Q: Is iCloud compatible with Outlook 2016?

sandy7862 -

How are you getting your contacts and calendar from Outlook 2016 PC version in Windows 10 into your phone ?

Old web page; dated 11/18/2015.

Updated web page dated 11/24/2015 still says in December :

iCloud for Windows currently supports Outlook 2007 through Outlook 2013. Support for Outlook 2016 will be available in an update to iCloud for Windows in December. Until then, if you use Outlook 2016, you can access iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendars on iCloud.com.

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Last Modified: Nov 24, 2015

Well sorry! Wrong again! iCloud 5.0, which is the latest Apple software update for iCloud sync does not support Outlook 2010 and I'm assuming nor Outlook 2013. And this is due to a Windows 10 upgrade. Kindly check again the whole chain of posts since last August!

I have windows 10 (with upgrade) with icloud 5.0 and Office 2013.

I can confirm that it is synchronizing my contacts and calendar correctly.

Well, you are probably a wonderful exception! Because mine doesn't! And I am sure all those people who have been complaining here for a good three months, have not all switched to Office 2016 or 365, all of a sudden.

Alabama591;  your not wrong again, Apple just did not update their web site on all locations, so for that updated page you were right.  As I followed their pages, they only updated the one download page that I outlined in an earlier post.

I have a ticket open with Apple on this issue dated 8-15-2015 and have read each and all responses since this Forum started.  I agree lots of frustration!

I started in August with Windows 8.1 then moved to Windows 10; Office 2013 single copy for one pc and iCloud 4.2;  all was good.

When I moved to Office 365 2016 with windows 10;  iCloud stopped syncing.  iCloud 5.0 came out; no luck; no change.

Updated win 10 to latest release 1511 and Windows is current as of today.  iCloud; remained as noted throughout this Forum, iCloud will not sync with Office Outlook 2016.

Finally as I noted early in this forum, I gave up and moved back to Office 365-2013 (directions link from MS on my earlier post), with my multiple PCs having the latest updates to Windows 10, then did Windows 10 release 1511 on all. 

From that move back to Office 365-2013, all iCloud/Outlook/Sync functions work as designed.

I have tried (and it works) the Windows 10 Phone Companion bridge/application (which is Outlook for iOS) with test mail/calendar/contacts.  However it is very slow to sync even though you tell your iOS devices to "refresh" it still takes up to 1 hour to sync.

Hope this helps you

It's working for a few and not for the majority.  Apple has already indicated they are working on a fix by saying it will be supported soon, nothing you can really do but wait.

  I called Apple Support today and they say that a fix will be released this month (December). Fingers crossed.

There is some discussion of the Windows 10 Phone Companion in the Microsoft Community:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/office/forum/office_2016-outlook/can-we-use-w indows-10-phone-companion-instead-of/a09…

It sounds like there are some drawbacks that may be deal-breakers for many.

Agreed.  I was never able to get a continual ongoing periodic sync between Outlook 2016 PC Desktop contacts and calendars and Exchange Active Sync going no matter what.  And I have to say MS was of no use and had no idea which way to point me for answers.

I have Outlook 2016 on 2 computers, and iCloud sync works on one.  The difference may have to do with the operating system or exact version of iCloud at various points.

Working: Outlook 2016 on Windows 7, upgraded from Outlook 2013.  The iCloud version was kept up to date.

Not working: Outlook 2016 was upgraded on Windows 8.1, and then upgraded to Windows 10.  I don't know if during the few days of Outlook 2016 / Windows 8.1 whether iCloud sync was working.  That computer has an earlier version of iCloud.

There is probably a rule to be inferred based on the sequence of Outlook, OS and iCloud versions, but I don't have enough data to formulate such a rule.  But it is not as simple as Apple portrays it on their Web site as depending on Outlook 2016 only.  Hopefully they have a deeper understanding that what they are conveying, but it would be good if they issued more details.

It would also be good if computer sites and columnists warned people about the situation.  Currently, upgrading to Outlook 2016 is like an open pit, and they are just sitting back watch more and more people fall into the pit.  Too many journalists sit around waiting for press releases about shiny new things, and don't get into the trenches and address practical issues.

I have stuck with an older version of iCloud (4.1, I believe).  It integrates fine with Outlook 2016 for mail and calendar.

Based on this, I would assume the problem is with Apple's coding rather than Windows.  That is, Apple has a version iCloud that works but they released a new version that doesn't -- therefore, we know there is coding that Windows and Office won't reject.  Apple needs to look at the modifications in its update and see if they can better code it.

My point exactly! iCloud sync's failure relates does not relate to a newer Office version, but to Windows 8 and beyond! The fact that your PC running on a Windows 7 platform syncs perfectly, proves it! Another thing to note is that the ridiculous Microsoft mobile companion allegedly syncs your PC with iPhone or iPad and not v.v. Plus you need to have Outlook for iOS installed in your mobile device to let this happen. Much ado about nothing! Last, the fact that the Press have not yet reported anything about this sheer Apple's failure, is that they probably haven't discovered it or even bothered to use it, reiterating the steps as we did. Amateurism in both cases .

It's already December, no? Where is the fix?

To paulfromindio -

Actually, I need to correct one thing I said.  I almost never use my MacBook Pro for business appointments, so I wasn't paying much attention to it.  After setting up Phone Companion, my Windows 10 PCs and my iPhone are syncing calendars and contacts, but not my MacBook.  All I did to set it up was follow the 2 or 3 steps that Phone Companion guides you through.  I believe I had to pick an email account as a default, or it might have picked it for me - can't really remember.  It's possible that having a general purpose hotmail account helped with the syncing.  If you give it a try, I hope it works out for you.  Of course, an updated-working version of iCloud is the best solution.

BTW, just a few words for anyone else reading this.  I've seen some pretty harsh statements about this issue.  I've owned a Mac since 1988 and I've worked in IT for many years.  I can remember when it took at least a year for all the software vendors to update to 100% compliance with a new operating system, MS or Mac.  Most folks I knew wouldn't even consider updating to a new system for many months after one was released.  The fact is, every person running Windows 10 and Office 2016 on their primary computer is, to some degree, riding on the bloody edge of technology.  I for one, stand in awe at the complexity of the machines, OSs and software we see today.  I know it's a real pain when we can't sync something as important as our scheduling calendars, but isn't it amazing that this is the one single serious issue I've heard about with a major OS and Office Suite release?  One more quick thing, if anyone is still reading.  The Windows 10 update 2 days ago has caused some problems for some folks.  It did on one of my computers.  I found that downloading the stand-alone update file and installing it, worked perfectly.  http://catalog.update.microsoft.com/v7/site/Search.aspx?q=KB3116908

The site still really wants you to use Internet Explorer, which still exists in Windows 10.  It's in the Program Files (x86) folder.