Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook: When Foes Become Friends
It’s a real challenge to have Google Workspace and Office 365 users, who are part of the same organization, work in harmony.
The need to foster productivity and collaboration between Google Workspace and Office 365 users, led to the birth of Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook.
What Is Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook?
Google Workspace Sync for Microsoft Outlook (GWSMO) lets you use Microsoft Outlook and Google Workspace together.
GWSMO syncs your Google account with Outlook, allowing you to access emails, calendars, contacts and more. You can essentially keep using Outlook on Windows OS; you’ll have to connect the data in Google Workspace in addition to Microsoft Exchange.
You probably noticed there was no mention of MacOS. Well, that’s because GWSMO is exclusive to the Microsoft ecosystem.
GWSMO: Requirements
Operating system requirements:
- Windows Vista SP1 (32 and 64 bit)
- Windows 7 (32 and 64 bit)
- Windows 8 (32 and 64 bit)
- Windows 10 (32 and 64 bit)
Outlook requirements:
- Microsoft Outlook 2003 SP3
- Microsoft Outlook 2007 SP2 (or SP1 with hotfix)
- Microsoft Outlook 2010 (32 and 64 bit) with hotfix
- Microsoft Outlook 2013 (32 and 64 bit)
- Microsoft Outlook 2016 (32 and 64 bit)
Microsoft Outlook 2019 (32 and 64 bit)
Benefits of GWSMO
Apart from ease of setup and use, G Sync with Microsoft Outlook comes with a host of benefits:
Works for Every Windows User Type
Solve the puzzle.
What works for both old-time and new Windows users?
GWSMO! Continue using your preferred interface for emails, contacts and calendars that range from any version of Microsoft 2003 to Microsoft 2013.
Real Cost Savings
GWSMO is a free tool that combines the power of two productivity suites (Office 365 and Google Workspace) in one. You do the math!
Autonomy at Its Best
Work with your existing Outlook account while managing Google Workspace stored in the cloud. This gives you the freedom to work from anywhere, at anytime, on any device.
What Types of Data Will GWSMO Sync?
Some Outlook data types do not sync with Google accounts and then there are Outlook data types that do sync with Google Workspace. Here’s a list of the data types that GWSMO syncs with.
| Data Type | GWSMO Synchronization |
|---|---|
| All Outlook messages and sub-folders are pulled. | |
| Calendar | Manage Google Workspace calendars from Outlook, including primary calendars, custom-created calendars and shared calendars. |
| Personal & Global Contacts | Manage Google Workspace contacts, both personal and global, using the same Outlook interface. |
| Tasks | Use Outlook Tasks to track and manage to-do lists in your Google Workspace from any device. |
| Notes | Outlook Notes are synced with the Google Drive account in the cloud. |
Get the detailed version here.
How Do I Set Up Google Workspace Sync?
Simplicity is what Google does best – whether it is features or the Google Workspace Sync setup. All you need to keep in mind is only a Google Workspace admin can set up a GWSMO. If you’re not an admin, ask your Google Workspace admin to set it up on your behalf or watch this video to learn how to set it up yourself.
Troubleshooting Google Workspace Sync
Like most things, Google Workspace Sync is not perfect. There will be times when GWSMO will run into problems. Most of the issues can be resolved with two variations of the all-time classic fix: turn-it-off-and-on-again.
In other words, you will either have to reinstall Outlook or recreate the Google Workspace profile.
- Reinstall Outlook. Initiate reinstallation from the original disk or install file, then download GWSMO and reinstall it.
- Recreate the Google Workspace profile. First, remove the existing profile. Go to Windows Control Panel > Mail Settings > select Show Profiles to delete the profile. Then create a new profile. Start Menu > Find All Programs > GWSMO > Set up GWSMO User and create a new profile.
If neither works, try Google’s troubleshooting guide for admins here.
Final Outlook (no pun intended!)
Google Workspace Sync is a great feature for those who are married to Microsoft but still love Google. They can’t choose between the two, but with GWSMO, they don’t have to.
However, there is a downside to this love affair.
GWSMO doesn’t always work as it should. Due to sync errors, synchronization between Google and Microsoft tends to fall short of perfection every now and then. Things go bad when sync errors lead to corruption in the Outlook personal folder files, aka PST files. This could result in a huge loss for users since neither Microsoft nor Google take responsibility for data loss caused by sync errors. In such scenarios, a third-party backup solution is needed to mitigate the impact of data loss.
Spanning’s cloud-native, purpose-built solutions for Office 365 and Google Workspace protects your organization’s critical data from loss caused by sync errors. It enables Google Workspace and Office 365 administrators and end-users to quickly find and restore data to its original state in just a few clicks.
