Google Sync for the Blackberry
I’ve had a BlackBerry Curve since last November and like many BlackBerry users, I linked it to my Google Mail accounts. But this didn’t give me a way to sync up my calendar with something online.
In fact, I did explore some third-party options that would let me sync a Google Calendar to an MS Office calendar and then sync the BlackBerry calendar to the MS Office calendar. But, that was a very cumbersome way to be able to sync my BB calendar with my Google Calendar and required me to connect my BB to my computer at home, with via the USB cable or Bluetooth, not to mention I would have had to buy the thing that connected Google and MS Office. I could have installed the BlackBerry Desktop Software to help keep to calendars synchronized from afar, but that was fraught with its own issues.
While poking around the various mobile services offered by Google a couple of days ago I came across something called Google Sync. According to the website, Google Sync allows you to "[s]ynchronize your BlackBerry®’s built in calendar with your online Google Calendar". Sweet!
Installation was a painless over-the-air download and configuration was fairly painless. I had some duplicate events caused by the fact that I had the same events in both my Google Calendar and my BB calendar, but that wasn’t caused by Google Sync. It allows you to sync multiple calendars with your BB and events created in one are synchronized with the other with minimal delay. You can sync events up to 24 weeks in advance and specify who "wins" on a conflict (server or BB). Synchronization can take place automatically or manually, and there’s even a counter to help you track the data volume used.
Thanks, Google! š
AKA Keeper of Maps, I'm a geocacher who lives in Ottawa, Canada.
hi…came across your post on the internet while looking to sync my blackberry 8330 to my google calendar. I’m a new user to Blackberry by the way.
Anyways…seem to be unable to connect using my phone to the m.google.com/sync site. I keep getting an “http error 503: service unavailable” message.
Any suggestions?
Hi Bruce…
I did a little Googling and it seems this error may happen when their servers are overloaded. Are you able to connect to any of the mobile Google services at m.google.com?
I’ve been having the same problem and I’m desperate to get mine to sync. When I type in m.google.com I get HTTP Error 503 “Service unavailable – the server is currently unable to handle your request due to a temporary overloading…”. I’ve tried at least a dozen times in the last 24 hours and no luck.
Thoughts?
Hi Sarah…
Has it ever worked for you?
I have been trying unsuccessfully at least once a day since Christmas Day… still no luck. I can see you’re in Canada… Could it be a network specific problem? I’m with Telus. Perhaps they’ve blocked it? I keep getting the same error as Sarah and when I click details I am told that the page doesn’t exist š
I’m really hoping to get it to work as gmail calendar is the only free-mail I can get to cooperate with my office’s Lotus notes. Naturally as this is my personal phone I want to share some calendar entries but I don’t want a bunch of work crap on there. I’m rambling now š
Hi Carley…
I’m with Rogers so it could be a problem with Telus. Have you asked Telus about it?
Hi guys.
Google Sync does work with BB 8330 handsets from Telus – I’ve been using it for a few months now. I did notice that after I upgraded my software version on my BB (now running v4.5.0.77 [Platform 3.2.0.51]) I had problems reconnecting, but I was able to connect about a week after upgrading, and have had no problems since.
P.S. Carley, I did have it working on my 8330 before upgrading the handheld software…!!!!