Friday 12 December 2014

Sync shared Google calendars to BlackBerry Passport or BB10 device

Problem:

I have some Google calendars that were shared with me, however I cannot see them in my BlackBerry's calendar. How do I sync these shared calendars? As of now (December 2014) the official Google Calendar apps are not available on the Passport.

Solution:

  • Go to https://www.google.com/calendar/syncselect
  • Check any calendars that you want to sync
  • Go to the Passport/BB10 calendar and refresh (click menu button on bottom right, click refresh)
  • Wait for a few minutes until all events sync, they will show up then

Notes:

There have been other solutions online using third party apps or adding CalDAV accounts. However, for basic viewing needs the above solution seems to work. The CalDAV method is considered less secure by Google so it is not recommended.

This solution was tested in December 2014 to work using a BlackBerry Passport, OS version 10.3.0.908. Your results may vary using different OS versions, using different devices, or if Google changes their calendar in the future.

This was attempted in OS 7, however the shared calendars did not show up. Anyone out there have any luck with the older BB OS?

View full Google Calendar website with BlackBerry Passport

Problem:

How do I view the full Google Calendar website in my BlackBerry Passport's browser? When I go to calendar.google.com, Google brings me to the mobile version.

Solution:

Try the following URL: google.com/calendar/render

The site will show a dialog asking to confirm using the desktop version. If you click ok, the full calendar site should show up.

Notes:

Note that the full desktop site may not work fully or it may render slowly on mobile devices. It's a useful site to be able to log into however, as there are many options that can only be set using the full desktop site instead of the mobile site.

This solution was tested to work using the BlackBerry Passport, OS version 10.3.0.908, and the full Google Calendar site is accessible as of December 2014. Your mileage may vary using other versions and if Google decides to change Google Calendar in the future. Best of luck to you!