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Hotmail on Android Devices

T

TonyMan13

Member
Not sure if I have a unique situation, but I use Hotmail and would like to have my Calendar sync with my devices. Here is what I am talking about:

PC - I use Windows live mail for Hotmail ( I am a paying subscriber
Droid Razr Maxx - using outlook.com (Microsoft's choice, not mine)
Kindle Fire HD 7" - using an email app I downloaded from Amazon, but do not see it listed anymore. I was also using this on the Droid, but Microsoft forced me to uninstall it there and use Outlook.com. The program was sponsored by them previously.

I am not too concerned with the email, but it would be advantageous to use one program on both devices. My contacts are syncing between all the devices. My biggest issue is the calendar. I am using the calendar on the droid, but it syncs with nothing. I'd like to be able to make entries in the calendar on each device & have them stay in sync. I was thinking of getting Outlook for my PC, but am afraid that will just make things worse. Any ideas on what to use to get the devices to sync calendars?

Thanks
 
You can just add your Hotmail.com, Live.com, and/or Outlook.com accounts to your Android devices as described at the top of the following link. In the account settings be sure to check the checkboxes for syncing "calendar" (and "contacts" if you so desire). On your Android device you can choose which calendars to view and sync. When you create an event on your Android device, you can choose which calendar to put it on. If you choose to "view" multiple calendars, they'll appear merged (but won't physically be merged) into a single calendar page, with the appointments color-coded by account. If you also want to use Outlook on your PC, you can do so, but you don't have to use Outlook. It's all covered in excruciating detail at the following link. (If it's information overload, feel free to scan for the bold-faced headings regarding calendar if that's all you care about.)

http://androidforums.com/android-ap...id-without-3rd-party-app-exchange-server.html

It wasn't clear to me, but it kinda sounds like you have multiple Hotmail and Outlook.com accounts against your will. If you'd like, you can just input the same account on each device (and abandon the undesirable accounts), or you can input multiple accounts on each device.
 
Thanks Razz, I will investigate this further & respond back in a day or two.

To answer your last query, no I only have one hotmail account. I am using different apps on different devices. Today I re installed my account to the app originally on the Kindle. I'm thinking I should check for the same on the Droid, but will read the link you provided before I wonder off on my own.
 
Well, I think I got it going after reading that post Razz suggested. I went back to the the email app that came with both the Droid & the Kindle & also changed the Droid account to Corporate. Now when I enter something in the calendar on my PC it shows up in both devices.

I am pleased with how it operates now, but, is this just a one way sync? Is there a way to add an event to either my Droid or Kindle & have it update my PC & the other device? Maybe I'm asking for too much?

Thanks again Razz
 
Hotmail used to sync in both directions for Android<-->Hotmail-servers<-->PC for contacts, calendar & email. But in the last month or so I noticed that contacts and calendar events aren't syncing up from the Android device. I'm not sure why. I just downloaded the free app, Outlook.com, and now contacts and events are syncing in both directions (even though Outlook.com just uses the built-in Android calendar, contacts app, and synchronization facility). So you might want to try downloading Outlook.com (even though you don't actually have to view it for anything).

Friendly reminder: When you create a calendar event (while you're editing it), you have to select which calendar/account that you want to add it to.

Please let me know whether or not it works for you. I'm going to have to update the Outlook synchronization post that I linked above.
 
OK, I'll give that a try - however, I really dislike Outlook.com. It just looks bad and people I know that have used it have problems printing an email that is readable.

Let ya know how it goes.
 
My setup is phone>Google>Outlook on PC>Outlook.com, then back the same way again. Works good, but a little setting up needed. I just like having multiple backups.
 
Thanks Chan. I don't care for Outlook.com on my PC & don't want to depend on it. I use Windows Live Mail instead.

Razz, I don't think Outlook.com on the Droid is the answer. I installed it, set a test event, and it never showed up in Live Mail on the PC. For the heck of it I also went to Outlook.com on the PC and the event doesn't show there either. Also, I cannot get Outlook.com on the Kindle, good old Amazon doesn't offer it.
 
Windows Live Mail the Windows Program? You can go to Outlook.com on a web browser, login to Live mail, then subscribe your Live calendar to your Google calendar. The problem would be that your Google calendar needs to be public for that to work.
 
TonyMan13 said:
Thanks Chan. I don't care for Outlook.com on my PC & don't want to depend on it. I use Windows Live Mail instead.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure what you mean by Outlook.com on your PC. Just to be clear... Outlook is a (wonderful) PC program that is similar to the more limited Windows Live Mail. Outlook.com is a webmail website. Outlook.com is also (unfortunately) the name of an Android app.

TonyMan13 said:
Razz, I don't think Outlook.com on the Droid is the answer. I installed it, set a test event, and it never showed up in Live Mail on the PC. For the heck of it I also went to Outlook.com on the PC and the event doesn't show there either.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the follow up. The syncing from Android to the cloud with Hotmail is really hard to figure out. It's working for me and it seems to work for others but not everyone. Are you sure that when you created the event you selected it to be created on the "Outlook.com" account that's on your Outlook.com app? If you don't specifically select the account before saving the event, it'll get created in your default Gmail account.

TonyMan13 said:
Also, I cannot get Outlook.com on the Kindle, good old Amazon doesn't offer it.
Click to expand...
That stinks.
 
Razz, to explain what I have:

On the PC - Windows Live Mail application. I also tried the web service Outlook.com, but don't like it. I was contemplating getting Outlook, I agree with you, I used it when I was working and liked it, but a little pricey to buy for personal use.

On the Droid - Now using Outlook.com app. I have also tried using the email app on the Droid, but neither one will sync towards the PC

On the Kindle I use the email app they supply, looks like the same one as the droid.

I appreciate all your help & have come to the conclusion that things just are not going to sync towards the PC, but from the PC works fine now. I guess I will just make sure I enter all events on the PC. I will also try the Amazon Kindle forum to see if they have any insights into their product syncing.

Again, thanks.
 
Thanks for the follow up. It helps me better understand, and so I may be better able to help others on that Hotmail-Outlook sync post that I created and linked above.
 
Razz, not sure if you are still monitoring this, but wanted to share the latest.

I worked with Amazon for the Kindle HD, but hey have to send it to another group to review. They were hung up that I had no outgoing server settings, though I don't see anything like that on the Droid either. One thing I noticed was server names being different & not sure if that affects anything. Here is what I see:

Windows Live Mail
http://mail.services.live.com/DeltaSync_v2.0.0/sync.aspx

Droid
m.hotmail.com

Kindle
bay-m.hotmail.com

One thing that was surprising - I set up a test Contact on the Kindle and of course it didn't show on the PC. However, when I checked Outlook.com on the web it was there! I then check the Droid & it was there also, not sure why. However, any test Calendar events don't show up on the Outlook.com web site.

Will let you know if any new progress is made.
 
I just heard back from Amazon's support. They said there is an issue with the Kindle Calendar app and they are developing a new app to replace it, but of course, no date is predicted. So, I can put that aside for right now & keep concentrating on the Droid phone not updating the calendar on the PC.
 
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