Syncing email, calendar to phone should be relatively easy. Here's how. | It's Geek to Me
Q: I have my own domain that I use for email. On my Android phone I get my email, but the Outlook 365 calendar does not sync with the phone and I have to use a third-party app to accomplish this.
Is there a way to have the Outlook calendar sync with my phone natively?
— David B., Navarre
Previous Geek column:Keeping up with today's TV technology is not easy | It's Geek to Me
More:Gmail's format doesn't translate well to all cellphones | It's Geek to Me
A: For those of my readers who aren’t quite certain what David means when he says he has his “own domain” that he uses for email, let me start by explaining.
You use domains all the time; you might just not know the proper terminology. In this context, a domain is a named site on the internet. A common analogy would be Google.com, or my own ItsGeekToMe.co. One generally purchases a domain name from an online seller. That domain name becomes the property of the buyer, but must be renewed periodically.
As an aside, if you’ve ever wondered why this column’s domain name ends in “.co” instead of “.com” the reason is that when I first set up the column’s page, someone else already owned the .com version of the domain I wanted, so I went with the alternative that I’m still using.
I tried to obtain the .com name when the then-owner let it expire, but a domain broker — someone who makes his living obtaining desirable domains and then re-selling them — snatched it out from under me and put it up for sale for a substantial amount of money.
If you want to see how much, go ahead and pay it a visit — I’ll wait for you. Did you see? I wasn’t willing to pay the multiple thousands of dollars that he apparently thinks it’s worth. After all, as I’ve said many times in the past, I don’t make any money from writing this column; it’s all freelance and free. So I’ve had to be satisfied with the domain that I have. I also own several others related to my light show and other ventures, but I have yet to develop sites for them.
But back to business. Reader David B. has his own domain, and on his domain he has his own email service running, which allows him to have a highly personalized email address (one of the benefits of owning your own domain).
All of the most popular email servers implement calendar features as part of their functionality. This seems logical, as both email and event scheduling are common functions in the world of business, and increasingly in our personal lives.
It makes perfect sense to be able to schedule and calendar events and share them with email contacts. It makes as much sense to be able to receive invitations and other event notifications via email, and then seamlessly place them on your e-calendar.
So, David, the setup process is fairly straightforward and should be done at the same time as you add the email account. Start on the Settings menu, and select “Accounts & sync” (which might be named just “Accounts”) then select “Add Account.”
Since you own your own domain and server, select “Corporate” (some versions of Android might call this “Exchange” or “ActiveSync”). Tap “Next” and enter your account information. When you’re done, and click “Next” and your device should verify your account with Office 365 Email & Calendar.
There might be an intervening security dialog, which you should read before tapping “OK” to acknowledge and dismiss. Next you should see a screen called “Account settings.” Make sure “Sync calendar from this account” is checked to do both calendar and email. There are also options here to sync your contacts from this email account, which can be very handy to use email on the go. To finish, tap “Next” and give this account a friendly name that you will remember. Click “Done” and you’re all finished.
To view additional content, comment on articles, or submit a question of your own, visit my website at ItsGeekToMe.co (not .com!)