Google calendar sync on iOS

I reckon every tech savvy iphone user who attempts to make efficient scheduling would come across this obstacle of setting up synchronization with google calendar. Though this is something that needs to be set up once without having to worry about it; however, this is indeed a painstaking job when there are more than one way of doing it and google does not provide comprehensive guide of how to with clear distinctive choices. Plus, of course, I have only done this twice, but in case I lose my mobile again or need to set up another calendar, I need to something reliable to check back on, my own guide. So here we go.

Whether you are a Google Apps user or have a gmail address, there are two ways to sync your account to a mobile. Below are how to setup, pros and cons of each setup.

Gmail: This is quite straight-forward, and simple setup method since mail server addresses are fixed that it is hard for you to mess up. Simply goto Settings->Mail, Contacts, Calendars->Add Account...->select Gmail, then enter the name, email address and password.

• Open the following link for calendar sync configuration to select which calendar you would like to sync.
• Pros: Easy setup, notes sync, the same calendar colours as in computer browser,
• Cons: no contacts sync, cannot sync subscribed calendars, fetch only

Exchange: This may confuse many people to think this is for setting up a hotmail or live account, but this is a great alternative, and have existed long. Set up the account the similar way by going to Settings->Mail, Contacts, Calendars->Add Account...->select Microsoft Exchange, and enter email and password. The tricky part here is that, especially if you are a Google Apps user, server address should be entered manually: Choose Cancel if the Unable to Verify Certificate dialog appears. Once you are directed to the next page, re-enter the full email address as Username, enter m.google.com next to Server, and leave the Domain blank. (More details in this Google support page)

• Open the following link for calendar sync configuration(mobile access only) to select which calendar you would like to sync.
• Pros: contacts sync, Sync option for subscribed calendars, push data support
• Cons: language support(East Asian language text often gets broken in replying emails)