Does BIS Allow Syncing of Gmail Calendar and Contacts?

[kcmo]

Guys/Gals,

When I was on T-Mobile and had BIS, I was able to select syncing of my Gmail calendar and contacts too when I set up my email.

Is this also the case on AT&T? I'm considering coming back to BB (I've been with AT&T since Oct'11) but want to be sure I wouldn't need 'Google Sync' for this as I've had problems with it before.

TIA

[AliensWanted]

To my knowledge, you'll still need to sync using Google Sync. That is one of the biggest fails, though, as it duplicates stuff over time.

Can anyone else sound off what they've experienced?

[pmccartney]

Hopefully someone on AT&T will chime in here soon. I have synced Google Mail, Cal and Contacts via BIS for a couple years now.
If AT&T doesn't allow it that's a shame.

[kcmo]

Thanks....also hope someone on AT&T can provide insight.

[ubizmo]

I don't know if AT&T blocks this feature of BIS. I can't see why they would, but that doesn't mean anything.

I'll say this though. If BIS contact sync does work on AT&T, and you don't want it to mangle your contacts, be sure to put the entire postal address into the first field, "Address 1", rather than splitting it up the way the BB wants to. I've found that if you split it up, Gmail will eventually eat parts of it, and you may be left with only the city and zip code. It doesn't happen all the time, but enough to be very annoying when you go looking for a mailing address. If you just put everything into that one field, it'll stay intact.

But if AT&T blocks BIS sync...never mind.

[chrisy520]

In my experience, it is BIS that always messes up the contact and calendar sync with Google.

I make sure BIS sync is OFF and I ONLY use Google Sync.

Works great, no duplicates, works fast.


I hate BIS sync. It makes duplicate entries, is slow, sometimes doesn't work and messes up the address formats on my contacts so that GPS cannot read them.

With Google Sync, you can also edit your contacts and calendar on a PC as well as your BlackBerry.

[kcmo]

I just recall being happy when T-Mobiles BIS was upgraded to allow synching of contacts and calendar since I hated Google Sync.

Anyway, will wait for someone on AT&T to chime in.

Thanks!

[jgomez5710]

I have BIS thru att and I can only sync the calendar through the google sync app. I never figured out how to synch the contacts or if it's even possible and I've been through 3 bb's.

The contacts I had to load through a cvs file. It's a hassle but what are you going to do.

[ADGrant]

BIS on AT&T can sync both Contacts and Calendar. The contact syncing does not work that well though (it mangles the address fields).

[belfastdispatcher]

Originally Posted by jgomez5710

I have BIS thru att and I can only sync the calendar through the google sync app. I never figured out how to synch the contacts or if it's even possible and I've been through 3 bb's.

The contacts I had to load through a cvs file. It's a hassle but what are you going to do.

It's part of BIS email set up for a few years now, no need for the google sync app anymore.

If you do use it I reccomend you stary clean, just let it sync one way first rather then trying to combine all gmail and blackberry contacts.

[Toodeurep]

Originally Posted by belfastdispatcher

It's part of BIS email set up for a few years now, no need for the google sync app anymore.

If you do use it I reccomend you stary clean, just let it sync one way first rather then trying to combine all gmail and blackberry contacts.

+1

I have three gmail accounts and all worked flawlessly.

[stick_slinger]

As well as my own domain email, I have a Gmail account.

I dont keep a Gmail calendar or Gmail contacts as I just tend to use this account as a bucket for all mail (for example when I fill in a form online its the email address that I use).

Anyways, when I login to BIS, the settings for the Gmail account give me the option the sync Gmail calendar and Gmail contacts

Hope that helps

[AliensWanted]

Originally Posted by jgomez5710

The contacts I had to load through a cvs file. It's a hassle but what are you going to do.

You use the pharmacy file?

[jgomez5710]

Thanks all for the info about gmail calendar. I just popped in my sim from the iphone to the bb just to check it out and I did see that you can synch the calendar also. I'll delete that google synch app I have.

Regarding CVS, I do use them as a pharmacy actually. I guess it's one of those subconscious things transposing those letters

edit* How long does it take to sync the calendar using the built in function (not google sync)? I added something in the future just to see if it worked but it never sent anything to the bb...It's been about 20 minutes. Is there another step?

[E92Vancouver]

Originally Posted by kcmo

Guys/Gals,

When I was on T-Mobile and had BIS, I was able to select syncing of my Gmail calendar and contacts too when I set up my email.

Is this also the case on AT&T? I'm considering coming back to BB (I've been with AT&T since Oct'11) but want to be sure I wouldn't need 'Google Sync' for this as I've had problems with it before.

TIA

I use wireless contact sync on my iphone and Android. It works great and is 100% reliable and robust. Enjoying this service, I set up wireless contact sync on my Blackberry. It is a disaster.

Sync is very slow and not reliable, I have 6,500 contacts (work database). Not all my contacts came over. After about 5,000 contacts, the sync stopped and I kept having to force a manual sync. 12 hours later, I still did not have my contacts.

It is frustrating to need an email address or phone number while out on the road and not have it.

The other thing is photos on the contacts did not come over, where it does on android.

I have deleted my address book on my Blackberry and gone back to syncing with a cable like Fred Flintstone.

I don't know who to blame for this? Is this Google's fault, offering an incomplete service, sabotaging the experience on a competitor's phone? Or is this an issue with the RIM OS and Google can't work with it?

Ughhh!!!!!!