How to "kinda" sync Google Calendar with Calendar App

[jedge]

Long story short, Google dropped support for Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) connections in early 2013 and that's why the Calendars won't sync. But email and contacts do. It's stupid.

I spent a bit of time figuring this out earlier today because when you search on this topic, a lot of the information is out of date or just plain wrong. Basically you have two options. Just ignore the 8.1 Calendar App and put a shortcut to Google Calendar on your Start, or...

You can sync the 8.1 Calendar TO Google Calendar, but not the other way around. Basically you can see all your appointments like you want to, but for changes/additions/deletions you have to go to Google Calendar. Yeah it's a pain but it's better than nothing, and the 8.1 Calendar will keep updated with whatever you change in Google Calendar. Also you will need a free Outlook.com email account (this used to be Hotmail.com). But that's a good thing, Outlook.com is pretty sweet and i bet a lot of people already have one.

1. open Google Calendar
2. click the "gear" icon in the top right -> Settings
3. click "Calendars" at the top
4. choose your calendar (you probably only have one and it has your name on it)
5. scroll down to "Private Address" (not Calendar Address) and click on ICAL
6. copy that shortcut, you'll need it
7. Open Outlook.com and login
8. click the arrow at the top and pick "Calendar"
9. click "Import" at the top
10. click "Subscribe" on the left
11. in the Calendar URL field, paste in the link that you go from your Google Calendar
12. click Subscibe
13. *at this point the Outlook.com calendar should start populating with your Gmail Calendar stuff... be patient if it takes a bit of time
14. On your Surface, go into your Calendar App
15. swipe left to get the Charms sidebar -> Settings
16. Accounts
17. Add an Account
18. Outlook.com
19. type in your username and password for Outlook.com
20. Connect
YOU'RE DONE!!, again, be patient, it takes a bit of time for the Calendars to sync.
You can now SEE all your Google Calendar stuff in 8.1 Calendar... you just can't change it, or at least if you do it won't sync so it's best not to.

Hope i didn't leave anything out. Good luck!!

 

[benjitek]

[BLAH BLAH BLAH]...you can sync the 8.1 Calendar TO Google Calendar, but not the other way around...[BLAH BLAH BLAH]

Sounds like a nightmare scenario. Your info isn't 100% accurate -- Google dropped Exchange ActiveSync support for >FREE< accounts, but not paid. You could just switch to Office 365; if you have an Android tablet and smartphone, I can see maybe why not. Personally, I have an iPhone, Windows Phone, and SP2 -- They all work great with Exchange and Office 365. If I had an Android device, it would support Exchange ActiveSync as well. Also, if you had a paid-Gmail account (Google Apps) you'd have full calendar support via Exchange ActiveSync regardless of your device. Any of those options would be better than a 'kinda' sync one. Office 365 accounts are currently available for 20% off ($50 a year for basic account).

Personally, I was a Google Apps user until they dropped their Exchange ActiveSync support. Even though they still support it for paid accounts, it's an older version of ActiveSync which, while backwards compatible, they have not plans on updating. Also, until recently, it was incompatible with the current subscription version of MS Outlook. Now they offer sync software for Outlook instead of just supporting desktop Exchange ActiveSync. I'd rather not add another layer of sync. As it doesn't support new versions of desktop Exchange ActiveSync, it won't sync with the native mail, calendar and contact apps in Windows 8.x :-(