Update: Google has fixed the problem with their site not handling iPad correctly. You can now configure up to 25 calendars from your Apps or Gmail account to sync to your iPad calendar.
There is a bug/oversight currently affecting calendar sync with the iPad. If you have already been a user of Google sync in the past on your iPhone or iPod Touch you know how great it is to have access to not just your calendar but all the other calendars you have configured as well. For myself I’m able to see/edit not just mine but also my Wife’s, the ‘Family’ calendar, and others such as a ‘Notes’ calendar I maintain for things that aren’t necessarily actions or appointments.
The problem is right now when you configure your iPad for sync you’ll only get the default calendar. At first I thought this was an iPad issue but quickly realized it was a problem with the sync configuration. Now the fun starts.
There isn’t any way that I can find to configure the sync settings from a desktop browser. Or the iPad browser for that matter since Google currently treats iPad as desktop in the case of the sync area, though it maddeningly it treats it as a moble browser in some other properties. This will no doubt take awhile to settle down, so in the meantime if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch you can configure the settings from there, with one caveat. (Info on other means in the note at the end).
For some reason Google sync assumes your iPad can only handle one calendar, as you can see in the screenshot. The good news is enforcement of this limit is only done through client-side javascript, so if you turn off javascript you can select as many calendars as you like.
1. On your iPhone or iPod Touch go to m.google.com. (If you get a Google search dialog instead of a screen full of icons pick “More” from the menu, then “Even More”)
1a. If you are a Google Apps user(custom domain, not @gmail.com) and you don’t get a green box at the top of this screen full of icons, scroll down to a box at the bottom of the screen that says “Google Apps User?” and select it to log into your custom domain.
2. Pick the “Sync” icon. You should get a list of devices currently hooked to this account, it should include at least your iPad. Before you pick the iPad you must do the next step>
3. Hit the Home button and navigate to Settings. In Settings find “Safari” and on this configuration screen turn OFF Javascript.
4. Return to your browser and pick iPad. Select all the calendars you want to sync up. Save.
5. Don’t forget to turn Javascript back on in Settings.
You’re done. If you want to get the iPad to sync up right away go into configuration and fiddle with the number of months back it is getting, or create a new calendar item. You will now have all your calendars, and you’ll notice a new “Calendars” button in the top left of the Calendar app.
Note: If you don’t have an iPod Touch or iPhone you can achieve all of this by using Firefox and changing the User Agent. Still need to disable Javascript. If you are a Chrome user (like you should be!) just grab Firefox temporarily for this action.
Since I was confused when I did this, (by following the nearly-identical directions on another site,) and since you left out this step just like he did, I’ll point out this: You must set up your iPad to sync with Google BEFORE you do all of this, using the directions at the Google Sync link above. This will sync your calendar for the first time, but only the default calendar, as stated. Only then will you get the list of mobile devices mentioned in step 1.
So here’s another question I pose to you: Do you see any advantage between using Exchange to sync email and using IMAP?
Also: Any idea why I don’t see the ability to add to-do items in my calendar after I’ve set it up like this? I know it has that functionality because I’ve seen it in screen shots. Maybe if you only use Exchange calendars it’s not an option?
Good point about needing to set up the initial sync.
The advantage to Exchange sync is that it is all inclusive; contacts/calendar/email. I’m not aware of any other way to do this for contacts, and it seems equivalent to the caldav method. On email it isn’t ideal, on the iPhone I find myself using both the native email client (for composing and for being notified of new mail) and the web app (for searching, archiving and spam tagging).
I haven’t seen anything about to-do items and I’m not seeing it in the iPad guide? Maybe a Remember the Milk calendar in the sync list?
Joe, great write up! In line with your Post-PC Era Part 2: The 1–9-90 Rule, and subsequent comment regarding ‘the cloud’ I’m curious to know if you’ll write more about productivity, use of the cloud, and the ipad. I am enjoying seeing how creative people on the web are using them.
I fought with this issue of syncing and did a write up here, similar to yours, that is more of a walk through; showing how to sync with Outlook, google, ipad, and sync calDAV subscriptions all replicating across. My walk through is here if you’re interested: http://ipad-candy.com/synching-outlook-to-googl…
Again, thanks for the great write up and I hope to see more about the iPad!
–John
Joe, great write up! In line with your Post-PC Era Part 2: The 1–9-90 Rule, and subsequent comment regarding ‘the cloud’ I’m curious to know if you’ll write more about productivity, use of the cloud, and the ipad. I am enjoying seeing how creative people on the web are using them.
I fought with this issue of syncing and did a write up here, similar to yours, that is more of a walk through; showing how to sync with Outlook, google, ipad, and sync calDAV subscriptions all replicating across. My walk through is here if you’re interested: http://ipad-candy.com/synching-outlook-to-google-calendar-and-multiple-google-calendars-to-the-ipad-calendar/
Again, thanks for the great write up and I hope to see more about the iPad!
–John