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Sync outlook contacts and calendar

I use Microsoft outlook on my laptop. I want to be able to sync my contacts and calendar to iPad, iPad mini and iPhone without using iCloud or goggle. There has to be a way to do this. If I update a contact or calendar item on my iPhone I want it to also update on my laptop and other devIces. I see a lot of discussions about using iCloud or Google product to do this. I know I can just use iTunes and contact my devices that way so they will update but I was hoping there is an easier way.

iPhone 6, iOS 8.1

Posted on Jan 6, 2016 8:05 PM

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Jan 7, 2016 10:59 AM in response to squill

This is the easiest way to sync Outlook with your iPhone and other iOS devices:


1. Make sure the iTunes plugin is enabled in Microsoft Outlook.

2. Connect your iOS device to your computer. Open iTunes ( if it doesn't show up automatically).

3. Open the Info tab in iTunes.

4. Select “Outlook” from the “sync contacts with:” and “sync calendars with:” drop down list.

5. Click the “sync” button, and there you have it.

Seems easy enough, but there are a few down-sides to this method - You need to connect your iOS device to your computer each time you need to sync. Also, it’s only a one-way sync. You have to go with other products if you want to do it both ways.

Hope this helps!

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Jan 7, 2016 11:50 AM in response to squill

Hi, CCC asked me to help with your problem.


Your email account must support CalDAV and CardDAV to sync contacts and calendars. Otherwise you need an Exchange account that syncs your contacts and calendars.


You don't mention who your email provider is, but I'm guessing they don't support CalDAV/CardDAV. I'm not sure why you are resisting using iCloud and/or Google but if you want sync and don't have Exchange this is what you will need to do.

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Jan 7, 2016 1:23 PM in response to dianeoforegon

Okay I will check on that but I use Microsoft outlook 2013 and have pop email accounts that are setup in Outlook and also use it as my main place to manage my contacts and my calendar. I sync it using iTunes. Now I also have an iPad AIr and Mini iPad so there is more of a need to using the calendar and contacts across all devices. Yes, I can just continue to use iTunes to sync but just wondering if there was an easier way.


The share button in outlook for contacts is greyed out because I need an exchange server to use that feature. Because I have office 365.

The contacts in my outlook are vcards

Yes, I do use a google email. but I don't use their contact or calendar. Found it to be confusing because like I mentioned use outlook for everything. iCloud was okay, but everytime I tried to update a contact on my iPad it would start to refresh and sync while I was updating the contact. iCloud produces a lot of duplicates and once again I want outlook to be my main point for everything. You have to iCloud sometimes to correct a calendar or contacts.


I know long story. Someone mentioned to me about http://www.akruto.com/ so I will check that out.

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Jan 7, 2016 2:49 PM in response to squill

Office365 is Microsoft online store NOT a product. I suspect you just have a license to install Office apps. It's the same as going into a store and buying Office 2013. You are just renting it via subscription in Office365.


All contacts are vcards. it's like a .txt, .doc, .png....a file type for contacts.

Outlook 2013 is an email client not an email account.


Not only does the email account have to support CalDAV/CardDAV but your email client has to support it as well.


Outlook for Mac does not support CalDAV/CardDAV for any account and suspect that Outlook for Windows does not either. You will be forced to get an Exchange account is you want to sync with Outlook.

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Jan 7, 2016 4:49 PM in response to dianeoforegon

Well I guess thank you but I think you got off track a little. I understand the functions and the basics of email and contacts.


I understand what office 365 is. Software. Yes I can install office 365 on 5 devices. I understand it's the same as going into the store.


There are more ways to sync I have learned. Share Point. Outlook.com emails have the ability to. Cloud storage.


Now if you wanted to explain what a carddav then that would help.


I was just trying to find another way. There is a program I found that I will try. Akrutsync

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Jan 7, 2016 5:19 PM in response to squill

vCard Extensions to WebDAV (CardDAV) is an address book client/server protocol designed to allow users to access and share contact data on a server.


The CardDAV protocol was developed by the IETF and has been published as RFC 6352 in August 2011.[1] CardDAV is based on WebDAV, which is based on HTTP, and it uses vCard for contact data.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CardDAV

*Diane is the MOST experienced person with Mail & MS products I am aware of. She was not trying to be condescending, but rather "businesslike" I believe.

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Jan 7, 2016 8:10 PM in response to squill

Please don't shout. All caps is considered shouting.


I was tying to give a clear answer so you and anyone else that is looking for an answer would have all the necessary info.


BTW in the future if you gave more details like I use Outlook 2013 not just Outlook that would help a lot. Sync options for Mac and Windows users are not the same. Outlook for Mac and Outlook for Windows do not have the same options.

Basically, CalDAV/CardDAV are protocols that allow sync for contacts and calendars. Outlook.com, hotmail,com, live.com and msn.com do not support these protocols.

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Jan 7, 2016 8:17 PM in response to squill

You cannot sync POP mail accounts. They will not sync, as POP email accounts are designed to usually only be accessed by a single mail client. If you access it from the phone, the iPad, and the iPad Mini, you will need to ensure that you turn off deleting from the server, in order to access the mail on multiple clients. However, as I indicated, you cannot sync the POP accounts. If you delete something from one mail client, then it still has to be deleted from the remaining ones. If you want to sync between devices, you will need to change to IMAP accounts, or as others stated to you earlier, Exchange.

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Jan 7, 2016 8:42 PM in response to squill

I simply don't understand why you are receiving so many complex responses for a really simple issue. You state in one of your posts that "I have office 365". Is your email server part of that Office 365 plan?


If so, there is only one reasonable solution. You need to setup your Outlook to correctly use the default settings for your Microsoft email account (POP is an ancient protocol and will continue to be impossible to manage in any client). In Outlook on your laptop, go to File > Accounts, and choose to add a new account, choose 365 as the account type, and enter your email address and password. That will correctly add the modern settings for your Microsoft email account. In the sidebar "tree" of Outlook you will now see both the old "local" email account storage, and a separate one for your correctly configured account. Simply copy all of your contacts, email (sent and received), and calendar items over to the new account folders (that are stored on the server instead of locally).


Once you have copied your mail, contacts, and calendar items to the server folders, then you can go back to your iPad, iPad mini and iPhone. On each of those, simply download the official Microsoft Outlook app from the App Store, and then add your 365 email account. After you do, you will immediately have the same email, contacts, calendars on every device.


Lastly, if you you really want to make your email life better, stop using Outlook on your laptop altogether. Instead, use the 365 version of Outlook online (webmail). The new web version of Outlook is great and once you adopt it you will never need to open Outlook agin on your laptop and will never need to struggle with syncing again.


The end goal and result of all of this is that modern email, calendars, and contacts, ONLY work well on multiple devices if they are stored on a modern email server (a.k.a. "cloud server"). When that is the case then every device gets it's information directly from the server and never "syncs" with another device directly.


I wish you luck.

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Sync outlook contacts and calendar

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