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cbsimkins Author

Level 1

4 points

iPhone sync Outlook Notes

NOW HEAR THIS:

I have been fighting with Outlook and iPhone notes over the sync issue. I found a clue in a posting today and tried something. The clue was someone posted that iPhone notes would not sync with an Outlook note file where there were blank notes in the database. I had a few where the subject line, the first line, was blank. This happens when you copy a note from somewhere and by accident or otherwise, the first line is blank. I went through my Outlook database and found the notes where the first line was blank. I deleted until there was something on the first line for all the notes. Then I synced with the Itunes/ iphone and the notes were synced between the iPhone and the Outlook database for notes. I am amazed that Apple has not posted this online, but maybe not amazed. Try it and you may have the same success I have had. But I reloaded all the Windows 7 OS, all Microsoft Outlook, and iTunes and Iphone multiple times and this is the first time it did sync. I have no idea where the sync from the iPhone was hiding, it would always have the Outlook files up to a certain date, and then would not sync further. Good luck!

PC- Home Brew, Windows XP

Posted on Oct 21, 2010 1:04 PM

21 replies

Jan 6, 2011 3:44 PM in response to cbsimkins

I was struggling with this too. I didn't have any blank lines in my notes but found (on my work PC running Exchange server) that the notes wouldn't sync while both outlook and itunes were open at the same time. I closed outlook and they synced straightaway.

Just in case the other solutiones here don't work!

Jan 17, 2011 2:59 PM in response to bishopchip

Thanks.

As further clarification, I see the "Handheld Syncronization" folder in my Outlook when I click on Notes and they are displayed in "List View". This is the folder I need to get the "current" Notes into from my Outlook before I sync to my iPhone. To update my iPhone (3gs) I delete the old notes in the Handheld Syncronization folder. Then copy and paste the current notes from the folder simply labeled "Notes". I then run my sync in iTunes. Before syncing in iTunes, I check both boxes on the "Info" tab. That is, I check the box next to "Sync notes with <Outlook>" under "Other", and I check the box next to "Notes" under "Advanced". As of Janaury 2011, this work-around still works for me. My Notes do not sync otherwise and I have no apparent blank spaces in my notes titles.

Feb 24, 2011 9:09 AM in response to Augsburg57

For whatever reason the Blackberry doesn't require this setting but I noticed for the iPhone I had to do the following:

In Outlook go to:
Tools
Send/Receive --> Send /Receive Settings --> Define send/receive groups -> highlight( All Accounts) -> Select Edit
Make sure "Include the selected account in this group" is checked
Under Account Options make sure the following are checked:
Send Mail Items
Receive mail items
Download offline address book

*Under Folder Options:*
Have the user make sure the 'Notes' folder has a check mark next to it.
Click 'OK', Have them try to manually sync from the mail setting on the iPhone. If that doesn't work:
i) Open Itunes
ii) click on iphone in menu under 'Devices'
iii) go to 'Info'
iv) click on what you would like replaced and
v) hit 'Sync' button on bottom right

JGrosse

Level 1

8 points

Nov 29, 2011 5:09 PM in response to crisgal

The iPhone can be synced with more iTunes (iPod could only do 1).
I usually sync it with my home/Mac but to get notes I did this:

Steps:
- installed iTunes on my work computer
- restarted Outlook
- plugged iphone
- Info tab
- scroll down and select Other -> Sync notes with [Outlook]
- Apply
- Sync
- open Notes on your iPhone, and rejoice

Worked great. I had several "notes" folders in my outlook profile. Most of these were empty with exception of two, one was very out of date and the other was the main folder that matched the notes on my retiring blackberry. I needed to remove all of the empty folders and then copy and past the items from the current folder into my "Handheld Syncronazation Folder", and bingo, everything was in the notes on the I-phone after the sync.

I found an added bonus to this method, as all the notes added to the "Handheld" folder now have the same creation date so they were pretty much in the same order i am use to using them.

Thanks for the great suggestion.

Orr101

Level 1

0 points

Jan 5, 2012 12:13 AM in response to cbsimkins

One more thing to try: erase 'Handheld synchronization' foler in outlook

Had similar issue: switched from 3GS to 4s, outlook 2003, found only 3 notes on iPhone, where I have hundreds in outlook. All notes have non-blank subject lines. After looking here, checked outlook, and sure enough, a "Handheld Synchronization" sub-folder appeared in my outlook notes, containing the same 3 notes that did synchronize.

So - moved all notes out of that folder, leted it, set ITunes to sync Notes from PC (in addition to over the air) and synced - all notes now present and accounted for.

YMMV, but worth trying ...

wisniak

Level 1

5 points

Jan 22, 2012 12:52 PM in response to cbsimkins

I always manage my notes on our Corporate Exchange server.

And for safety I also keep a copy in my Gmail account.

I sync both to my iPhone, even though it creates duplicates.

After upgrading to iOS 5.01 v406 I forgot to set up my notes, and so I found one day that I was (supposedly) missing some of them.

After checking my Exchange account, I found them all, so now I had to find why they weren't syncing to my iPhone.

I tried using the various options from the "Info" screen in iTunes, but the Exchane notes would not sync.

So I looked carefully in Outlook,

I found out that I had a "Notes" folder in Outlook, as well as two "Notes in Personal Folders" folders.

On my iPhone I had only the notes synced from my Gmail account (so on my iPhone I could see only one notes account).

I was able to delete one of the Personal folders, the other was undeletable.

So I copied all the notes in the "Notes" folder to the Personal" folder, synced - and that's it everything's OK now.

I have a copy of my notes under the "My PC" folder on the iPhone (created by the iTunes syncing setup) and another copy under the Gmail folder on the iPhone.

Of course you can skip syncing the Gmail copy of the notes and leave just the iTunes synced ones.

The above solution is of course applicable to Outlook as well.

iPhone sync Outlook Notes