Author Topic: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?  (Read 2789 times)

Miss Piggy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1549
How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« on: March 13, 2017, 03:17:10 PM »
This non-mustachian problem has annoyed me for years.  YEARS!!!!!  It's so frustrating, it makes me want to say bad words.

I have these devices:
- Windows 10 laptop
- Windows 10 Microsoft Surface Pro (3?) tablet
- Android phone
- Android tablet (A redundant waste of money? Perhaps. But it's way more fun than the Microsoft tablet, and it's bigger and much more readable than the phone.)

All I want to do is have my calendar/meetings automatically sync across all of these devices. I really don't think this is too much to ask in 2017. I've used two 3rd-party apps before, but they're a pain in the ass.

My calendar events originate from multiple email addresses (my business, my side gigs, my personal email, etc.), and I want all events to be able to sync. My main calendar is Outlook.

If you have a similar problem, what do you use? I currently use a purchased version of Office. Is Office 365 the answer I'm looking for? Please help me! (And please dumb it down for me, too.)

Riff

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 116
  • Location: West Michigan
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2017, 03:23:19 PM »
I just use Google calendar, and sync all of my devices to that.  Android tablet, ipad, iphone, Windows laptop, Windows desktop, and my wife's phone.  Same thing with contacts.

Miss Piggy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1549
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2017, 03:28:44 PM »
I just use Google calendar, and sync all of my devices to that.  Android tablet, ipad, iphone, Windows laptop, Windows desktop, and my wife's phone.  Same thing with contacts.
Do you have to be online to view it? (Most days, I'm unable to access wifi for 8 hours.)

Riff

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 116
  • Location: West Michigan
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2017, 03:34:22 PM »
To access any new data, or to sync, you would of course have to have internet access (wifi or cell data). 

I like that I can add an event or contact on my phone and it shows up on my wife's phone (and all other synced devices).

sol

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8433
  • Age: 47
  • Location: Pacific Northwest
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2017, 04:30:04 PM »
Your problem is that you're trying to use outlook.

Google calendar will solve all of your problems.  It is free.  It syncs everywhere.  It can push notification reminders to your phone.  You can share it with anybody.  You can access it from any device.

Just Joe

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6721
  • Location: In the middle....
  • Teach me something.
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2017, 08:38:46 AM »
I agree. Get Outlook out of the mix and you get alot of interoperability from other titles. All of the Linux software I use for example will play nice with Google and Android as far as I can tell. Same with the Windows software used in PortableApps.

yodella

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 68
  • Location: US
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2017, 09:00:11 AM »
Hate to be a downer, but I use Google calendar and have syncing issues all the time between my phone/computer/online version. The trouble is usually with shared calendars not updating quickly enough (for example I'll delete a cancelled meeting from my boss's calendar using the google calendar website, but it still shows up on his phone for awhile). However, just yesterday I had an issue (for the first time I can remember) with my OWN calendar not syncing between the website version and my phone. Ugh.

sol

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8433
  • Age: 47
  • Location: Pacific Northwest
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2017, 09:38:41 AM »
Your phone will always fail to update if it can't reach the server.  So if you're out of Wi-Fi range and have data turned off (as many mustachians do) then it won't update until it reconnects.

I've never had a problem with connected devices.  It's usually phones and tablets, and always because of the hardware limitation instead of the calendar sync.

With that said, there are refresh settings you can update if it's just slow to look.

Miss Piggy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1549
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #8 on: March 15, 2017, 03:35:20 PM »
Well, damn. I really wanted to keep using Outlook.

Microsoft is REALLY missing the boat on this one. I mean...for business customers, WTF? If they could have developed something that would sync with their stupid Windows phones, they really could have cornered the market with business customers, but they totally missed the boat. I had a very early Windows phone (years ago), but it had ZERO advantages...no apps, no syncing, nothing. Complete fail. (Did I mention this problem really pisses me off?)

Spork

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5742
    • Spork In The Eye
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2017, 03:57:51 PM »
***WARNING:  I AM NOT A WINDOWS GUY.  THE LAST TIME I REGULARLY USED WINDOWS WAS ABOUT 1990.***

Warnings said... You might consider using Thunderbird (free) for email and calendaring.  You will need to install the Lightning add-on to get calendaring. 

This also syncs well with google calendar (requires another plugin called "Provider for Google Calendar") and syncs well with google contacts (gContactSync).

As an IT nerd that used to be a mail administrator for an organization with tens of thousands of people: Outlook has always been technically abysmal.  It looks pretty, but ... blech.

Just Joe

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6721
  • Location: In the middle....
  • Teach me something.
Re: How to sync calendar across multiple devices easily?
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2017, 07:52:21 AM »
I've always thought of Microsoft products as forcing the user to do things their way rather than their products playing well with everyone else on some neutral standard. They even set up MS Word so that it doesn't play exactly right with the open document format.

For reasons like this and more its why I am so enthusiastic about Linux and open-source software in general. There is some really great proprietary software out there too, I can't deny that. I'd rather rely on some open file format when possible so I can create my work flow around whatever software I want to use rather than a certain version of proprietary software.