Filed under: Internet, Internet Tools
CalDAV support comes to Google Calendar
I'm a pretty big user of Google Calendar, because I like how I can automatically sync it with my BlackBerry. The problem for me has been that on my desktop, I really prefer iCal's interface. Syncing the two can be cumbersome. We've written about third-party programs that can sync iCal and gCal together in the past, and although those are great -- I have still wanted a native way to sync the two calendars together.Well, fortunately, Google has just quietly introduced CalDAV support to Google Calendar. CalDAV is the protocol that iCal uses to transmit data over the web. Although some other mail and calendar programs support CalDAV, right now Google Calendar is only compatible with iCal. Finally, iCal and Google Calendar can sync without having to use third party programs!
After following Google's detailed instructions, you can add your Google calendar account to iCal. Any changes you make in iCal will be transferred over to Google and appear in Google Calendar within about 15 minutes. Likewise, any changes made in gCal will be updated immediately from iCal. If you use a BlackBerry, which also syncs directly with gCal, those changes will be updated on all sides as well.
So does this mean that third-party syncing utilities have no place? Well, just based on my initial tests this morning, they are safe for at least a little while. Although sync support works perfectly, you have to create a new calendar account for each individual calendar you want to access. Additionally, if you have a calendar called "Home" on your Mac and a different calendar called "Home" in gCal, you can't just sync those two together. You'll need to either import all your iCal data into Google first, and then sync with the new calendar, or transfer the information over from one calendar to the other within iCal. Programs like BusySync and Spanning Sync allow syncing of designated calendars with one another.
Still, this is a huge step in the right direction and I'm just happy that I can import my mobile calendar onto my desktop without having to run a background utility. CalDAV support for Google Calendar requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard's version of iCal. The Google Calendar service is free.
Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
[via Google Operating System]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Le Big Mac said 5:13PM on 7-28-2008
Suh-weet.
Although it seems a bit odd that multiple calendars can't be synced, given one can create multiple calendars in gcal.
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Christina Warren said 5:15PM on 7-28-2008
Well, you can update multiple calendars, you just have to add them individually.
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Bud Gibson said 8:44AM on 7-29-2008
I think the real opportunity here is for the third party sync apps to:
1. Make it easy to use this functionality (as you suggest).
2. Enable things that go beyond this functionality (syncing more than one gcal calendar into an ical calendar).
It's really a boon if Google provides native support. They'll never get beyond a sucky interface. That's where the opportunity lies.
Coxy said 9:32AM on 7-29-2008
Christina--
I think this is what you are referring to...but I am confused: When I added the caldav support to ical...it only linked my first calendar. I would like to add the others, even if I have to do it individually, but I am unsure how. Please guide me through this if you can.
Christina Warren said 12:20PM on 7-29-2008
Coxy,
OK, I'm just copy-pasting this directly from Google's documentation, but basically you need to you the Calendar ID from your secondary calendar (it's a really long and weird looking e-mail address) and put that in place of your regular address when you create the new account:
Add secondary calendars
To view secondary calendars in iCal, follow the instructions below for each calendar you'd like to enable:
Sign in to Google Calendar.
In the calendar list on the left, click the down-arrow button next to the appropriate calendar, then select Calendar Settings. (Alternatively, click on "Manage Calendars" at the bottom of the calendar list, then click on the name of the appropriate calendar.)
In the Calendar Address section, locate the "Calendar ID."
Copy the email address displayed after "Calendar ID:"
Open the iCal application (Finder > Applications > iCal).
Follow steps 2-4 from the Enable Google Calendar in iCal section above.
Under Server Options, enter [ https://www.google.com/calendar/dav/ [ Calendar ID ] /user ] as your Account URL.
(e.g. https://www.google.com/calendar/dav/7oddefoo1ltvq0psfhbp8vs4gc@group.calendar.google.com/user)
p00pers said 5:22PM on 7-28-2008
thanks, christina and everyone who sent this in. i would have never known about it without ya!
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Guillermo said 5:34PM on 7-28-2008
Keep in mind that calendars synced with CalDAV don't sync with MobileMe (or at least I couldn't get them to), so they won't, by extension, sync to an iPhone or iPod touch (I didn't try syncing via iTunes, though). So there's still a place for apps like BusySync and SpanningSync, if you want to sync iCal to Google Calendar and MobileMe simultaneously.
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Christina Warren said 6:02PM on 7-28-2008
Oh, absolutely. But if/when Google releases native iPhone Google Apps (and not its current search thing, tools more inline with what they have on BlackBerry and Windows Mobile), it might be just one more reason not to use MM.
Nate said 8:17PM on 7-28-2008
They do sync if you're using iTunes, but (big but!) you can't create or modify appointments on the iPhone, only view them.
Big John said 5:44PM on 7-28-2008
Finally! Thanks for this, Google!
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Brad said 5:50PM on 7-28-2008
So, if we have Tiger, we're still SOL?
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Christina Warren said 6:03PM on 7-28-2008
Right, because Tiger doesn't support CalDAV server accounts.
Joseph said 6:05PM on 7-28-2008
I think you may have the refresh times backwards: Any changes in iCal will show up in gCal automatically (iCal syncs upon saving an event). The amount of time before changes show up from gCal to iCal is specified in the account preferences, ranging from every minute to ever 30 minutes.
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Christina Warren said 6:06PM on 7-28-2008
Cool, cool. I was just going on Google's documentation. It did sync pretty instantaneously for me though.
8CoreWhore said 6:22PM on 7-28-2008
Christina, my angel of - Blackberry?
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Jay said 6:41PM on 7-28-2008
The major problem with iSync and CalDAV accounts is that they sync "Read only" to portable devices. Changes made on your phone are rejected by iSync.
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Dave said 7:02PM on 7-28-2008
Be warned that iCal's CalDAV support is kinda half-baked.
More specifically, CalDAV calendars are excluded from chunks of iCal functionality. As already mentioned, MobileMe syncing is out. In addition, if you get a meeting invitation by email and open it in iCal, you're not permitted to add it to a CalDAV calendar, nor can you move it directly over after the fact (last time I tried this, anyway). You can cut and paste it to move it over, but that (a) breaks the link with the original invitation and (b) tries to send the meeting organizer a notification that you won't be attending.
I believe there are other features from which CalDAV calendars are excluded too.
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Flaming City said 7:20PM on 7-28-2008
Is there support for multiple calendars in other systems? Adding 11 calendars individually is annoying.
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Joshua Holland said 7:31PM on 7-28-2008
So, Google supports CalDAV, but MobileMe does not. What!!?
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glad said 8:37PM on 7-28-2008
It didn't work for me as google calendar wouldn't take the current events already in my iphone/ical. However the event I made in google cal did show up in ical. I will wait for a few more improvements.
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