Sync Nokia Symbian Contacts / Calendar on Mac OS X using iSync
I’ve recently started using Mac OSX. One of the mobile phones I use is the Symbian based Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic. And I’ve found out that Nokia doesn’t actually ship a Mac OSX version of their PC Suite / Ovi Suite. After scourging thru the Internet, I’ve actually found a solution to sync my contacts and calendar to my Mac notebook — using the Mac OSX iSync tool.
At first, after reading an Apple knowledgebase article about mobile phones and iSync, I thought that only old mobile phones where supported by my Mac OSX Leopard operating system. After reading thru the article, I found about the expandability of the Mac OSX iSync tool via the use of plugins.
This led me to discover the Nokia iSync web page. Nokia has created several iSync plugins for it’s new Symbian based models of mobile phones. Nokia provides iSync plugins for its newest E-series phones like the E71, E71x, E72 and E75. iSync plugins for the N-Series like the N86, N95, N96, N97, N97 mini and even Nokia x6. But what made me quite happy was that Nokia also provides iSync plugins for the XpressMusic line of Symbian phones. Including my Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic. You can check out if your Nokia Symbian based mobile phone is compatible and supported from this link.
The procedure for syncing your Nokia mobile phone Contacts and Calendar entries to the Mac OSX Address book and iCal software using iSync is very simple and straight forward.
- First, check the Nokia iSync compatibility and download page. If your Nokia Symbian based mobile phone is supported, download the iSync plugin for your mobile phone from the Nokia iSync compatibility and download page. The .dmg file will be saved into your Downloads folder by default.
- Doubleclick on the iSync plugin .dmg file so that Mac OSX will mount it. It will show you a .pkg file when a Finder window opens up. Just doubleclick on the .pkg file to install the iSync plugin for your Nokia mobile phone. Make sure that you haven’t started the Mac OSX iSync software before you install the iSync plugin.
- After installing the iSync plugin for your Nokia Symbian phone, enable Bluetooth on the Mac OSX and on your Nokia mobile phone. Pair the mobile phone to your Mac OSX computer. During the process, you will be asked if you want to use iSync to sync your contacts and calendar. Make sure that you enable it so that iSync will work with your mobile phone.
- Now you’re ready to sync your Nokia mobile phone with your Mac OSX computer. Just start up iSync and click on the icon for your mobile phone. It should display a list of options that you can configure to your liking. Once configured, just click on the iSync sync button on the right. That should start the syncing process and initally copy the contacts and calendar entries on the Nokia mobile phone to your Mac OSX Address Book and iCal.
That simple, you don’t need the Nokia PC Suite / OVI Suite for syncing the Nokia mobile phone (in my case the Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic) to the Mac OSX iCal and Address Book software.
Now whenever I change anything on my mobile phone or on my Mac OSX computer, I can keep them synced at all times. Hope you can too by reading this post.
Responses
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This post has helped me tremendously in helping me to sync my E75 with my Macbook Pro. Hence, I can transfer contacts and appointments to my iPhone. Nokia Ovi’s download page shows that the sync feature for Mac is coming out soon!
Thanks a million.
You’re welcome
Hello!
I was able to sync (from my Nokia e71x to my MacBook) all my contacts and events. However soon I am going to have a new SIM card, so I will need to sync back all my contacts and events to my Nokia. Do you know if this is possible through iSync? Or I will have to look for something else to do it?
Hi martin,
Changing SIM on the same phone shouldn’t be a problem. I have done it and in my experience my phone’s addressbook and messages remain intact. It will only be a concern if you’re saving things on the SIM itself which I hope you’re not doing ‘coz your phone’s memory has a lot more space.
Hey again!
I forgot to add that with a new SIM I am going to have a new Nokia E71x, because my old one is going crazy, so I need to change it
So after I get my new Nokia with new SIM, all I do is connect my cell-phone with MacBook (through bluetooth) and sync back all my calendar events and contacts? Will it work, using iSync?
And btw about SIM and it’s memory, I only keep all my contacts and calendar events on it, the rest is on phone memory
Thanks.
Thanks for the advice. I thought it would solve my problems but when I try to add the N900 to iSync I get the message “iSync cannot connect to this device.” Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
I have the latest software on both the N900 (10.2010.19-1) and my MacBook Pro (10.5.8)
Thanks and best regards
W
Hi Will,
Try restarting iSync. I got the same problem when I installed the N900 plugin while iSync was running.
Hope it works.
HI,
This article really saved my life. I was about to buy an app for doing exactly what this plug in does for free. I spent hours looking like a crazy for a way to sync all my contacts and finally saw the light. I’m very grateful for this post. Thank you.
I am having problems with iSync and my new Nokia 6700 Slide. I had the syncing working for the first two or three times but now when I sync the message says that it was is ‘successful’ but none of the data has been updated in my phone address book.
I have deleted/reinstalled the plugin, deleted/re-paired the Bluetooth connection, deleted/re-added the phone to iSync, and re-checked the preferences to ensure that the contacts are marked for syncing – but all to no avail.
Any ideas?
Sounds great and exciting as I’ve just given Noks a 2nd chance to impress after switching to SonyEricsson about 4-5 years ago. Unfortunately the X3-02 is still behind in its navigation which has not changed.
Anyway, I’m looking for a way to iSync X3-02 to my MacBkPro’s iCal and Address Book and have found nothing on the internet. Would really be grateful if anyone has any helpful hints or info. Otherwise, It’s been an especially clumsy experience manually entering contacts and meetings into the X3-02 without sync.
Thanks.