Can I sync my Iphone to 2 computers? Work computer and home computer

If you are syncing through the USB cable, you can sync to multiple computers. However, if you look at the iPhone sync screen in iTunes, there are several tabs (contacts, music, photos, etc.) For each tab, you must sync with only one computer, but you can have different computers do each tab. For example, you could sync music from your home computer while syncing calendars from your work computer.


If you sync wirelessly, you can sync to multiple computers for address book and calendar through Mobile Me. It should be possible to do this through Exchange as well, but I don't know for sure, since I don't use it.

You should be able to do this. Disable automatic syncing.

In itunes with the iphone attached go to the tabs and set your work computer to sync only contacts and calendars and have your home computer sync only music and videos.

This stinks. MobileMe does not work with my Work computer because we use Microsoft Outlook Exchange at work.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2483

If I want to sync with my work computer, I am down to two options:
1) I can do it through setting up an Exchange email account on my iPhone and syncing over the air. But this prevents me from syncing with my home PC.
2) I can do it through the USB cable and iTunes. But then when I connect with my home PC, I get the dreaded "merge / replace" message because it wants to sync with only one computer.

Either way, I'm hosed. Does anyone else have a solution to this problem? (other than getting my company to support Mac)
- Work PC runs Microsoft Outlook Exchange Server
- Home PC runs standalone Microsoft Outlook
- Want to keep the calendar and contacts in sync

As much as I like this new iPhone, and as much as I hate Windows, I wish I had my phone running WindowsMobile and syncing with Microsoft ActiveSync back.

Message was edited by: Upward

I thought of a solution. Even though my old AT&T phone running WindowsMobile is worn out, I'll use it to sync with my work PC and home PC. Not as a phone -- I'm keeping the iPhone for that -- basically my old phone becomes my "cloud". As I plug it to my home PC and work PC and sync up using Microsoft Activesync, the calendar and contacts are kept in sync.

Then I'll just set up my iPhone with a mail account through Exchange that syncs wirelessly with my work information. This way, my iPhone always is in sync with my work PC, and as long as I frequently sync my home PC, work PC, and old AT&T phone, my home PC will be in sync, too. Seems like a bit of a runaround, but I think it will work.

Sorry, Apple. For all the areas you rock over PCs, this is one area where you came up short. You just lost my $99 annual subscription to MobileMe. (but I'm keeping my iPhone)

I too, have EXACTLY the same needs, but have not yet purchased my iPhone. Mac at home has photos, iTunes (3K+ tunes), podcasts, etc. IBM Work (MS Exchange w/outlook) has all e-mail, contact, calendar and phone usage. Can do some basic syncage with current Treo phone on both computers, but not music or photos.

With my iPod "classic," I can plug it in to my MacBook at home and load or delete music and videos, then take it to work and plug it in to my iMac and do the same. My home and work Macs and iPod are all "registered" under my iTunes account and I guess that is why they can all interact. I load up podcasts at work to listen to on the drive home, plug in at home and delete them, etc.

Just bought the iPhone this weekend and was hoping to be able to bounce back and forth between Macs, but playing around with it and reading through forums hasn't yet helped me figure out how to do this. When I plug the iPhone in to the work Mac and tell it in iTunes to "sync" calendar or manually add podcasts, it gives me scary messages that say it is going to erase all the contents of the iPhone before interacting with work Mac.

What am I missing here? Does Apple want my iPhone to stay exclusively with one Mac, and if so, that is stupid! I need to bounce between home and work Macs -- different computers have different information and files on them.

Thanks for your help.

I have a similar problem. I don't care about music or apps or podcasts, just contacts and calendar. I want to sync my iPhone with my work computer and home computer, both running Windows XP.

My two prior phones were made by AT&T and ran WindowsMobile, and it synced with my computers using Microsoft ActiveSync. It always merged my contacts and calendars from both my work computer and home computer -- basically the phone was the bridge that kept them all in sync. My wife could look at the computer at home to see when I was in a meeting or traveling. If she added a child's birthday party or weekend getaway, it would show up on my work computer next time I synced. If I deleted an appointment from my work computer, it would delete it from our home calendar next time I synced. Same with contacts. It was the best!

I'm thinking about returning my iPhone within the free trial period if I can't get this to work.....

That's exactly what I do with MobileMe on 3 macs and my iphone (except it updates everything in real time), I have no idea what combination of software/hardware provides an equivalent function in the windows world.

The problem with that is I can't sync my calendar and contacts with 2 computers. Your suggestion lets me sync my calendar and contacts with 1 PC, and other information with another PC. I want my calendar and contacts to be exactly the same on both home PC, work PC, and iPhone.

Seems like MobileMe would be the right answer. But what it comes down to is MobileMe is not compatible with Microsoft Outlook Exchange Server, which is what my company uses.

doesnt work for me, either one or the other! any solutions?

Sorry, I don't know. I try very hard to never touch a windows machine. Maybe the iphone is not your best option.