This tutorial will guide you though installing and setting up GCalendarSync, which allows you to sync Google Calendar with your Windows Mobile 5 smartphone. GCalendarSync is free (it’s released under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5 License) and absolutely genius. GCalendarSync doesn’t require that you dock your smartphone or use Outlook in order to sync your Google Calendar with your smartphone.

Though GCalendarSync does support 2 way syncing, you may want to review the Notes section here to understand the limitations (eg. Date/Title changes on the mobile device to events already existing online will be overwritten by the online data).

Before you get started, make sure that you have the .NET 2.0 Compact Framework installed, as it’s required by GCalendarSync.

1. Open Internet Explorer Mobile and load http://files.thegooley.com/gcal



2. Download the file GCalSyncSetup.CAB to your Windows Mobile device. note: you can also download the file and transfer it via ActiveSync or whatever software you use to copy files from your computer to your Windows Mobile device.



3. Once the file is on your Windows Mobile device, select it using the File Explorer. GCalendarSync will start the installation process.



4. Click Yes when asked to confirm the installation.



5. Select a location to install GCalendarSync (if you have a storage card you can install it on that) and then click Install.



6. Click Done once the installation has completed.



7. Launch GCalendarSync from your programs section. Enter your Google Calendar username and password in the spaces provided, and select Save Password if you don’t want to enter it each time you sync. Make sure that the GMT time zone is set correctly, otherwise your Windows Mobile calendar events won’t be set to the correct time. Now click the Save Settings button, then the Pick Calendars button.



8. Select each of the calendars you want to sync with your Windows Mobile device. Click Options when you’ve selected them all (even if you only have one).



9. Select the Choose Default item from the Options list.



10. Select the calendar you want to be set as the default. When you add events in Windows Mobile, this is the calendar that those events will sync with. Click Done.



11. Click Done again.



12. At this point you’ll be prompted to import your Google Calendar(s). Click Yes.



13. Your Google Calendar events will now be added to your Windows Mobile device (and vice versa).



14. A summary will appear in the bottom status section once the sync has completed.



15. And now your Google Calendar events will be available in your Windows Mobile calendar.



16. As long as GCalendarSync is running - and you’re connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi or GPRS, your Google Calendar and Windows Mobile device will be in sync.