Windows 8/RT stop syncing Google calendar and contacts starting today

Today if you connect the Calendar or the People app to Windows 8 or Windows RT with a Google account and calendar and contacts won’t sync; don’t panic — This is the way it is from now on, as the search giant has changed the way they do business in this area.

A few weeks back Google introduced new changes to its policy, which among other things, the company also unveiled its intentions to drop support for Exchange ActiveSync and EAS protocols used by Microsoft as early as January 30th, 2013. Now that date has passed, meaning that from this point on, you will not see anymore the option to include contacts or calendar from a Google account in Windows 8/RT and syncing will stop working.

Using the Mail app in Windows 8, you’ll still be able to get access to your emails, but contacts and calendar won’t sync.

Also this will affect Windows Phone users, but the good news here is that the search giant has extended Google Sync support until July 31, 2013. Furthermore, Microsoft is reporting that the Windows Phone team is already creating new support for the new sync protocols Google is using for calendar and contacts (CalDAV and CardDAV), and they will be included in the existing IMAP support protocol that Microsoft is offering.

It isn’t clear if the same support will be available for the Calendar and People Windows 8 apps, but we can only hope that Microsoft will work on a solution.

For more information on how to sync Google services with Windows 8 or Windows RT read this Microsoft support page.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.