Q: How to locally sync an iPhone with OS X Mavericks? iCloud is NOT an option.

We NEED local sync of iPhone to from Mac.

This is the main reason I switched to Apple products time ago.

Mavericks has been offered (for free), but without any previous adequate warning to customers that we would loose a functionality of hardware we have paid.

Unfortunately downgrading back to 10.8 does not work (wasted hours trying that).

Geniuses are not helpful at all (most of them totally unaware of abolition of local sync option).

And iCloud is not safe anyway. Beside the fact that terms of use are draconian and unacceptable.

Apple itself is struggling to maintain the privacy of data it holds on customers behalf.

This is latest news from press:

<<(Reuters) - Apple Inc on Tuesday disclosed the number of information requests it received from governments around the world, making it one of the last big tech companies to do so in the wake of the controversy over data collection by U.S. national security agencies.

In its report, which follows similar disclosures from Microsoft Corp, Google Inc, Facebook Inc and others, Apple signaled its opposition to U.S. government strictures on the type of data it is allowed to report, and called for more transparency in the process.

From January 1 to June 30 this year, Apple said it received between 1,000 and 2,000 account information requests from U.S. law enforcement bodies, affecting between 2,000 and 3,000 Apple accounts. It said it disclosed data on zero to 1,000 accounts.>>

If anybody see signs of an application that would allow local sync please post info here.

It will be mostly appreciated. In the meanwhile, awaiting the full amortisation of my investment in Apple products, I am already looking around to switch back to other products for my future purchases and welcome suggestions starting with new software to help the transition.

The vast majority of people on this board just want local sync back.

Wow. 600 posts, mostly repeating several times.

I'm thinking there is a "vaster" majority out there that appears to like it the way it is.

DiederikStaay wrote:

 

The main question remains: why is local synchronising so unwanted by Apple (or Google for that matter)? In what way does it hurt Apple?

 

I think it is because syncing is a hard problem to solve.

It's not only the data but also the client capabilities that needs to be versioned & compared. Developers constantly complain about the difficulty of sync.

iClouds sync issues are compounded by the current developer restrictions - either use a property list (with limited data storage) or use CoreData (a black hole that can be opaque to users & developers).

Developers can forego sync & use documents in iCloud (users get to manage their own versions with the ridiculous 'email to yourself' workflow). When a sync issue appears all developers can tell you is how to reset your device (you may lose data somewhere in the process).

Apple has moved the large part of the sync burden onto their own servers. It simply means that 'the truth' e.g. the definitive version of your data is on their servers.

As people acquired more devices it became difficult to discern which device should be considered definitive, some devices could go offline for months, then sync & the client would have to resolve conflicts (normally that meant you got to pick which record should be used. Now it's simple - iCloud is 'the truth'. Apple only has to reformat the output for that device so there is less possibility of confilcts in iTunes (or the sync services backend).

Apple has no more worries about what version of the sync services are on the client, what features the client supports, is that client syncing to another device etc. The problems multiply when a client can sync on to more devices (i.e. a Mac to an iPod, iPad etc).

Now iCloud simply manages all the merges, changes, updates & version differences. If you don't like the result you have to reset your devices, pull down the data & fix any issues. Then you get to push it back & get the data correct in the cloud.

Google didn't have devices to contend with for a long time so 'the truth' was always in the cloud for them. Apple is merely following their example, after years of iSync & iTunes Apple hasn't made them the best service yet, we'll have to see how this works out.

This *****.  Apple forces us to use the Cloud when we purchased the original hardware based on the features it had, such as wired sync'ing.  Since I refuse to use the Cloud I now have to start converting all my iTunes music to mp3 so I can change platforms.  And what's worse, I'm part of the only 1% of customers who feel this way, so Apple will never care what folks like me think because we're such a small part of the customer (or lost-customer) base.

snozdop wrote...

No need to quote it... what a measured, intelligent response to the paranoia that was.  <applause>

Sincere solution-driven question, snozdop.

snozdop wrote:

The CalDAV and CardDAV protocols iCloud uses are cross-platform, open standards, used industry-wide.

My understanding is that the very latest Mavericks-compatible Mac OS X Server 3.0 uses these protocols for a non-iCloud solution as well.

If Apple were happy to go to the trouble of updating Mac OS X Server and are continuing to use these established protocols for local syncing in Server, could they not have 'simply' replaced the deprecated SyncServices Framework with the CalDAV/CardDAV protocols in Mac OS X 10.9 so that users continued to have their options open (or am I being incredibly naïve)?

This does have a whiff of no such thing as a free lunch. A brand-spanking new operating system for free, but a few quid by the back door to restore some of the functions that you'd come to rely on. I would much prefer to have paid up-front for a brand-spanking new operating system that incorporated Cal/CardDAV in an easy-to-use format.

Anyway, I think I'm right in saying that this Server app/add-on allows one to sync devices via their own wired or wireless network, but I'm not clear whether it allows for USB syncing.

If I was easily able to sync Calendar and Contacts wirelessly over my own network I might well be happy to wave goodbye to USB syncing; that's what 'the future is wireless' means to my crusty old sensibilities at the moment!

I'm looking at the available options that are best for me, and the server route might be the one that persuades me not to roll back to Mountain Lion.

Well, after reading through a fair number of these posts, I did my (minor) part and sent a reasoned plea to Apple via the OS X feedback link.  As some have already pointed out, not saying anything to Apple is a guarantee they won't address this concern.  I'm doubtful anything will come of it but at least I tried, I suppose.

I have done the following:

1. Signed up for an Onmicrosoft Exchange Account.

2. Enabled that Onmicrosoft Exchange Account in Microsoft Outlook 2011.

3. Enabled Sync Services in Outlook 2011 to sync Contact, Contacts, Tasks and Notes with the Onmicrosoft Exchange Account.

4. After I set up the Onmicrosoft Exchange Account, the following folders appeared at the left bottom of my Outlook 2011 screen : inbox, drafts, sent items, deleted items and junk email folders under an OnMicrosoft heading.

5. I tested the syncing of email by sending a test email from Office 365 online to my regular email address. It showed up in my Outlook 2011 email AND in the sent folder under the OnMicrosoft heading in Outlook 2011 on my Mac. Consequently, Microsoft Outlook 2011 and Outlook 365 do appear to be communicating at least in part.

6. Under Calender, Contacts, Tasks and Notes in Outlook 2011, there appeared an OnMicrosoft heading in addition to the On My Computer heading. All Calender, Contacts, Tasks and Notes under the On My Computer Heading were duplicated under the OnMicrosoft heading.

7. Nevertheless, my Outlook 2011 Calender, Contacts, Tasks are Notes are NOT showing up in Outline 365 online. What am I missing? Is sync services required to actually sync with Microsoft Exchange? Is the fact that it is disabled in Mavericks possibly causing this lack of response?

8. I have set up Microsoft Exchange account on my iPhone. Nevertheless, given that Outlook 2011 Calender, Contacts, Tasks are Notes have not showed up in my Office 365 online account, I have not been able to sync them with my iPhone.

I would greatly appreciate any advice that any of you might have. I am sincerely trying to find a solution. I am not concerned about the government snooping on my email. I simply want to get my iPhone to sync with my Outlook 2011 Contacts and Calendar. I am perfectly willing to do this sync through iCloud or through any other online service if required to get it done.

Why all of those steps?  Can't you just enable iCloud, then select to have those specific items sync'd via the Cloud?

Unfortunately, Apple discontinued Sync Services in OSX Mavericks. Therefore, there is no automatic way to sync Outlook 2011 Contacts and Calendar with Apple Contacts and Calendar. iCloud sync only works with Apple Contacts and Calendar.

Actually, it was depracated as of OS X 10.7. It was finally removed in 10.9.

I just posted instructions on moving the local data to Exchange on this discussion

outlook calendar sync with Ical mavericks, outlook calendar sync with Ical maverik

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5479205?tstart=0

snozdop wrote:

 

For those people here in the "tin-foil hat brigade", Apple have just published the document below, which may (or may not) help to allay your fears about the NSA, GCHQ or whoever getting to see your Contacts and Calendars:

 

Report on Government Information Requests

 

http://www.apple.com/pr/pdf/131105reportongovernmentinforequests2.pdf

 

It categorically refutes many of the more outrageous claims made by certain people in this thread.

Had a quick look at this document and I had to laugh at the point where it said "We strongly oppose this gag order..." Well, Apple, if you really opposed it, you should be seriously considering to relocate your company to another country where such a gag order from the government is impossible.

Thank you Drew Reece for a comprehensive and actually helpful comment. I understand Apple's line of thought now, but I am thoroughly disappointed by it anyway.

So it boils down to a need for Apple to keep things simple for themselves and their developers. And there I was thinking they operated from the users viewpoint. That era is over then?

The 'truth' being stored on Apple's iCloud servers is exactly what I fear. No matter how convincing they might like to sound; other people's computers, in this case Apple's iCloud servers, are outside of my control. Therefor, not trustworthy. Let alone the often cryptic messages that you get when you want to clear something "everything on this Mac will be deleted!" No, I want to clear up some of my data, not al.... How idiotic a whish is that? The explanantion on how iCloud works lacks severely in clarity to me.

I urge Apple therefor to put a little more effort in solving that 'difficult' problem of syncing. They should have people there that are smart enough to do that, shouldn't they?

Or else, a very simple solution, give me a less smart option but well within my own realm of influence (the safety of my home). Allow local syncing if i wish so. Is it more cumbersome for me? OK, i can make that choice. I am old enough to choose! Don't force this iCloud terror down my throat is my only request.

I have issues with the environmental impact of servers running for tasks that can easily be done by myself.

I have issues with the security of my data.

I have issues with a reliance on a 100% wireless world that is no where near reality yet. (I doubt very much whether we will get or want that ever anyway)

Bad Apple!

Just upgraded my Apple computers to Apple new OS X Mavericks yesterday. Everything seem well till I tried sync my iPhone 5! My Calendars is not updated. Further check with Apple Support and around the Internet, I discover that now I could only sync my Calendars, and more importantly, my Contacts, with Apple iCloud!

Now, I don’t even care about the security issued, with the US spying thingy going on right now! The illogical thing is – why I want to back up my Contacts and Calendars thousand miles away when I used to do it with a sample cable to my very own computer – a Macbook Air? I tried Apple iCloud when they first introduced but it messed up my Calendars! I spent days to rebuild my Calendars, and off course, I won’t want to use it ever again other then back up my Apple SAFARI bookmarks.

And now I could only use Apple iCloud for backup my Calendars and Contacts? Why? Hard disk is quite cheap nowadays, and I would prefer to take charge of my very own PERSONAL INFORMATIONS! If Apple iTune 11 could back up all my music, pictures, apps and games, why I need to back my very own personal info to far away place? I used to have the choice (the option still exist in iTune 11/Mavericks, but it won’t backup) on iTune 11 under Lion!

What choices do I have? Use Apple iCloud and risk messing up my Calendars and Contacts again? I know my own Calendars and Contacts still exist in iCloud. Apple iCloud will certainly attempt to merge all the info, and I will have a messy Calendars and Contacts! Go through other means of syncing? I am not so smart to do all that!

I guess that’s mean I have to go back to the old fashion way – using a paper based organizer or diary! This also mean I will lost of my old records – from 2009 to October 2013 – if I upgrade to the next iPhone!

Part of the reason I become an Apple Computer user (I switch in Year 2000) is because of it simplicity! The easy sync part between Apple computer and Apple iPhone is also quite seamless!

With that advantage destroy by Apple itself, I don’t see why I should support Apple products anymore! I was considered to by a new Apple iPad Air, not anyore! I might not even consider buying the next Mac computer or iPhone!

Unless Apple give me back the right to backup my own Calendars and Contacts! Otherwise, Apple can go screw itself!

Allan Foo from Singapore