Best method to use Outlook Standalone with iPhone

[SJ the Hurricane]

This is an extremely vexing problem and I would like to know if anyone has a solution please. Here is my situation:


Using standalone (simply my home one not connected to network or exchange) Outlook 2007 (soon to upgrade to 2013) on PC - Windows 8.1. Have an iPhone 6. I use gmail as my email addresses (have 5 different profiles) within Outlook - one primary email, other for things like store warranties, other for friends, etc. - all of which are POP3 accounts.


Want the closest possible functionality (particularly categories, reminders, etc.) on my iPhone for my standalone Outlook. The only thing I have found close is DejaOffice and Companion Link (which work together). I am seriously considering as appears a close mirror image for all things I do, but they don't have email. So, can someone please give me either:

a) a better comprehensive application/solution;

b) a separate 3rd party email app that will allow me to flag an email, on either computer or iPhone with perfect sync, as a reminder without having to create a separate task (which I would then use separately from DejaOffice and Companion Link and just manually deal with both);

c) your best/closest solution set to be as seamlessly productive as possible using either native or 3rd party email app and a description of your "manual workaround" or

d) do I simply need to sign up for Outlook/Office 365?

Note: I tried making a test gmail IMAP account, but when I brought it into Outlook won't let me use but one flag and no categories. Aghhhhhhhhhhhh.

Thanks!

 

[Diane Poremsky]

All accounts are Gmail? Companion link or sync2 to sync outlook calendar & contacts to Gmail - phone syncs to Gmail. iCloud or iTunes sync i also an option, but i think i would sync outlook to gmail instead.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

oops, i forgot to address the flag issues - imap messages support one flag, but using pop3 is worse imho. office365 exchange would solve the problem but is not free; outlook.com is free but flagging doesn't work either. Either will sync great with the phone though.

instead of flags, drag the messages to the task folder to create a task.

 

[SJ the Hurrican replying]

You are very kind and I have spent weeks researching and I think you confirmed I am out of luck (ridiculous Microsoft has not addressed in years) for the very simple desire to use Outlook standalone as intended even though mobile devices have been out for years. You aptly point out klunkiness of most solutions and unfortunately making every simple email "needed to return" a task destroys productivity. I am free trial testing 365 now and will see how good their owa/mobile office is in replicating true functionality of outlook on PC. If don't like someone recommended Google apps sync for outlook along with gmail iPhone app but I read somewhere while email might be synced still lose all flags, categories, etc?????? True?

If all above does not work will do dejaoffice/companion link and just figure out manual work around for email (maybe flag certain emails in iPhone even though does not show in home outlook as code to do something manually when I get home and then each night convert certain email on PC to take and others simply leave flagged / color coded to reply to later at appropriate time

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Office 365's Exchange online is much better than google apps sync. It is well worth the $5/month it costs (which is the same as google apps). Everything syncs to Outlook on every computer you own and syncs over the air with smartphones. No addins or utilities needed.

Google apps sync uses a utility to sync google apps mail, calendar and contacts to Outlook - it's been awhile since i last tested it, but I don't think flags work as the email is set up as imap.

 

[SJ the Hurricane]

Thanks again and will first test with both a test POP3 and test IMAP gmail account brought into Outlook. If this works (where I get full functionality including color coded calendar, color coded and flagged tasks, flagged email, etc.), you are correct it is worth the small cost each month. Will see how iPhone apps recommended by Microsoft work on iPhone and how well I can do things I do on my PC. Hopefully will be close.....

 

[SJ the Hurricane]

Well, got the usual lousy tech support, this time from Microsoft. Free trial of Office 365 (either Home or Personal) does not allow OWA to be used with it. Must buy Office 365 Business and I could not find any postings or videos to see if OWA truly has complete mirror image AND functionality (color category and flag carryover in all aspects). I just wasted 5 hours.....

Above you wrote: Office 365's Exchange online is much better than google apps sync. It is well worth the $5/month it costs (which is the same as google apps). Everything syncs to Outlook on every computer you own and syncs over the air with smartphones."

So, you are familiar with OWA or did you simply mean sync works perfect but did not give an opinion on functionality?

Depending on your answer above, assuming OWA is either unavailable to me or it does not give good functionality (got so so reviews overall but no mention of my concerns), I guess my best bet is to go with DejaOffice/Companion link and then just use best email app possible and develop some manual workarounds as I noted above. If so, which email app would you use to get the best possible sync with standalone Outlook realizing nothing is going to be perfect?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Office365 business is Exchange Online, and yes, it is a perfect mirror of Outlook on the desktop, with category and flags. Depending on the mail app you use on the device (apple or android), you will have flags and categories synced. If the native app doesn't support those options, Acompli or Touchdown does.

I use Office365 Business - I actually have several accounts - an E3 for my business, a Small Business account so I know what is different between the two, and I couldn't resist the godaddy offer of $12 for one year since so many of my clients buy from godaddy. I have an ipad and 2 android tablets + a windows phone, so i know how it works with mobile devices.

If you are going to use complainion link, your options for apps is limited to the native apps (if syncing directly with gmail) or using dejaoffice. Dejaoffice has an option to sync with the native app if you don't like the dejaoffice interface - so it's basically companionlink syncs with dejaoffice then dejaoffice syncs with the native app.

 

[SJ the Hurricane]

You are really helpful and most appreciated. Just to hone in on my nuance, Microsoft says OWA iPhone app handles it all. However, they sound sketchy about perfect functionality - but appears from your reply above OWA gives me what I need?

Question 1: What is your opinion on OWA? Everything will still work perfectly if I use my normal heuristic of flagging and color coding an email, I drag it out of inbox into a .pst under my personal folders whether I am on OWA or in Outlook on my PC?

Question 2: Why would I need Accompli if using OWA?

Question 3: If I use Accompli (I have iPhone6), what do I use for calendar, tasks, contacts, notes?

Question 4: Since you mention that Office 365 Business is perfect mirror image, I can then leave my gmail accounts as POP3 since that is only way I get to use different color categories in email on my Outlook?

Question 5: I further read Office 365 Business only lets you have 5 email accounts? I can understand devices, but I have one email for business, one email for friends, one email for warranties, etc. Is there a workaround or do I simply choose which emails are important enough to have in Outlook and leave something like warranties to check using another method?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Microsoft says OWA iPhone app handles it all. However, they sound sketchy about perfect functionality - but appears from your reply above OWA gives me what I need?

The OWA app isn't bad. It's been awhile since I looked at it but it uses web services to connect to OWA, so it supports more than ActiveSync does. I use Acompli and Touchdown, both of which also use web services and support all OWA features.

1. OWA is good for web access. It's not going to replace Outlook here, but when Outlook isn't around, it works great and supports most Outlook features, including flags and categories.

2. Because you prefer using an app over a browser. I've used OWA (in a browser) on my ipad - it's fine in a pinch, but I prefer using apps.

3. Acompli supports it all. My only complaint is that i can't edit contacts (or I haven't figured out how).

4. Yes, you could use pop3 with the gmail accounts.

5. 5 connected accounts? Yes, it's limited to 5. You can forward to the office 365 account. Also, replying from connected accounts works best if you use OWA - it's supported in Outlook but (unless things have changed recently) Outlook sends on behalf of the connected account, so both the office 365 and connected account are listed in the message header.

FWIW, I think Office365 Exchange accounts work best with custom domain names.

 

[SJ the Hurricane]

You are so tremendously helpful!!!!!!!!!! I have made a decision. Sticking with standalone Outlook 2007 (no exchange, will sync each night via usb or my local wifi), going to get Companion Link for my windows 8.1 PC and accompanying DejaOffice for my iPhone 6. Too much hassle / cost with 365, I checked out Acompli and does not seem anything close to what Deja Office can do when synced with Outlook for all but email and concur with OWA klunkiness. As mentioned, I have pop gmails and am keeping pop for color codes/functionality.

Two questions please and I think I will be getting productive here:

1. Inbox are mirror images, but sent messages from iPhone, while making its way into gmail sent box (on iPhone and on gmail web site) do NOT makes its way into my sent box on Outlook. Is there a way to do this please? Is there maybe a setting in gmail I am not clicking properly? I read your article, http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/email/syncing-iphone-sent-messages-outlook/, but you seemed to be discussing with an exchange there.

2. Just as important, you wrote yet another great article, http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/email/sending-categories-on-email-messages/, but you state "This does not apply to POP3 or IMAP accounts" and the article focuses on trying to send categories. In my situation, as described above, how do I absolutely ensure when I send or forward emails I have categorized, that there is no way the receiver can see what the category is or used track conversation or open original message to see what the category is?

 

[SJ the Hurricane]

Alibi please in two more questions to go with above (these two relate specifically to the standalone Outlook 2007)

3. Now that I am reorganizing, I want to change the category color for a particular subject (say widgets to be red instead of green). Is there a way to change every single categorized item (all emails no matter what folder they are in, all appointments whether past or present, all tasks whether past or present, notes, contacts, etc) efficiently or in one action?

4. If I want to keep track of every activity I have done with a client so I can not repeat myself in an email reply, be prepared for a meeting, figure out next action to take, etc., I like the activity button in Outlook 2007 and one reason I keep using it. I assume journal does the same thing? Also, if/when I do switch to Outlook 2013, how do you do similar there as activity button with contact is gone and also ability to link each item with a contact is gone there?

 

[Diane Poremsky]

1. Inbox are mirror images, but sent messages from iPhone, while making its way into gmail sent box (on iPhone and on gmail web site) do NOT makes its way into my sent box on Outlook. Is there a way to do this please? Is there maybe a setting in gmail I am not clicking properly? I read your article, http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/email/syncing-iphone-sent-messages-outlook/, but you seemed to be discussing with an exchange there.

Correct. This is a limitation of POP3, it only downloads the inbox. You have two options: CC yourself if you want the sent item in Outlook or set the account up as imap (and keeping the pop account) and copying the sent items to outlook's sent folder. (That article is actually about IMAP, not Exchange.)

2. Just as important, you wrote yet another great article, http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/email/sending-categories-on-email-messages/, but you state "This does not apply to POP3 or IMAP accounts" and the article focuses on trying to send categories. In my situation, as described above, how do I absolutely ensure when I send or forward emails I have categorized, that there is no way the receiver can see what the category is or used track conversation or open original message to see what the category is?

You'll need to use an item send macro. (I'll add one to that page.)

 

[Diane Poremsky]

3. Now that I am reorganizing, I want to change the category color for a particular subject (say widgets to be red instead of green). Is there a way to change every single categorized item (all emails no matter what folder they are in, all appointments whether past or present, all tasks whether past or present, notes, contacts, etc) efficiently or in one action?

When you change the category color on the master list, the color changes for all items that are assigned that category.

4. If I want to keep track of every activity I have done with a client so I can not repeat myself in an email reply, be prepared for a meeting, figure out next action to take, etc., I like the activity button in Outlook 2007 and one reason I keep using it. I assume journal does the same thing? Also, if/when I do switch to Outlook 2013, how do you do similar there as activity button with contact is gone and also ability to link each item with a contact is gone there?

Yes, journal does basically the same thing as activities. There really isn't a good option to replace activities in Outlook 2013 - you can show the Contacts field and link events to contacts, but it's really not the same. You can use instant search and the people pane to find messages ot or from the person - the people pane shows appointments and attachments too.