The first thing I want to say is that I simply love my new Droid phone. In fact, it probably is the coolest electronic device I have ever owned. Verizon Wireless has the best service and now they have the best phone! I really think this phone is going to help boost their ratings and customers.
This is assuming you are already using Microsoft Outlook 2007 for everything.
The first thing I tried with the Droid was syncing my personal IMAP account with the device. Then I realized that wasn’t going to sync my contacts, calendar, etc.
So I removed the IMAP account and then tried syncing my Microsoft Exchange account. This worked great and pulled contacts down, calendar items (buggy), and emails. But then I realized there were still nice little features missing. Because it is Google OS obviously they are wanting you to use Gmail (their product).
So I decided to give the GOOGLE APPS a test trial run, accompanied by Google App Sync. And let me just say, it is amazing!!!!
Functions working:
- Microsoft Outlook 2007 is syncing flawlessly with my DROID
(Email, Email folders, Contacts, Calendar Items) - Using my own business email account (brian@innovativepixels.com) for all gmail functions (requires changing MX records over to GMAIL). Not using @gmail.com for anything. This means that all masking of email is fixed.
- A plus with using GMAIL as app on the DROID over standard email client is that I can now use an email signature from the phone, such as (Sent from my DROID).
- The Google App Sync will export and import automatically all of your current Outlook information into your newly hosted GMAIL email account. Basically it asks you for Outlook Profile to use for your new account and then it takes a couple minutes and migrates all your data over. No manual migration necessary.
- Another plus with using GMAIL app on DROID is that my emails are now stacked in conversations, like they are in GMAIL web client. Saves space on DROID for viewing.
- Everything just seems to work faster and better when going through Google Apps. Also calendar is not buggy anymore.
- Ability to see all my folders/cabinet and then be able to move emails to them when I receive them on my DROID. Your Outlook folders are converted into “LABELS” on your DROID. They still work the same as folders, but are just called something different. All changes sync to my Microsoft Outlook 2007 and to online Gmail.
The Google APPs costs $50 per user per year but it is worth every penny for me. My entire Microsoft Outlook 2007 is now syncing flawlessly with my DROID, very fast, with all the functions and features of GMAIL but without the GMAIL branding. You definitely want to give it a try. 30 day trial is free and they don’t bill you for first 30 days.
VERIZON WIRELESS DROID
Tags: DROID, Google Apps, Google Sync, Microsoft
I understand why Google would strategically want to have everything going through their services. And I am not *totally* adverse to that; even though it is not my preference. I am certainly *not* cloud-phobic. In fact, my current e-mail solution is hosted in the cloud – via network solutions. The slight(?) difference being that network solutions [ to my knowledge
] is not actively mining the data in my e-mail, like Google does with its e-mail accounts.
But, for me to move to a google-oriented solution, I need some type of a workable migration plan.
This is actually quite surprising to me on a strategic level. The Google folks have impressed me as quite strategically clever (even brilliant). However, even when Palm Treo was the new, reigning smart phone, it identified synchronization as a core functionality, and BUNDLED it into its phone services, so that all the user had to do was a simple configuration of the *Palm-provided* synchronization service ( i.e. “hot synch”). And the Verizon technical support personnel were *knowledgeable* and *trained* in regards to helping users with any synchronization issues which we encountered.
This contrasts sharply with the current Verizon technical support, which tells me “please go look at a third-party for synchronization.” And the synchronization vendor which they say that Motorola recommends (companion link) is getting such mixed reviews on the web!
Not clear to me how Google could have missed this as a strategic imperative. Do they have some type of meta-strategy which I am not grasping? Or maybe it is just that their target market are people who do not currently have a smart phone solution, and so Google does not consider the creation of a migration path a high priority task?
Candidly, as of this morning, I am beginning to think that I may need to return the Droid and move to another smart phone solution. Since I probably will still need to stay with Verizon (since they have better coverage in my geographic area), I am thinking that I may need to move to whatever Blackberry’s best phone is. When I was in the Verizon store looking at smart phones, the blackberry smart phone which the sales representative indicated was the closest alternative to the droid, did not have a touch screen (I do not remember the name of the Blackberry model). However, the Verizon sales representative did indicate that synchronization was a *strength* of Blackberry; and that poor synchronization was one of the leading reasons that she observed for returns of Droid. In retrospect, perhaps that was a telling observation…
Not having a touchscreen on my smart phone would seem like going further back into the Flintstone era. (Even my Treo has a touchscreen! Not to mention iPhone, Nexus, et. al!) But if I cannot get e-mail, calendar and contact synchronization working smoothly, not clear what my choices are…
1) Yes all email is pushed automatically to your DROID without your laptop/computer being hooked up to internet.
2) Since it is IMAP, your Outlook client will receive all email as well. Unless you delete them from your DROID, then it deletes it from your client and vice versa.
@Tony: Sorry for the delay Tony, I have been struggling with pinched nerve, back and forth to doctor’s of the last month and a half, it has been affecting my whole arm. Are you still having issues with your DROID or needing help getting it set up? If so, what areas are you having trouble with?
I’m in a similar situation as Tony, I think. I pretty new at this stuff, and there’s a lot I’m fuzzy about.
I use Outlook 2007, not on Microsoft exchange, and I have two email addresses, one personal through Comcast, one business through my domain hosted by Godaddy, both POP3, that I want to sync with my Droid. I’ve already synced my calendar and contacts through Google Calendar and Contacts with few problems, and those seem to work satisfactorily — my Droid calendar and my Outlook calendar match. And I can receive emails on my Droid email app with no problems. What I’ve been doing so fa is receiving emails on both my laptop and my Droid and deleting them from my Droid after I’m sure I’ve got them on my pc. Kind of a pain.
What I’m most interested in achieving is getting the emails I’ve sent from my Droid into my Sent folder in Outlook on my PC, which I can’t seem to do right now. I tried MyLink, but it can’t access the email client on the Droid to get at those sent messages. Plus, MyLink can’t send emails from its Sent folder until you sync your Droid to your PC with a USB cable — totally useless when I’m on the road away from my laptop. I got a refund.
Will what you’re talking about with Google Apps and Google Apps Sync do what I want? Do I have to change my POP3 accounts to IMAP, and if so, how do I do that, if it can be done at all? Thanks.
Gene H
First off… thanks… I have NOT had time to dive into this… and NEED to. Maybe you can answer a question for me, since I am getting stonewalled elsewhere…. and for the pinched nerve… go see a Japanese Acupuncturist ( I know it sounds iffy.. I thought so to..) must be Japanese there is a difference.. I am pain free for over a year after being in constant pain for over 10 and tried everything else.. worth a shot…
..anywho.. ..
I have 20 separate POP email accounts (all different domains) all setup in outlook 2007. I have rules setup to move the emails to folders so it all does not go into one unreadable inbox. I am looking for a way to sync my cell with outlook email (and folders), calendar and contacts using a wireless push method. So when an email comes in there is a reasonable 2min like turnaround to the phone. I am not looking for a polling method as there is no reason to poll if there is no email or calendar change. I have been using Verizon as a carrier for years and like them for their coverage. I have also been using their “wireless sync” tool which is a VERY OLD copy of Intellisync’s Mobile Suite. It has a desktop app that monitors your PST files and then syncs that up to a server which in turn has a web front end as well as what the phone uses to sync. I do currently have a windows mobile phone running Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro.
My issues is that the PC Monitor from Verizon (Intellisync) is NOT compatible with Outlook 2007 and continuously corrupts my PST file.
I am willing to change phones but not carriers. I want to know if I could use Active Sync to solve my issue?
I could install Exchange 2007 maybe? then active sync?
I MUST keep outlook working as my main desktop app.. (I think).. there is something warm and fuzzy about having your email for the last 10+ years in pst files on a machine you control..
MOST of my email accounts are through Network Solutions.
When I call Verizon I don’t get ANY help… just someone reading from a knowledge base that has no idea what I am talking about.
PLEASE HELP.. seems like you have already solved some if not most of these issues.. the multi email accounts throw me off.. and I don’t get how my rules in outlook work in the google world… the rules move emails to folders.. in outlook…
Thanks again.. and good luck with your back
-Ken
If i can not sync my Outlook 2007 the Droid (calendar, contacts, email) then I will never buy this phone which would be EXTREMELY disappointing because I absolutly love this phone.
maybe the TouchPro 3D. just not the same though and costs the same.
@Gene H: Yes, it is possible. I am running the same way you and Tony are running except with Google Apps and have everything syncing; even the sent mail.
You will want to read through the google documentation here: http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/topic.py?topic=20897
This has everything you need to know about using their service. Basically you have to point the MX records of your domain to Google’s server. It is telling your email on your domain to go to Google instead of your domain and it routes it through their server. All works the same and is very snappy. And yes, it is IMAP.
@Ken L: Ya you are kinda in a sticky situation with so many email accounts. With DROID’s push technology the good news is there is only around 1-2 second delay. Actually, most of the time my DROID gets the email before my Outlook client does. I think you would have a hard time hosting all your emails with Exchange 2007, you could but it would be quite a bit of work with redirecting MX records for each domain. It would work though and then on your DROID you simply add all the email accounts as EXCHANGE and they would sync flawlessly. As far as Google Apps goes, its not going to work great with that many email accounts and it is going to cost more.
@Fred : Question, are you running a Gmail email address or is it on your own domain? Or is your email on an exchange server through a company? If it is on your own domain, then you could purchase google apps and it will sync flawlessly. If you are on an exchange 2007 server then it will already sync flawlessly.
Thanks for the reply, and I will check it out. A couple more questions, if I may: I’m a novice at this, so I don’t understand what you mean when you say “point the MX records of your domain to Google’s server.” What is MX, Microsoft Exchange? I don’t have that.
Also, if what you’re talking about requires IMAP, do I just reconfigure my Outlook by choosing IMAP instead of POP3, or is it more complicated than that? One of my email addresses is through Comcast, and the other is through my web site on godaddy. I’m not sure they can even handle IMAP.
Thanks.
Hi Brian. So I’ve been reading up on the DROID, and I am definitely looking to get one. One thing I definitely need this phone to do is be useful for work and play, meaning I need it to sync up to work email and calendar. My company is on the Microsoft Outlook 2007 system, but I’ve been told that our company’s IT folks only support Blackberry, and that our security protocols will not support the DROID OS. So here is my question – will using an app like Google Premier circumvent my security worries, or am I stuck with a Blackberry? Or is there really no way to know until I’ve tried it?
How can you state “My entire Microsoft Outlook 2007 is now syncing flawlessly with my DROID,” when google does not have notes or tasks?
I have a droid. i use IMAP to get my mail and google calendar sync to sync my outlook calendar. works fine. if i switch to the business google does it then moves my mail from MX to GOOGLE then IMAP to Droid? Is there a security issue then with my corporate mail server?
Brian (or anyone reading),
What is the oldest version of Outlook on which your sync process will still run successfully? I am not running Outlook 2007 – I think it is Outlook 2002. While that seems ridiculously old, it all works so great. I have a great laptop and a Palm Treo and the sync is great. EVERYTHING transfers, even those darn Notes. I want it all, but don’t know if my new phone has to be a Pre to get the functions that I am used to. Upgrading Outlook could be an option, but what a hassle and expense when everything is just fine right now.
Is there an OUTLOOK (not exchange) to Google app that will sync email / folders / calendar and contacts? Since I don’t own ALL of the 20 domains I can not have the MX records come here for all..
I would rather OUTLOOK collect everything then PUSH to google so Droid will work..
Is this possible? I could move ONE domain to Google for sending from DROID if that makes sense..
I just don’t fully understand the options here..
Also I don’t see ANY support area FROM google? Is there a forum that actually answers questions about these types of questions (Verizon is clueless)
Thanks for the help… I think google should send you a check!
-Ken
-Ken
Brian,
I’m a physical therapist (and recent droider) and suggest you take a look at how youare treating your body all that time leaning over your droid, computer, and textbooks. I have experience with spinal manipulation, exercise for spinal conditions, acupuncutre, ergonomics/posture etc. for “pinched nerves” and the only thing that will work for you in the long run is getting off the computer about every 30 minutes and moving, and make sure your worskstation has good ergonomics, and make sure you are exercising/stretching regularly. I wish you the best of luck… and suggest you see a GOOD physical therapist if your problem perists…
Kris Porter, DPT
(Doctor of Physical Therapy)
Brian:
I have the same question as “pkw”
Does Google Apps also sync Notes and Tasks from Outlook? I use tasks a lot – but don’t want them to be “mixed in” with my calendar items (meetings, appointments, etc.).
Help. I have a new droid that I love. However, I’m a mac user and don’t have outlook. I updated all my contacts in my gmail acct but I’m now clueless re how to get that updated information to synch with my phone. When Verizon imported my contacts from my Treo to the new droid, I did lose some notes and now have to go back in and enter them from my old contact list. Any ideas or something obvious that I haven’t considered? Lin P.S. Verizon told me that when I opened gmail on the droid that it would synch…….not!
My life revolves around Outlook 2007. Have my email accounts pushed to Outlook. Love my Droid. As you suggested, I attempted to sign up for Google Apps for a flawless sync, but they want a domain name. Do I have to buy and register a name? If so, GoDaddy looks the best to me. What do you think?
So I just got the droid yesterday and have been trying to figure out how to sync all of my outlook stuff with the droid and I am not on an exchange server and have a gmail email account. I love the phone but have tried some of the other apps with no luck (could possibly be user error)… I have yet to try to Google Apps or CompanionLink yet, but only because it sounds like some people are having issues with both?
Do any of them truly work seamlessly? Seems like there should be something that is “just right” for the droid by now, but it just doesn’t appear that way to me… Please correct me if I’m wrong… maybe I’m just really frustrated and tired of all the time I have put into this phone and still is not functioning the way I would like it to/am accustomed to. Someone help!
Brian I need help. This DAMN DROID and GOOGLE are really starting to piss me off. In short my verizon.net emails will not show up on my Droid, at all. My wife on the other hand has the Droid HTC and she is rx all her email being sent to her verizon.net acc. I recently upgradded to Outlook 2007 hoping that would fix the problem but still to no avail. I have also installed gSyncit and since I have done that my calender and contacts have been syncing up. But still not email. Actually every once and a while I will get my emails but if I read just one all the others are deleted from Droid. Then I dont rx anymore emails. I havent rx an email in days on my Droid but through outlook verizon email I get all my emails. I have gone through both outlook and gmail settings and I think they are correct the test seem to work. But yet no email on Droid. I checked out the link you provided above http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/topic.py?topic=20897 and this is just to combersom and in my opinion a ton of info I do not know whee to start. It really shouldnt be this difficultI never had this problem with my Q. Any help would be grateful…I hate to have to purchase another APP ie the DROID app what ever that is, to be able to do all of this since I purchased the Gsynit APP and that only solving part of the stuff not the email. Any suggestions and can you provide the link for the droid APP I can try as trial, unless you have another suggestion…Thank you … Brian
I have heard many people talking about syncing with Exchange 2007 but, I cannot get the phone to do so with a corporate Exchange 2007. Whenever I try to configure and sync, the port changes from 143 or 993 back to 587. IMAP should be on the first two but my phone refuses to use those ports. Since I am using a ISA Proxy for exchange, it is imparitive that it work on the default IMAP ports. I have opened the ports necessary and am able to sync multiple other phones. The Droid will not work for some reason. I have tried downloading the Outlook app and still no success. Any Ideas?
I have a Microsoft Outlook POP 3 accoint through cbeyond and am trying to get all my outlook information (Mail, Calender, Contacts, Notes, Tasks, etc…) to sync with my motorola droid. It seems like you might have a way but i see alot of info about IMAP stuff not POP3. If you know anything about doing POP3 from outlook with Mail, Calender, Contacts, Notes, Tasks, etc… syncing with the droid please let me know. Thanks
I just purchased a Droid and have spent 6 hours trying to get the Google Apps Sync to work to no avail. Is there a trick to making this easy. I want to 2-way sync for tasks, calendar, and contacts with my Outlook. So far I can only sync but to Google but not back to Outlook.
Everytime I try and set up a sync account I get the following:
Google apps sync is not enabled for your email account. Please ask your domain administrator to enable it.
What in the world does that mean? I have a domain name that Google verified. It seems to me that everything is set up correctly yet I can’t sync TO Outlook.
Am I having trouble because I don’t want to sync emails with Outlook.
Am I missing something?
I click on the calendar sync icon and nothing happens.
I have the same problem as Kyle and I want my 2 pop3 accounts to come over to the DROID with everything from outlook 2007 i.e. calendar, tasks, contacts, and emails. how do I do it?
Need Help: Droid HTC Eris. Can someone forward me a step by step processes for syncing all my info. from my Microsoft Outlook (on my desk top) to my Droid?
Thanks a Ton
Troy
http://www.RealestateGurus.com
Little Back ground
I’m a real estate agent in Birmingham Alabama for 14 years and things are good. Switching from Palm to Droid.
Please check out gSyncit (www.gSyncit.com) to sync your Outlook/Google/Mobile data. gSyncit will allow you to sync your Google calendars, contacts, notes, and tasks to Google. Then you can use the native Droid sync application to sync with Google services. Google also offers a sync product to access documents (notes) from your mobile device.
The product is only $14.99 and is quite reasonable considering the time this product saves.
http://www.daveswebsite.com/software/gsync/
I have the same issue. Everything seems to be “enabled” under my account. The Google support forums don’t seem to be providing answers either.
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Apps/thread?tid=7779a72f6a891802&hl=en
For as clean and smooth as most of their online programs are, the Apps setup to devices is really clunky. This setup for mail. A different calendar add-on. Don’t for get this for your contacts. Wait, that program has an error. Support?
I wanted to try this on my wife’s account because she only had a one user hosted Exchange setup, but this has been far from smooth and I’ve done a lot of email migrations over the years. Somewhat frustrating actually. Hopefully I can get this resolved soon. Otherwise I think I’ll be sticking with Exchange and moving to Microsoft BPOS instead. It just works. No oddball other software installs necessary.
Droid sync to exchange is very simple if your exchange also supports Outlook Web Access.
Select exchange
input the domain\name & domain password
for exchange server input your Outlook Web Access url
That’s it! Just like Active Sync
I am demoing both the Droid and the HTC Touch Pro2, and had no trouble setting them up and syncing email, contacts and calendar.
I just want to know where to input the email signature!
I am a salesman and am running busy daily. I currently own a Blackberry device and it works very well. I sync the phone with my laptop usually weekly, more often when needed. My wife recently purchased a Droid and I have looked it over and it seems to be a very good device. I went to look and possibly upgrade to the Droid as my Blackberry is over two years old and becoming a bit old. The syncing of my contacts with calendar is imperative to my daily work and I continue to hear the horror stories in regards to syncing with Outlook. I have delayed my purchase and have been reviewing websites to see if I want to move forward. I am a small business and do not use an exchange server and must be able to sync. Does this device work properly when syncing contacts, calendar, photos, and notes properly, easily, and seamlessly? Should I move forward and purchase the Droid, or stay with my Blackberry device? Any help in understanding this would be great. Thanks.
dmcdonald, is your exchange a coporate exchange and has anyone else with a corporate Microsoft OPutlook 2007 corporate exchange tried this successfully?
I just went from a crackberry to the droid and was ready to return and GIVE UP (still not 100%) I have one email working fine both ways (receive and send) also it is still retrieiving in outlook NOT using google. Use your webmail account….www.webmail.whoever.com
My issue now is getting my 2nd email account to work and going back to Verizon to port all my contacts over…
I will live for awhile with the inconvience of the google garbage (not use it) But, it sure would be nice if someone developed a fully functional easy to use APP for all of us Outlook people, or this will kill any chance of Droid converting business users from their crackberries….
Hi there. For some reason I can receive my Gmail email but when I go on my PC to receive my email or when I refresh my Gmail on my Droid those emails disappear from the Droid Gmail.
Why is this happening? What’s the fix? Hans made some good points.
I have the same issue. Everything seems to be “enabled” under my account. The Google support forums don’t seem to be providing answers either.
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Apps/thread?tid=7779a72f6a891802&hl=en
For as clean and smooth as most of their online programs are, the Apps setup to devices is really clunky. This setup for mail. A different calendar add-on. Don’t for get this for your contacts. Wait, that program has an error. Support?
I wanted to try this on my wife’s account because she only had a one user hosted Exchange setup, but this has been far from smooth and I’ve done a lot of email migrations over the years. Somewhat frustrating actually. Hopefully I can get this resolved soon. Otherwise I think I’ll be sticking with Exchange and moving to Microsoft BPOS instead. It just works. No oddball other software installs necessary.
the problem I ahve is the calendar info never comes to the phone.
I’ve tried Touchdown, Companionlink, google cal export and nothing ever shows up in the phone other than gmail messages about appointments
I’m like everyone here – had a GREAT smartphone that I loved ( Samsung i760) – very nice sliding qwerty keyboard WITH phone keypad on the front and touch screen, synced PERFECTLY with outlook – I too live my business (real estate) life according to outlook. One thing that hasn’t been mentioned by anyone is TASKS. I still haven’t been able to sync Outlook with Google (I don’t have a domain, do I really F*****ing need one just to sync???) but even if I did, the task feature in google isn’t anywhere as fully featured as in Outlook. And what about business contact manager?
Would someone PLEASE develop the OUTLOOK PHONE??? Maybe Blackberry / RIMS ??? I don’t need to sit around playing with Youtube all day or searching for free stupid apps – I need to make my work life easier by being more organized, make more money, have more security and more free time for my family. Why is finding the right phone so hard?
P.S. Bought the Iphone4 on Thursday. Returned it on Friday, and got the Droid. Hate that too. Now going to look at Blackberrys and Window phones. C’mon, lucky sevens…
I am a long time Business Outlook user and it keeps track of everything. While my Blackberry does all of that fine, I wanted to get a Droid. After reading all the horror story’s about syncing problems I think I may just upgrade to another Blackberry. Perhaps one without that damn Track Ball. It seems to have the same problem as the Ipod, No business sense. If more than half of business people REQUIRE Sync of MS Outlook wouldn’t you think that is a big enough market to have made that an elementary requirement of the product? Who makes these decisions?
I have had my droid since december however had to get a alternative because the software ruined my phone when it updated itself. So evidently having troubles & found this excellent website lol i do have a questio tho…my ram storage is gettin smaller & smaller..is there nethin i can do to assist get sum again?
Are you a Google sales droid?
At the same time as I really like a physical keyboard, after handling the Samsung Captivate for about 15 minutes, it’s arduous to move back. Right now I am debating whether to go to Verizon for the Droid X, cross to Dash for the EVO, or stick with AT&T for the Captivate…choices, decisions.
OK so i have read through some of these posts.
I have the Droid, htink it is the first one that came out last Year.
I set it up to sync wiht outlook. I get emails and can send them, but…It does not come up read or sent when i get back to the office or visa versa.
Verizon store said it will do it. I changed my pop. and imap settings a couple times but i still cant get it to work.
If my phone is set to receive emails then my laptop pops up with the message asking me to enter the password to connect?? Any idea on what to do so my emails on my outlook and phone see eye to eye??
Thanks for your help
I spoke to a Verizon rep last week and he told me that there is a software update coming out on 8/26 that will allow users to sync their Outlook files using the Verizon Wirelesssync application. I hope he’s right.