.ics files - outlook meeting.ics attachment won't open

Missing .ics support is a pain - that may be clear so far. I have found a work-around through the use of NuevaSync though. Costs me $25 per year but then it synchronizes my Google account - Mail - Calendar - Tasks and Contacts to a virtual Exchange server. Next, set-up your Exchange account on the iPhone and voila - everything in Sync. Works like a charm! I can read .ics invites and it pushes the invite into my calendar! The only thing to now sort out is which of my 3 calendars the meeting invites gets pushed into. So far so good, but that may be by coincidence.

Just to be clear on this: I have NO relation whatsoever to NuevaSync. Just a happy user of their software, as I am a happy user of (most of) my Apple iPhone and all my other Apple goodies...

Neat! A very clever albeit extensive, and expensive, workaround to this issue. Unfortunately for me, half of my MS Outlook Calendar invitations are being generated via an Exchange server (for work). The rest are personal via POP, I don't supposed NuevaSync is going to work for that? Also, up until this point, I've held off on using Google or any Web based application for the storage and management of Calendar functions, if I could make it work for all and see those ics files on the iPod for both Exchange and POP, then I would pay the bucks but I think that's not going to work. Thanks anyway.

Well... depends. First of all, Gmail provides the options to have your Gmail account read your POP3 account(s) for you. That's hurdle one. You then basically turn a POP3 account(s) into a virtual Exchange Server using NuevaSync. Secondly, I have seen a little patch on Cydia to connect to two Exchange Servers on one iPhone. Last, Google allows the creation of multiple calendars which you can then all sync to your iPhone (again via NuevoSync) and see all calendars combined in your iPhone.

Combine these three and you can 1) connect to your Exchange Server for your real Exchange account and 2) connect to the second one for your POP3 account(s). Wouldn't that work for you?

I guess you could test this using the free NuevaSync account. Only when you also want to use mail synchronization you need their Premium account ($25 per year) but you can test that for 5 days first.

It's a bit of fiddling to make it all fit together but a great joy now that I have it all operational!

Hope this helps!
Ronald

Ronald:

You officially get my Belated Late Hit Gift - Man of the Year award...

Signed up for the NuevaSync trial last night, set it up without issue this morning. Basically, I forwarded my main e-mail address (which is POP/SMTP) to a GMail address (IMAP, which NuevaSync requires), and started running tests by sending myself Outlook Calendar invitations. Lo and behold, they show up, with full details in pop up fashion, in my iPod's Mail inbox!! It was THAT easy, I didn't even have to mess with Google Calendar to do it.

There are all of three drawbacks, none of which are major to me - one, an accepted invitation populates a new "NuevaSync" Calendar, as opposed to the main Calendar I use on the iPod. So when you go to sync, you wind up with multiple entries in multiple calendars - one entry for the NuevaSync on the iPod, one entry from Outlook via iTunes to the iPod. For me, no big deal whatsoever, they're color coded and clear as day, I can easily delete one or the other without issue when I'm ready. Two, iPod on WiFi appears "sleepy" to the NuevaSync servers, I don't really get "push" notifications until I go into Mail, and even then it takes a second or two for it to "interpret" the ics file and show me the details. Again, no big deal for me. The company makes it clear that push functionality is solid on an iPhone using cellular versus an iPod using WiFi. Third, $25 per year might be steep for many looking for just this one piece of functionality like me. However, if you check out their Web site, NuevaSync has many, many business oriented capabilities built into their product, including but not limited to email push, syncing of calendar categories and tasks, etc. So far, this appears to be a SOLID product and I'm still in trial mode with an iPod. Now I can start to seriously think about an iPhone 4 for business and personal use, thanks to Nueva Sync. And no, I don't work for the company either. But I've got to tell you, the support that I received from them as a prospective buyer over the past day has been UNBELIEVABLE - quick, concise, meaningful responses to direct questions about their product, how to set up and use it, potential issues, etc., etc. I even got a message from their President today who evidently rolls up his sleeves from time to time and gets involved, imagine that?

Anyway, I digress. Great product so far, may have filled in the last of the blanks for me in making the move to an iPhone. Anyone with similar issues should definitely check this product out. 5 day trial is free, all you need is an IMAP based email account and you're there.

■'Push' Sync your Email
■Sync calendar categories
■Meeting invitiations
■Tasks sync
■Remote Wipe
■Priority technical support
■Dedicated servers

oh man, I am too frustrated with this calendar invite fiasco. I don't know how apple dares to say they've catered to the business world... well maybe, ONLY if you have an exchange account set up.

Don't worry, google exchange account sync will find a way to adjust themselves... and will steal apple's "ingenious" way of doing things. But it's ok, now I have facetime!!! lol right

OMG!! Just purchased Calendar Happy from the app store and it works!! Cost is $2.99, but you forward your invite to their email address (save it as a contact after purchase so that you just have to start typing "Happy" It immediately emails you back a converted attachment that you can open and add to your calendar! This is what you have all been waiting for!

Holy cow, it really does work! AND it populates your main iPod/iPhone Calendar versus a separate one (i.e. NuevaSync). I only wish that I knew about this app before I purchased NuevaSync but whatever, great find, thanks for posting.

I read someplace that ics reader will be available with the next iPhone upgrade (4.0.2?) in November 2010 - can someone confirm, please? Pretty, pretty please? I've resisted getting a blackberry but surviving without a live calendar is becoming increasingly hard.

Well it is still not working in version iOS 4.1 😟

UPDATE: Apple will include .ics support in iOS 4.2. Release date is November 2010.

I have tested an .ics file in 4.2 beta and it works correctly

I'm using iOS 4.1 on my iPhone 4 and it still show as a .ics attachment and I'm not able to open it. What's the deal with apple's support for non Exchange users?

I have 4.2.1 installed and when I select a .ics attachment in my email, nothing happens.

I upgraded my iPhone 3GS to 4.2.1 and the .ics attachments can now be opened. However, two issues I have noticed:

1) Different time zones do not appear to be supported. I opened an .ics for a meeting at 3 PM Eastern and it should have been added to my calendar as 2 PM Central, as that is my time zone. however, it was added as 3 PM Central.

2) I received an .ics to cancel one meeting out of a recurring meeting, and while the .ics attachment displayed as a link that could be tapped, when I did tap it nothing happened.

Baby steps I guess, but we're slowing getting there to full support of .ics attachments.

I can see the content for .ics now as well using iOS 4.2.1. Finally. However:

- There is no reply being sent when I add the meeting to my calendar
- No option to deny the request or propose another time
- Cancel requests can be read, but do not remove the meeting from the calendar (there is no button to do so)

I am very glad I can finally view the .ics content, but Apple needs to step up the functionality quite a bit.