync. site.
    3. Switch Language to Englich to see SYN icon.
    4. See my iPhone as Device and select my other 2 calendars
    5. Reactivate the main calendar in Exchange account.
    But iPhone only SYNC my main calendar (from Exchange account) what is wrong. Update also last system Versionon iPhone on 8/2/2010
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