We can now synchronize Outlook & Android without a 3rd party app or Exchange Server!

RazzMaTazz · Jul 21, 2011

rbasusparky said:
One thing to consider as an advantage for Gmail is if she ever decides to use Google+ is it's tighter integration with it (note the new Google bar (black) for Google+ users that integrates major Google assets) as well as if she's using an android phone. I've used Gmail since it's inception and have not had any issues with it, especially since I use it for my personal life while I use Outlook for business and try to keep them separate.

Here's an article (last year) that compares Gmail and Hotmail.

How Does the New Hotmail Stack Up to Gmail?

Thanks for the comments and link.

Unfortunately, the article comparing Hotmail to Gmail focuses on the webmail-based interfaces and features, all of which are pretty irrelevant to those of us using Outlook and Android.

It will be interesting to see if Google+ (i.e. Google's new Facebook copycat) will become relevant and if it will integrate its assets in such a way that provide advantages to people who use Gmail instead of Hotmail or Yahoo mail, or their ISP's mail service. I'm skeptical.

rbasusparky · Jul 22, 2011

Razz, the Gmail integration (as well as other Google services) with Google+ actually has already begun, is in progress and well under way!

Google+/Gmail Integration: Current Status & Giving Feedback - Search Engine Watch (#SEW)

From Google+, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Photos (Picasa), Reader, Web, etc. you can toggle and switch to any of them. On Gmail, on the top right hand side, I can see my Google+ notifications alert as well as access my Account Settings, Privacy settings, etc. for all Google Services. In fact, the whole top bar is identical on Google+ and Gmail (and other Google services) giving the user the same information and access to settings and options for a uniform experience across all Google applications. Google+ is not just a social media platform to compete with Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn (it's already better than each one of them as you can do all 3 in one platform), they have bigger plans for it and they plan on bringing a unique and integrated web experience to the user! BTW, have you used Google+ already?

Barkdust45 · Jul 24, 2011

I set my new Galaxy 4g phones up according to your most excellent post. It all works as described! I really appreciate you taking the time to post this and to field .questions with detailed, clear answers. Thanks!

The only problem that I've had is accepting calendar invitations received on my main non-Hotmail account. If I accept one, it goes into the calendar associated with that email address. I can copy it into the Hotmail calendar, but Outlook "warns" that I won't get any updates to the appointment. I know that I could avoid the problem by giving out my Hotmail address or by leaving my PC on running "rules" in Outlook -- neither approach appeals to me. I'll live with it though.

I'm personally disappointed at Google, and in my case Samsung, that we have to do this workaround -- but I'm happy that we at least have something that works. Palm/Blackberry made Outlook sync easy; Android makes it much harder than it should be. Shame on Google!

RazzMaTazz · Jul 24, 2011

rbasusparky said:
BTW, have you used Google+ already?

Yes. Circles is nice. I'm sure Facebook will add that feature. Unless the rest of the world abandons Facebook & LinkedIn, for me, it's not worth migrating ~1000 contacts to Google+. The Gmail integration doesn't add much value-- especially for Outlook users. Speaking of Outlook... We shouldn't derail this thread with a Google+ discussion.

Keithmc · Jul 25, 2011

Barkdust45 said:
I set my new Galaxy 4g phones up according to your most excellent post. It all works as described! I really appreciate you taking the time to post this and to field .questions with detailed, clear answers. Thanks!

The only problem that I've had is accepting calendar invitations received on my main non-Hotmail account. If I accept one, it goes into the calendar associated with that email address. I can copy it into the Hotmail calendar, but Outlook "warns" that I won't get any updates to the appointment. I know that I could avoid the problem by giving out my Hotmail address or by leaving my PC on running "rules" in Outlook -- neither approach appeals to me. I'll live with it though.

I'm personally disappointed at Google, and in my case Samsung, that we have to do this workaround -- but I'm happy that we at least have something that works. Palm/Blackberry made Outlook sync easy; Android makes it much harder than it should be. Shame on Google!

Having the same problem, I believe. Also with contacts, if you create a new contact by right-clicking the email address in a message, then choose 'add to outlook contacts', it puts it in the old (non-live) contacts file by default. I tried changing the 'default' data (.pst) file in the 'Account Settings', 'Data Files' tab. This caused all my work Inbox items from my non-live account to be copied to my 'live' account inbox (myemial@live.com). While I suspect this will change the Calendar & Contacts default location, I really do not want my non-live email stored in my live account file. Is there another solution to this?

RazzMaTazz · Jul 25, 2011

Barkdust45 said:
I set my new Galaxy 4g phones up according to your most excellent post. It all works as described! I really appreciate you taking the time to post this and to field questions with detailed, clear answers. Thanks!

I'm glad to hear that it works well for you. Thanks for checking in to let us know.

Barkdust45 said:
The only problem that I've had is accepting calendar invitations received on my main non-Hotmail account. If I accept one, it goes into the calendar associated with that email address. I can copy it into the Hotmail calendar, but Outlook "warns" that I won't get any updates to the appointment. I know that I could avoid the problem by giving out my Hotmail address or by leaving my PC on running "rules" in Outlook -- neither approach appeals to me. I'll live with it though.

I didn't realize that issue existed, but you're right. I like your idea about running a rule on Outlook (even if you don't find it appealing). I just implemented such a rule and it works well, although I kinda had to work around a "bug". The bug is that in Outlook 2010, if I create a rule that moves (or places a copy of) a calendar item into my Hotmail Inbox or "which is a meeting invitation update", Outlook 2010 did not seem to recognize incoming meeting invitations (at least not from the Internet). So I worked around this by moving a copy to the Hotmail Inbox, "with specific words in the header" and I set the specific header words to "calendar". Now Outlook automatically moves a copy of my calendar invitations from my primary (gmail) Inbox to my Hotmail Inbox. Then if I accept the invitation, it appears on my Hotmail calendar. Not ideal. But it works. I wish that I could set up that rule at the Hotmail server level.

Barkdust45 said:
I'm personally disappointed at Google, and in my case Samsung, that we have to do this workaround -- but I'm happy that we at least have something that works. Palm/Blackberry made Outlook sync easy; Android makes it much harder than it should be. Shame on Google!

Google wants everyone to stop using Microsoft Office/Outlook and start using Google Apps. It's contrary to Google's strategic interests to make Android work well with Outlook. However, to Google's credit, at least they don't stop third party developers from creating programs and apps that enable synchronization between Android and Outlook. Microsoft could also write software and apps that would let Outlook synchronize with Android. But Microsoft wants people to use Windows Mobile phones instead of Android phones, so it's not in Microsoft's strategic interests either. :mad:

RazzMaTazz · Jul 25, 2011

Keithmc said:
Having the same problem, I believe. Also with contacts, if you create a new contact by right-clicking the email address in a message, then choose 'add to outlook contacts', it puts it in the old (non-live) contacts file by default. I tried changing the 'default' data (.pst) file in the 'Account Settings', 'Data Files' tab. This caused all my work Inbox items from my non-live account to be copied to my 'live' account inbox (myemial@live.com). While I suspect this will change the Calendar & Contacts default location, I really do not want my non-live email stored in my live account file. Is there another solution to this?

On Outlook 2010, I went into File/Account Settings --> Data File tab, then I selected my Hotmail account and clicked "Set as default". That took care of the issue that you mentioned about adding an email address to Outlook from within an email. It did not change where my Gmail or POP mail gets delivered. My (IMAP) Gmail, my (POP) Yahoo mail, and my (MAPI) Hotmail, all still arrive in their respective Inboxes. It does cause your "draft" emails to be saved to your Hotmail "Drafts" folder-- which is fine by me because I keep "To Do Lists" as draft mails in that "Drafts" folder.

TimTDP · Jul 26, 2011

I am looking for the same thing, but for Mozilla's Thunderbird
I don't use Outlook!

trisgo · Jul 27, 2011

MyPhoneExplorer works just fine for me.

RazzMaTazz · Jul 27, 2011

TimTDP said:
I am looking for the same thing, but for Mozilla's Thunderbird. I don't use Outlook!

If you go to "Search", "Advanced Search" on this forum and search for "Thunderbird sync" you'll find several recommendations.

gemini846 · Jul 27, 2011

Is there a phone setting to get all my contacts back into gmail? Somehow I have about half my contacts stored natively and half gmail. I want them all in gmail, all in outlook, and all accessable on my phone.

DavidRB · Jul 28, 2011

mll said:
Cool RazzMaTazz, thanks a lot! Will try as soon as I find time.

One question though: you said that this method won't allow to sync with a google account, unless one goes through the hassle of exporting-importing, which I won't. Does anyone see an easy workaround to this ?

Try this link:

GO Contact Sync | Download GO Contact Sync software for free at SourceForge.net

Install the above program on the PC with outlook, Modify the settings to suit your sync needs and sync to Gmail. Android syncs with Gmail and there are your outlook contacts in Gmail on your android.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S 2 with Gingerbread

Hope this assists, works for me.

Breckenu · Aug 7, 2011

Your sync system is working beautifully on my HTC Incredible 2, but need help on 2 things:

1. I got my phone contact list full of duplicates because I did not delete the phone list prior to the sync set up. How to eliminate them or do over?

2. To sync other email accounts, such as my Verizon email, do I need to go into Hotmail and set up "Send/Receive from other email accounts" and point them to the Hotmail account? Or will your method do that automatically?

bowtech · Aug 7, 2011

Hello everybody! can someone tell me if there an app that allows emails to goes into your inbox on your Droid 3 when you have rules setup on your outlook exchange 2010? here's the problem I see emails go into all the folders put not into the inbox on the droid 3. Is there an app out there that allows you to get email into the inbox on the droid and still go into the folders without have to search though each folder to see if you have an email on the droid 3??? The way it's setup now if I have a rule setup in exchange emails donnot go into inbox on the droid.

RazzMaTazz · Aug 7, 2011

Breckenu said:
1. I got my phone contact list full of duplicates because I did not delete the phone list prior to the sync set up. How to eliminate them or do over?

That depends on what type of contacts the duplicates are. If they're "Phone-only" contacts, then I think you'll have to delete them by hand, or perhaps using a program like MyPhoneExplorer. If the duplicates are "Google Contacts" then I think you should be able to just stop synchronizing contacts with Gmail. To determine what kind of contact your duplicates are, try to edit each duplicate. It will be displayed at the top of the contact. Please let us know if/how you were able to solve the problem.

Breckenu said:
2. To sync other email accounts, such as my Verizon email, do I need to go into Hotmail and set up "Send/Receive from other email accounts" and point them to the Hotmail account? Or will your method do that automatically?

You can sync other IMAP-based email accounts (like Gmail) by adding an IMAP account to Outlook and to your Android device. You can retrieve POP mail from Outlook and your Android device by adding a POP account to each, but POP doesn't really synchronize. (You can read an email on either device, but deleted, sent, or saved emails won't be synchronized between devices.) If you have a POP account (like Verizon I think), you may want to see if you can logon to your Verizon account and forward your mail to an IMAP or Hotmail account. Or you can go into the web-based settings for your Hotmail or Gmail account and retrieve your POP mail into your IMAP or Hotmail account. Note that IMAP & POP can only handle mail, not calendar, contacts, etc.

Breckenu · Aug 7, 2011

I used the Hotmail feature under "Option", "Send/Receive from other email accounts" and linked to my Verizon.net email accounts (3 of them). This was a little slow to start working over yesterday but now the retrieving and syncing is happening within seconds.

eosaz · Aug 10, 2011

i have a motorola droid pro phone and a samsung galaxay 10.1 pad. will the sync using hotlmail sync two android devices?

dheymann · Aug 10, 2011

crowntown said:
First, I'm grateful to @RazzMaTazz for creating this thread. I've tested most of the free and some of the paid 42 "solutions" that exist for Outlook-Android syncing and have to report that NONE of them did what I wanted it to, and ALL of them did things I didn't want them to. The 42 solutions are half-baked apps that have been rushed to market with insufficient testing, and they're all riddled with major bugs that render them unusable for me. On a positive note, I did receive full refunds by the creators of all the apps I paid for -- so at least the developers are ethical.

Crowntown, I also am grateful to Razz. Guys like him make forums like this valuable. I am hoping you can send me in the right direction as Razz's solution wont work for me. I have 2200 contacts, 8000 appts, and 300 tasks. I have info in there that I don't want to sync over networks. I am used to my palmpilot, Treo, and blackberry syncing over USB and that is what I need. I will pay up to $100 for the software. You tried all 42. Will any of them sync all of my items back and forth with outlook over a USB and not lose data? I have only owned my MoPho for a few hours and this thread made my heart sink as I had been assured at the store that this would not be a problem. Thanks if you can help. Dave

isaacbro · Aug 13, 2011

Sure are a lot of whiners on this thread.

I just wanted to get my outlook contacts to my new Samsung Infuse since I switched from an iPhone. As long as I can sync my contacts SOMEWHERE, I don't care where it is so I'll opt for the automatic Google option.

Very simple one-time solution.

After you've set up a Google account, you can import your contacts. Access your contacts by tapping Android's Contacts icon. To get your contacts into the Google account, you'll have to export them from your existing software as a CSV file. You can also import your contacts from Outlook, Outlook Express, Yahoo Mail, or Hotmail by exporting them to a CSV file. In Yahoo, for example, click Contacts, then Tools, then Export, and select the Yahoo CSV option. To import the CSV file, open Gmail on your PC (not your phone!), click the Contacts tab on the left-hand side, then click the import button. Select the CSV file in Google from wherever you stashed the CSV file on your PC.

source:How to Sync Your Android Phone to a Mac or PC | PCMag.com

Geekeldr · Aug 14, 2011

dheyman,
Please let us know if you find anything that works as well as Palm's HotSync. I think I have owned every Palm OS device ever made and had little if any problems syncing everything from various incarnations of Outlook. From my perspective Palm abandon its user based and I very relucatnatly recently went with The Motorola XPRT on Sprint. It has many great features by Outlook syncing is not one of them although it supposedly works with exchange servers.

dheymann · Aug 14, 2011

Geekeldr said:
dheyman,
Please let us know if you find anything that works as well as Palm's HotSync. I think I have owned every Palm OS device ever made and had little if any problems syncing everything from various incarnations of Outlook. From my perspective Palm abandon its user based and I very relucatnatly recently went with The Motorola XPRT on Sprint. It has many great features by Outlook syncing is not one of them although it supposedly works with exchange servers.

I will post in a week or two the results of my situation but here is the headline: If you don't mind spending $49, Companionlink is the way to go to get the old Palm/Blackberry type of Outlook sync. Their product will sync contacts, calendar, tasks, and memos with Android or IOS. I had some major problems but I am now at a point where I am about ready to recommend it. My only hesitation is a few things I need to sort out regarding a few records that did not sync, but I think they were problem records. If you want a robust, USB link between Outlook and Android that does tasks as well, this is the way to go. They wrote their own calendar, contact, task, memo application for the handheld that is really pretty good (better than Palm and probably better than BB) but the best part is after it syncs to the handheld, it syncs to the android contact and calendar DB so that caller ID with picture works, etc. The biggest downside I see long term is that the sync is slower than Palm or BB. After the first few syncs my 10K records would take 5 minutes on BB and they take 10-15 on Companionlink but for what I want I doubt I can do better. I only sync once a week so it is not that big an issue for me. Their tech support was pretty good and I get the impression they are going to keep updating the product. Not a fanboy yet but I expect to be in a week or two. D

Geekeldr · Aug 15, 2011

Thanks!!! I'll stay tuned. Byu the way which Phone and Android OS software version are you running?

dheymann · Aug 15, 2011

Geekeldr said:
Thanks!!! I'll stay tuned. Byu the way which Phone and Android OS software version are you running?

I have the Motorola (or Google as of today's announcement) PHoton 4g with Android 2.3. The MoPho has only been out about 2 weeks so it is likely some of my problems are unique to the MoPho and will be solved by Companionlink over time.

takeshi · Aug 15, 2011

dheymann said:
They wrote their own calendar, contact, task, memo application for the handheld that is really pretty good (better than Palm and probably better than BB)

There is no BB desktop PIM app. Desktop Manager is a just a utility that allows sync with a PIM (such as Outlook).

LeslieS · Aug 15, 2011

I would love to try this, but I have a couple concerns/questions first. With the most recent update to my Evo Shift, my email was all messed up for days. IMAP vs. POP is mentioned in this thread so my concern is messing up my email again. (I guess my email provider is on that doesn't always play well with Smartphones). What I'm looking to do is sync wirelessly between the evo shift and Outlook calendar/contacts, do I need to do all these steps or would someone mind cutting/pasting step-by-step instructions for syncing with Outlook? I don't understand how to 'Add a Hotmail account to Outlook'?? I'm using Outlook 2007.

Has anyone tried Android sync Manager?
Thanx for any suggestions

Leslie

We can now synchronize Outlook & Android without a 3rd party app or Exchange Server!

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