[How to] sync Contact's Birthday's to Calendar

[doublebucklemonk]

I've seen quite a few people wondering how to get the birthday's from their contacts (either google, facebook or both) into their calendars. Here is how to do it.

First, Facebook limits the way you can view their data (phone numbers, birthday's, etc.). They will allow you to view it, but not to scrape the data to transfer to another app (which is why there is no way to sync your google and facebook addressbooks). I remember a while back somebody wrote a facebook app that would sync with Plaxo and facebook shut down the users account within a day of him starting to use the program. Because of this limitation, you will need to add 2 calendars to get all your birthdays and if you have a birthday in both facebook and google, that birthday will appear twice. That being said, here is what you can do.

To add Birthdays from Google contacts to your Google Calendar.
1. Using a computer go to calendar.google.com
2. Top Right corner, click on settings/calendar settings.
3. Under Calendar settings click Calendars
4. By Other Calendars, click Browse Interesting Calendars
5. Under Interesting Calendars, select More
6. Subscribe to the Contacts' Birthdays and Events calendar.
7. Return to Calendar, your Contacts' Birthdays should now be appearing.
8. On your phone open the calendar app and go to menu/more/refresh
9. Go to menu/more/calendars and make sure the new CBE calendar is checked.
10. Back to Calendar. The birthdays should now be showing.
11. If they do not appear, try menu/refresh.
12. If they still do not appear go to menu/more/calendars/remove and remove the CBE calendar then menu/more/calendars/add and readd the CBE calendar (this is what I had to do).

*Google does not currently have a way to add reminders to this calendar. You can add a reminder to any individual birthday, one at a time, from your phone, but the reminders will not sync back to the web version of Gcal and will only work on the phone.

To add Birthdays from Facebook to your Google Calendar
1. Go to fbCal.com - Facebook Calendar Generator, and click Get your calendars now
2. In facebook click Allow/Allow/Allow
3. Under "Subscribe to Friends Birthdays" click the Google Calendar icon
4. In Google Calendar, Select Yes add this Calendar
5. In Google Calendar go to Settings/Calendars, double click the calendar with the really long complicated name, and rename to fbCal or something else you will remember, Save. Facebook birthdays should now be showing in Gcal.
6. In your phone calendar, menu/more/refresh
7. Menu/more/calendars/ and put a checkmark next to the fbCal calendar.
8. Menu/more/refresh
9. Everything should be working now.

*If you go back to the fbCal page in facebook, you can follow the same process to create a calendar for Facebook events. You CAN create regular Google notifications for both facebook calendars.

Hope it helps.

 

[Ruben]

FbCal didn't work. Followed instructions. Only had to press 1 allow. Is this a problem?

 

[doublebucklemonk]

There is a message on fbCal's facebook page that they are temporarily down. Apparently Facebook is requiring them to remove the fb from their name or some stupid thing.

The dumb thing is, fbCal was working perfectly for me (and has been for over a year), and I deleted it so I could add it again from scratch to make sure I got the directions right, and now it doesn't work for me either.

My guess is they will have it all figured out in a few days and it should be ack up and running.

 

[Muad'Dib]

Its now called fdCal, and seems to be working... I do have a question though. Is this just an export of what is there currently, or does it update automatically like when you add a new friend for example?

 

[SereneJ]

Hi, first post on here for me!

Have just followed the instructions to get facebook birthdays into the calendar on my HTC Desire - worked like a treat.

Thankyou for such clear and easy to follow instructions.

 

[2k2s2k]

My Facebook birthdays are not showing up on my google calendar. I followed the steps exactly. Any ideas?

 

[RawlingsSc]

I followed the directions and got my contacts birthdays showing up. Thanks a ton! However, I have another question. If I do the Facebook birthdays, will the people that are gmail contacts and facebook friends show up twice?

 

[Reddman6988]

I added FDcal to my facebook and put it onto my google calendar. It just did not add any birthdays. Anyone else experiencing this?


Edit: It just takes time to populate. Aprox 20min

 

[FramCire]

Are the birthdays showing up under contacts? Our "people? check and make sure facebook is listed under "online directories". then check your calendar and make sure there isnt a setting as to what the calendar shows. (I use Jorte, so I dont know about stock calendar).

 

[mandophish]

awesome, thanks!

 

[NightAngel79]

Great!!!!!

 

[DDuyan]

After searching for ways to get facebook birthdays into my phone calendar (HTC Incredible) I've tried and failed using the facebook export events link, and fdcal (I got 4 our of over 400 birthdays). I also tried adding contacts birthdays in google calendar hoping it would sync but that didn't work either. All of the contacts listed in google were imported from my phone, I don't use my google account except to back up my phone calendar and contacts. Has anyone found a real foolproof way to automatically add friend's birthdays from facebook?

 

[supa]

After searching for ways to get facebook birthdays into my phone calendar (HTC Incredible) I've tried and failed using the facebook export events link, and fdcal (I got 4 our of over 400 birthdays). I also tried adding contacts birthdays in google calendar hoping it would sync but that didn't work either. All of the contacts listed in google were imported from my phone, I don't use my google account except to back up my phone calendar and contacts. Has anyone found a real foolproof way to automatically add friend's birthdays from facebook?

Have you tried this?

Google Contact Sync | Heart of Angel

 

[Eplemosen]

So there's no way to automatically add birthdays from Phone Contacts to your Phone Calendar?
Edit: NVM, I'm using Google's calendar now, and it worked.

 

[Joshuahist]

This was huge. I stumbled upon this website trying to figure out how to do just this. (coming from a blackberry)

 

[wrestlingnrj]

Not sure if anyone else is having this problem, but on the calendar itself, the birthdays show up a day after they actually are listed under the contact.

Ex. "Joe's" birthday is August 18 and it shows that under his contact, but when I go into the calendar it with say "Joe's birthday is today" under Aug 19.

 

[Bearly]

Not sure if anyone else is having this problem, but on the calendar itself, the birthdays show up a day after they actually are listed under the contact.

Ex. "Joe's" birthday is August 18 and it shows that under his contact, but when I go into the calendar it with say "Joe's birthday is today" under Aug 19.

I am having that exact problem. Missed my brother's birthday...

 

[wrestlingnrj]

Looks like I was able to fix my issue with birthdays. Menu > Settings > Applications > Manage Applications > Calendar Storage > Clear Data, then restart your phone

 

[jastonas]

I get the same problem with most guys. Fdcal just doesnt gather birthday information. Downloading the ical (ics) file shows just some random stuff with no entries and the file is 200 bytes

 

[jiggaDROID]

I don't think you need to download anything outside of the facebook update. With the update, it adds a Facebook calendar to your options within the calendar app. Just go to calendar, select menu>more>calendars>select the checkbox for facebook. This will show you all birthdays, events, etc.

 

[D Stankfeet]

Great HOW TO... I had this working before I upgraded to Froyo and tested a few ROMs and kernels. So I tried a few things such as removing the calendars syncing / refresh then adding them back without success. Pulling the Battery as was suggested in this or another thread. I finally go it working by go into Settings --> Applications --> Manage Applications --> All and froced stoped the list of items and deleted any data where it let me. I'm sure some was over kill but hey Got me back up and working.

Calendar
Calendar Storage
Calendar Sync Adapter
Calendar Widget

 

[andwhat]

To add Birthdays from Google contacts to your Google Calendar.
1. Using a computer go to calendar.google.com
2. Top Right corner, click on settings/calendar settings.
3. Under Calendar settings click Calendars
4. By Other Calendars, click Browse Interesting Calendars
5. Under Interesting Calendars, select More
6. Subscribe to the Contacts' Birthdays and Events calendar.
7. Return to Calendar, your Contacts' Birthdays should now be appearing.
8. On your phone open the calendar app and go to menu/more/refresh
9. Go to menu/more/calendars and make sure the new CBE calendar is checked.
10. Back to Calendar. The birthdays should now be showing.
11. If they do not appear, try menu/refresh.
12. If they still do not appear go to menu/more/calendars/remove and remove the CBE calendar then menu/more/calendars/add and readd the CBE calendar (this is what I had to do).

Is this supposed to work for the HTC Desire? I follow this list, and birthdays shows up on the calendar on the website - but not on the phone? The calendar doesn't show up in the list on the phone?

 

[andwhat]

I finally go it working by go into Settings --> Applications --> Manage Applications --> All and froced stoped the list of items and deleted any data where it let me. I'm sure some was over kill but hey Got me back up and working.

Ah yes, that seemed to work. Delete everything - curious.

 

[arguseyes]

Everything worked perfectly! I have my Facebook contacts' birthdays syncing to my phone via Google Calendar. Thanks.

 

[dunjamon]

Was all working fine...but fdcal is no more.