iPod Calendar duplicates Google Calendar events when I change them!

September 8, 2011 12:20 PM

I use Google Calendar with the iPod's Calendar app. Whenever I change what calendar an event is found in (from School to Work, for example), it does so successfully on the iPod, but the next time I log in to Google Calendar, that event is in both calendars. How do I keep it from duplicating like this?
posted by dubadubowbow to Computers & Internet (2 answers total)

I have an iPhone and Google account myself, so I would like to help... At first I found it difficult to replicate the problem repeatedly. But bare with me while I write notes while doing this...

Investigative Step A
(iPhone generated event)
1. Test event is switched to one calendar to another... Google side does not change at all.
2. Test event is switched to a third-party calendar... Google side correctly looses the event.
3. Same Test event is switched from a third-party calendar back to Google Calendar... Google Calendar correctly reacquires the event.
4. Test event is switched from one Google Calendar to another ... Calendar A to Calendar B, Google Calendar receives new event a duplicate of the original... (your issue).

I did 1 and 4 only on a separate event and also duplicated what you had... It seems that this is probably a bug in general with the Google sync. /End

Conclusion A
For example I can do the duplication and then from the iPhone proceed to remove the event. This causes the switched event (the event on the calendar I switched it to) to be removed, but the original event to remain. Duplicate was removed, but:
1. without re-setting the sync settings the event remaining in Google Calendar will not be reintroduced to the iPhone Calendar. Or:
2. Editing the event (like switching the calendar from Google Calendar), then refreshing (Hide/Show) the iPhone Calendar.
1 and 2 are the only ways to reintroduce the missing event.

Investigative Step B
From here I take 2 test events I restored to the iPhone calendar in the previous #2 method: E#1 and E#2
1. E#1 I switch directly from one Google Calendar to another. iPhone calendar changes as expected, but the Google Calendar event no longer changes at all. Looks like any active connection back to the original is lost. No edits from either calendar sync with each other. FAIL
1a. We know from above that a vanilla event switched creates a duplicate, causing an orphan event to remain on the former calendar.
2. E#2 I switch to a third-party calendar and then back to Google Calendar while switching the calendar to a different Google calendar (Calendar A to 3rd PT to Calendar B). This successfully pulls the event off the Google Calendar (Calendar A to 3rd PT), then brings back the event as a event of Calendar B (3rd PT to Calendar B). Partial Success...

Conclusion B
It looks like a bug in the syncing...

What can avoid the duplication is to "remove" the event from Google Calendars entirely by switching it to a third-party calendar... Then bring the event back while making the switch of internal Google Calendars (A to 3rd PT to B) as in #2 above. I will leave it to you to find a third party calendar to partner with... Or at least bug Google to fix the syncing. I'm glad I have my company's calendar service to test this with, or it would be hard to figure out what the Google Calendar was failing to do.

The other end of the bug is that switching straight in Google calendar also duplicates momentarily on the iPhone side ( lol...). And then proceeds to correct itself (you may need to refresh [Hide/Show] this to see this though).
posted by Bodrik at 10:05 PM on September 10, 2011

Response by poster: Wow, thank you very much! That is very helpful... I'll get on Google about that :)
posted by dubadubowbow at 1:54 PM on September 11, 2011