Synchronize Google Tasks with Outlook

Synchronize Google Tasks with Outlook

In this year of 2020, more and more jobs require people to work from home due to COVID-19 pandamic. Syncing calendar, contact and task remotely from home in order to cope with colleagues has become an issue for those who have not done this before. If you are the boss and try to survive through this pandamic by cutting budget, you may wanna try using a cheaper way of collaboration team work other than Outlook 365 or GSuite.

Some visitors of my blog asked if it is possible to sync Google Tasks with Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 or 2019? I told them to use Tasks/Reminders feature of iCloud or Yahoo!. They said it is not the same. Then, I started to wonder why a lot of users are so getting used to Google Tasks?

Google Tasks API vs. CalDAV Tasks API

After doing some research, I found Google Tasks API is actually not the same with CalDAV protocol like others do and it is not compatible with CalDAV Tasks. 

As a Google loyal user, you should notice that Google Tasks sticks within Gmail rather than Google Calendar (using CalDAV API) in your Google account. Meanwhile CalDAV Tasks and CalDAV Appointments belong to the same family. 

One of the Google Tasks API’s advantages is the tree structure of Tasks that tasks can be created under one another. It is sort of task and sub-task relationship.

Testing ECO’s new feature

Not long ago, I received a newsletter from EVO Software Production telling me that its EVO Collaborator for Outlook: Sync Google Calendar with Outlook is now compatible with Google Tasks. I did not pay too much attention to it.

Since I have ECO on my computer, let us examine if EVO Collaborator for Outlook really works for Google Tasks:

1. Download the latest release of ECO from EVO’s official website
   
2. Install ECO with administrator’s privilege
   
3. Open Configure profile from EVO ribbon and fill up Gmail account
   
4. Click on TEST and finish Gmail OAuth routine
   
5. You will see Tasks URL is automatically filled in with matching URL address
   
6. Next to Tasks URL, you will see a folder icon if you do have multiple task folders. Click on it to select which folder you like to use
   
7. Click on Apply and Quit.
8. After synchronization is completed, go to Tasks and you will see items are being listed
   

ECO seems to be working on Google Tasks. But, we need to confirm that if Outlook feature such as Importance and Gmail Tasks’ tree structure will be ripped off? I wrote back to EVO staffs and mentioned about this concern. They told me not to worry about it for all metadata will be well preserved.

Yesterday, I installed ECO for my colleagues. They saw their Google Tasks sync result and check back what they have on their Gmail web-GUI. They were very happy about it.