Many newer smartphones, with the exception of Blackberry, can sync with Exchange server and Hotmail accounts using Exchange Active Sync (EAS).
For Hotmail EAS instructions, see ActiveSync from Mobile Device
If you don’t find a product here for your specific device, check the web sites of the major companies anyway. They may very well have a new product that will do the job.
One key issue in choosing a PDA and synchronization software is whether it can synchronize only with your main Contacts and Calendar folders or with additional folders, including Exchange Server public folders.
iPhone | Windows Mobile 7 | Android | Palm | PocketPC | Tools | More Information
iPhone
Use 3rd party sync software or Exchange Active Sync. if you need help configuring the Exchange account, see Configuring SmartPhones to use EAS to Hotmail Live
To sync tasks and notes, you need to use a utility. See the Tools section for software.
Windows Mobile 7
Windows Mobile 7 does not sync with Outlook using a computer. You need to sync over-the-air (using EAS) with a Hotmail or Exchange Server account.
See the Tools section for software.
Android
If you have an account with Exchange Active Sync enabled (Gmail, Hotmail, and Exchange server support EAS), you can sync over-the-air. To use EAS, you need to set up the account using the Exchange account option on your device. This will allow you to sync calendar and contacts as well as email. If you create the account as aa POP3 or IMAP account, you will not get calendar and contacts unless you use a 3rd party tool, such as CompanionLink for Outlook to sync with Droids when your Droid does not include sync software.
MyPhoneExplorer from the Andriod App Store will sync calendar and contacts (and more).
Mobiledit is another option.
See the Tools section for additional software.
HTC Droid Incredible
Sync Outlook Contacts and Calendar data with your HTC Droid Incredible using these steps.
- On the handheld, go to Home, Menu, Settings, Applications, Development and check USB debugging.
- Download and install HTC Sync Manager. (The Droid ERIS version works with the Incredible)
- Attach the Droid Incredible to the computer.
- The Sync Manager runs in the task bar – click Synchronize Now when you want to transfer your Calendar and Contacts data.
Alternately, you can use CompanionLink for Outlook to sync with Droids.
Palm
General purpose synchronization tools:
- CompanionLink — Professional version includes support for Outlook categories, so you can exclude items from synchronization.
- Beyond Contacts (DataViz) — Replaces Desktop To Go. Supports multiple accounts, does not support Exchange Server public folders.
- KeySuite –Palm OS application with Outlook synchronization for calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes. Handles public folders and subfolders, multiple categories, and contact linking.
- PocketMirror for Calendar, Contacts, Tasks and Notes and PocketJournalfor Journal. (Chapura) Professional version can handle public folders, the Business Contacts folder from Business Contact Manager, and other non-default folders. Does not synchronize mail messages. Also see:
Specialized tools:
- ActionNames — Alternative Palm calendar and contacts program with Outlook synchronization
- Outlook 2002 users will need to install Service Pack 2. For Outlook 2000 and 98, requires Corporate/Workgroup mode.
- KeyContacts — Address book program for Palm to handle more Outlook contact fields and up to 250 categories. Synchronizes an unlimited number of private and public Outlook contacts folders.
Also see:
- OL2000: How to Synchronize Outlook with a Palm Pilot
- XCLN: Attendees Deleted from Recurring Calendar Items with Exceptions
- The Outlook Categories Do Not Match the PalmPilot Categories
Windows PocketPC
The version of Microsoft ActiveSync that comes with Pocket PC 2002 supports synchronization of message subfolders under the Inbox, but for other types of folders syncs just the default Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks.
Outlook 2003 requires ActiveSync 3.7 or later.
Microsoft ActiveSync:
- Prepare to Sync Your Existing PIM Data with Your Pocket PC
- Customizing ActiveSync Settings
- ActiveSync Backup Tool Does Not Work on a Casio EM-500 Pocket PC
- OL2000 A Synchronization Error Occurs When You Use ActiveSync and Outlook 2000
- How to Manually Remove ActiveSync 3.0 or ActiveSync 3.1
- OL2000 (IMO) Error Message Outlook Caused an Invalid Page Fault in Module Mso9.dll When You Synchronize with ActiveSync
- Items That You Deleted in Your Inbox Are Not Removed from the Microsoft ActiveSync Device
- You Receive an Error Message After You Upgrade to Outlook 2003 If the Pocket PC Device Is in the Cradle
- Outlook May Report Email Accounts As Locked When Pocket PC Is Docked
Other tools:
- Pocket Contact Synchronizer — copies items from another contacts folder into your default Contacts so they can be synced to your PDA
- CompanionLink — Professional version includes support for Outlook categories, so you can exclude items from synchronization.
Also see:
- HOW TO- Synchronize More Than One Pocket PC Device with the Same Installation of Outlook — using a separate Outlook profile for each user
Tools in the Spotlight
CodeTwo Exchange Sync lets you synchronize Exchange Public Folders with each other and with Personal Folders of users. It gives you possibilities Exchange Server has never offered; synchronize mobile devices (iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, etc.) with Exchange Public Folders; create common company calendars and contact lists; synchronize email, and much more. The application is amazingly easy to configure and use. |
Tools
An Exchange add-on, Outlook synchronization solution which synchronizes any combination of Outlook private and/or public folders of the same type (Calendars, Contacts, Tasks) and in any direction. This application works wirelessly with any PDA, Pocket PC, Smartphone or Blackberry handheld and Outlook Web Access. Add2Exchange is licensed and sold separately for Add2Exchange for Calendars, Add2Exchange for Contacts, & Add2Exchange for Tasks. Free trial available. | |
CompanionLink synchronizes Outlook data with phones and other supported desktop applications and web-based services (like Google). Companionlink supports all versions of Outlook, including Outlook 2010 32-bit and 64-bit, and Business Contact Manager 2007 and 2010. | |
Sync Outlook BCM data with BlackBerry, iPhone, Windows Mobile and Palm OS devices. Supports syncing Google data with Outlook or your phone. | |
Davton SyncManager is an automated Synchronisation tool for users of Microsoft Outlook with Microsoft Exchange. It is designed to make a local copy of a Shared (Public) Folder, so that the contacts, appointments and Tasks are available easily in the users mailbox, and can be synchronised with the users PDA, Blackberry etc. The Enterprise version of SyncManager, SyncManager-Enterprise, is available to synchronise multiple mailboxes from one installation. | |
DesktopMirror for Outlook and Palm Desktop lets you synchronize information between Palm Desktop and Microsoft Outlook. It is also a handy tool that lets you move your Palm or Treo information to other mobile phones such as iPhone, Android or BlackBerry. | |
GALSync automatically synchronizes your Outlook Global Address List (GAL) to the Contacts folder on your mobile device. Features include: Advanced Filtering for GALs with many entries, multiple filters by Company, City, Department, State, Office, Country and Manager. Specify conditions for each filter: 'contains', 'is (exactly)', 'doesn't contain', 'is empty' or 'is not empty'. Contact details include all standard Microsoft Exchange Server fields, including: Name, Job title, Department, Phone numbers, Email address, Notes and Contact details are stored in your mobile device Contacts database. Distribution Lists and Custom Recipients are also synchronized. GAL Contacts are added to a new 'GAL' Category, making them easier to manage. Version 1.10.10. For syncing to Pocket PC or Smartphone. | |
Connect your phone via cable, bluetooth or wifi to manage your Android phone. Direct sync Address Book to Outlook, GMail, Windows contacts, Thunderbird, SeaMonkey, and Lotus Notes. Sync Organizer to Outlook, Google, Sunbird, Thunderbird, SeaMonkey, Windows calendar(Vista), Rainlendar, Lotus Notes, and net shared calendars (WebDAV, FTP, local). See wbsite for complete list of features. | |
PhatNotes for Outlook is the special version of the award-winning notes organizer for Windows Smartphones and iPhone and that allows synchronization with Outlook. You can create notes providing them with category, subject, creation and modification date, which helps to find required information quickly and easily. The new version offers many new advanced features including file attachments, hyperlinks between notes, multiple notes database support with tree-like views, hierarchical notes organizer, integration with PhatPad, customizable views, user reminders, voice note attachments, context analyzer, Windows Vista support and more. | |
Copies items in one direction, from any contacts folder -- public or private -- into your default Contacts folder, putting the name of the original folder in the Categories field. Mainly intended for ActiveSync users who want to sync contacts from a public folder, but useful also to non-PDA users who want to see several folders' worth of contacts in their main Contacts folder. Free from Microsoft for Outlook 2000 or 2002 only, but may work with Outlook 2003. | |
Wirelessly synchronize your BlackBerry with Microsoft Outlook, Mac and Web! Syncamatic is the first to deploy BlackBerry Push technology to instantly and wirelessly synchronizes your Contacts, Calendar, MemoPad and Tasks all the time over the air. - Supports Microsoft Outlook 2007, 2010 (32 and 64bit) - Immediate sync using BlackBerry Push technology - Longer battery life and reduced data traffic - Sync multiple BlackBerry devices | |
TaskTask is a task management application for iPhone and iPod Touch. TaskTask enables you to synchronize your tasks from your Outlook/Exchange mailbox to your iPhone with ease. Using TaskTask, you can manage your to do list, including creating tasks, setting start/due dates, marking tasks complete, assigning categories, changing importance, and deleting tasks. | |
Web site software to synchronize calendar, contact, task, and other data to Outlook or Palm Desktop. Site visitors will need to install a small plug-in. SDK available for developers who want to drive synchronization from a database. | |
Supports various desktop organizers, PDAs, and SonyEricsson mobile phones | |
Yahoo IMAP Connector provides an IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) interface to your Yahoo! email account. All popular email clients like Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail, or Mozilla Thunderbird support reading email using the IMAP protocol. |
More Information
- Synchronizing Microsoft Outlook on two machines — The online sync services generally support PDAs.
- Managing a PST for Two Different Computers
- A Birthday or Anniversary Spans Two Days in a Calendar
- Portable GAL – methods for getting a portable version of the Exchange Global Address List that you can import or sync
- Desktop To Go – A simple and intuitive way to synchronize with Outlook (from PalmPower magazine).
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Last reviewed on Apr 5, 2012
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