We have learned how to sync our contacts and our calendars using Google through our iPhone, but now Google Labs has brought us more iPhone functionality. So how do you use Google Tasks on your iPhone? Follow this step-by-step to find out.
Everyone has notes on their iPhones, but without the ability to sync those notes to your computer, what happens when you leave your phone at home? What happens if you lose the info in your notes? Where is it backed up if you have not synced lately? Using Google Task on your iPhone will allow your tasks to be backed up automatically to your google account.
Set up iGoogle page
The first thing that must be done is to set up an iGoogle page. This can be done by going to http://www.google.com/ig and logging in with your google account details.
1. Click ‘Add stuff’ on the right side of the screen.
2. In the search box, type “tasks” and click search.
3. Click ‘Add it now’ under Tasks (Labs)
It will now show up on your iGoogle homepage.
This page works very well as a Start Page when you start your browser instead of the plain old google page. Once a task is created or updated on your phone, it will sync to igoogle. Wherever you login to this page, your tasks will be available to you.
Configure your phone to work with Google Tasks
1. Go to safari on your phone and go to http://www.gmail.com/tasks You will then need to login to this page with your gmail account.
2. Once you are logged in, you will see a simple page. This is your main list.
3. To add a task, click new task and an empty text box will appear. Type in the name of the task and click done.
4. In order to add more information to the task, click on the task again and click the blue arrow to the right of the task. This will bring up a page that will allow you to add more detailed notes to your task.
5. Tap Done then Back and the task will be updated with the notes.
6. Once you have completed a task, click the box to the left of the task. Once the task is completed, you can leave it or you can remove all of your completed tasks by clicking the Clear completed tasks button.
7. When in a task list such as the standard list, you can tap the ‘all lists’ button on the top left of the screen. This will take you to a list where you can make new task lists, each with it’s own group of specialized tasks.
Make Google Tasks Easy To Access
This sets up the service, but how do you access it easily without going to safari and going to a bookmark? What we are going to do is make an icon of this page for your menu.
1. Now that you are on the tasks page, tap the + symbol at the bottom of safari and tap the ‘Add to Home Screen’ button. Fill in what you would like the button named and tap add.
You now have an icon on your desktop that will send you straight to the Google Tasks page and you can edit your tasks quick and they will be backed up in case there is data loss on your phone.
Now, just as if you were using your notes app, the tap of an icon brings up your tasks list. It stores multiple task lists, and is available to you on any computer in the world with internet.
Nice! I have been looking for this solution for a while. Works great. I may choose to keep my IPhone now.
If they could get this to sync with tasks on the Mac, it would be fill the missing link.
I like this solution but the problem is that it will not work if you don’t have a wifi spot near you. Why can’t it work like the calendar showing your stuff even if you are not online???
(PLS… Do something
It works. Much better than Todo. It is really easy and it is free
This would be perfect if it’d sync w/ the tasks and leave it on the iphone and online…there’s too many times where I don’t have wifi/3G access…
Guys, IPhone is Just a Phone without I(Internet Service) in it.
This isn’t syncing, just accessing tasks on the web with an iPhone. True “sync” would allow you to view and modify tasks on the iphone even when there was no wifi or 3G connection.
You don’t really need iGoogle. Just download the Google app. And I agree, this isn’t true syncing.
Try GeeTasks (in the app store) for true syncing of Google Tasks to iPhone.
Native iPhone interface, works both online and offline.
FD: I am the developer who wrote it. Cheers.
Be aware that Geetasks is broken and you cannot access your tasks.
Gee tasks doesn’t seem to be available in the uk. Any uk options for syncing apps? Would be good if apple integrated it into the calendar so could view along side my google calendar.
Geetasks is not available in UK and world-wide!
Snap, I meant NOW available worldwide. I can’t type
just the solution i was looking for! almost busted my moolahs on the paid versions
I am so pleased to find this. I have been using goosync for free, but this is now going to be a pay for app from next week.
I am in the UK and have successfully linked my iphone calendar to my google calendar, and now set up my tasks too. Also when you add a task icon to your iphone desktop it displays the google email,and calendar , links at the top so you can easily access everything from one icon rather than use separate ones.
Thanks for this it has saved me splashing out on more expensive apps/software.
I can’t get the google task to link it says incorrect user name or password but it links the calendar. help
After 15 years with a Palm Pilot, I still can’t believe that the simple “task” of having tasks sync seamlessly with a PDA is so difficult. Palm had it figured out years ago, but apparently, no one was buying because even they ditched their near-perfect Palm Desktop software.
Yes, this works, but why should I need a wifi spot (or data service) for what I consider the simplest of simple things – keeping track of things to do. Honestly, a piece of paper in my pocket is faster and more convenient that this!
Linda is right. But, given that is is no longer as simple as life was with the old Palm OS, this approach is the simplest, most straightforward solution. Nice job, Google.
They should just make it so that the tasks function in the Google Calendar would sync. That way we don’t have to use a separate tasks app.
Take your tasks with you on your iPhone!
Sync them when you have a connection!
http://www.geetasks.com/
PERFECT!
No one has mentioned task alerts!
Looking at your tasks through safari is ok, but until they are integrated with the iPhone calendar there will not be any reliable alerts (email doesn’t cut it). (nor with geetasks, correct me if I’m wrong)
And since integration with iPhone calendar will probably be available at some time from Google, any iPhone app would then be obsolete. If Geetasks was $1 I might consider using it until that time comes, but not $3
Completely agree with the above poster. We need task alerts, come on, an app that synchronizes offline/online with google tasks and notifies you on the iphone? Shouldn’t be so difficult.
Now that google has Android, I don’t think so…
Just searched the App Store and found GeeTasks Pro which syncs directly with your Google Apps tasks. $5.99. 10 seconds to download and install. Done!
It’s a shame there isn’t a stand alone Application, I wish developers would allow us to sync everything with everything.