CalDAV Syncing with Android

NOTE: This article was written using the CalDAV-Sync beta extension, available from the Google Play Store. A synchronization account was set up with the default calendar on a LG Optimus G smartphone. While this product is currently in BETA, it will reach full release at version 1.0 and is very stable and reliable as of the writing of this article.

 

CalDAV is a widely-accepted synchronization method for syncing events with the default Android calendar application. As Android doesn't support CalDAV natively, an extension is required in order to set up calendar/event synchronization. Once you have an acceptable extension, setting up a calendar account is fairly simple.

 

While setup processes differ between extensions, the following information should remain constant, regardless of the extension used:

 

1. Username will be your full email address. For example, name@example.com

2. Server will be the URL for your mail server, with the WebDAV information appended to the end. For example,

    http://mail.example.com/webdav/cal

3. If your server requires SSL, then it can be selected.

4. It may be necessary to manually start the extension so that it begins syncing with your mail server.

 

In addition to the information above, there may be advanced settings that can be configured. For example, how often the extension syncs with the mail server, the timeframe (both past and future) to sync events, whether to allow two-way synchronization between your mobile device and the mail server, etc. These are optional but should be kept to the minimum to ensure that your calendar and mobile device stay synchronized.