how do I syncronize my contacts and calendar between BlackBerry and Google without using Outlook?

June 27, 2009 7:11 PM

After using Outlook + PDA as my organization tools for at least 5 years, I got sick of all the bugs, and decided to fully migrate to Google Apps and BlackBerry. I have imported my Outlook contacts and calendar into Google. My email has been in Gmail for a while now. Now how do I maintain that on my BlackBerry, given that the BlackBerry uses Outlook. For example, if I need to add a new contact on my BlackBerry, I want it to be synchronized with Google Contacts, not Outlook. Any suggestions?
posted by esolo to technology (14 comments total)

Google Sync for BlackBerry?
posted by SirStan at 7:38 PM on June 27

There are also Google<>Outlook sync apps (lifehacker, among others)... but ... are you syncing with a cable? You really want over-the-air syncing such as Google Sync provides.. otherwise your are using 1% of what the BB can do.

Realtime sync is the cats meow. I would be a different person if my BB, and now iPhone didnt do realtime Contacts/Calendar/Email sync. (And by realtime, I mean it beeps when I have emails before my Outlook/gmail client does).
posted by SirStan at 7:47 PM on June 27

I don't think Google Synch handles contacts between Outlook and Gmail for the BB... Could someone confirm that it does?
posted by KokuRyu at 8:05 PM on June 27

Is there a way to do it WITHOUT Outlook though? I know that new phones with Android would do all that. But I have a BlackBerry Curve, and refuse to believe that there is nothing that can be done...
posted by esolo at 8:18 PM on June 27

Google Sync doesn't need Outlook. I don't use outlook on my blackberry - I have Gmail, and Google Sync populates my address book and calendar quite nicely. The Gmail app itself does all the work for my gmail accounts (you can access more than one gmail acct through the app). It's pretty slick.
posted by Medieval Maven at 8:25 PM on June 27

esolo, according to this YouTube video that can be found following the linked posted by SirStan, the synchronization happens independently of Outlook or any type of computer.

Unless I'm missing something.
posted by vall at 8:25 PM on June 27

So essentially, I need Google Sync for Mobile. Two questions: 1) does it eat bandwidth for synchronization (if I don't have a data plan), 2) is it available in Canada (Rogers provider).
posted by esolo at 8:33 PM on June 27

I gotta say this does sound promising...
posted by esolo at 8:33 PM on June 27

I don't have a Blackberry, but I can't imagine it would eat too much bandwidth when it needs to synchronize. When you mention not having a data plan, do you mean that you don't have an unlimited data plan, and pay for the amount you use? This link says you can enable manual synchronization, so I suppose you could at least have some control over how often you want to use your limited bandwidth.

If Rogers allows you to access the Internet using your phone, I don't see why the synchronization wouldn't work in Canada.
posted by vall at 8:51 PM on June 27

I will try that out. Thanks so much! Hopefully that would save me the need to buy a complete solution in a form of $600 HTC Dream phone. :)
posted by esolo at 9:02 PM on June 27

I have a blackberry. I have the google gmail app downloaded, and access the email directly there. I could also use the email setup function to add my gmail account to the blackberry email. I use google sync regularly to update my calendar on the blackberry with my google calendar. It works smoothly. You can set it to automatically sync or do it manually.

All of that is dependent on a data plan, though, as I understand it, but I may be missing something about that. Are you not required to have a data plan?

The rest of the google apps for the blackberry work well, too. I recommend them.
posted by gingerbeer at 10:12 PM on June 27

You might want to read the comments on Lifehacker for GO Sync (suggested by SirStan) as it looks like it doesn't work very well. Back up before you approach that one me thinks.
posted by mr_silver at 7:53 AM on June 28

I have a blackberry on Rogers, without Outlook. Google Sync for Mobile works great, and will work with WiFi. I can't vouch for what happens without a data plan though.

(Note: my blackberry has never been plugged into a computer).
posted by blue_beetle at 12:58 PM on June 28

1) does it eat bandwidth for synchronization (if I don't have a data plan)

Then don't do it.

Google Sync uses about 6 MB per month data traffic for me (10-15 messages per day). On Rogers, there's a 500 MB/mo smartphone data plan that's 10$/mo. more than the email-only BB plan ($35/mo instead of $25/mo).
posted by bonehead at 6:47 AM on June 29