With the release of Android 4.4 called KitKat Google made some interesting changes to their ActiveSync implementation: the code is now set up to sync more than one calender, and the first KitKat user already confirmed that new feature.

In February I described in a blogpost why Android cannot sync multiple calendars via ActiveSync. The problem was that Google did not implement the necessary parts of the ActiveSync specification in Android.

However, that seems to have changed: if you look at the current ActiveSync implementation of Android 4.4 KitKat, the source code (tag 4.4rc1) does list support for multiple calendars – and also for multiple address books:

MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(Eas.MAILBOX_TYPE_USER_CALENDAR, Mailbox.TYPE_CALENDAR); MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(Eas.MAILBOX_TYPE_USER_CONTACTS, Mailbox.TYPE_CONTACTS);

I had no chance yet to test that on my own, but there are reports that it is indeed working:

Today i flashed a Android 4.4 Rom on my smartphone. After adding the Exchange Profile all my Calendars are there […]

I’ve uploaded a screenshot here:

http://postimg.org/image/5d4u364ub/

Looks like Google actually listened to…erm, corporate users? At least to someone, though 😉

But: Since I have no first-hand-experience in this regard I would like to ask all of my nine readers out there if anyone has a stock KitKat running and if the could check this feature. Please test this and leave a report about your experiences in the comments. I will include it in the article.

By the way, the above mentioned source code snippet also tells quite exactly which other ActiveSync functions are not yet supported in Android:

//MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(Eas.MAILBOX_TYPE_TASKS, Mailbox.TYPE_TASKS); //MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(Eas.MAILBOX_TYPE_NOTES, Mailbox.TYPE_NONE); //MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(Eas.MAILBOX_TYPE_JOURNAL, Mailbox.TYPE_NONE); //MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(Eas.MAILBOX_TYPE_USER_TASKS, Mailbox.TYPE_TASKS); //MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(Eas.MAILBOX_TYPE_USER_JOURNAL, Mailbox.TYPE_NONE); //MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(Eas.MAILBOX_TYPE_USER_NOTES, Mailbox.TYPE_NONE); //MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(Eas.MAILBOX_TYPE_UNKNOWN, Mailbox.TYPE_NONE); //MAILBOX_TYPE_MAP.put(MAILBOX_TYPE_RECIPIENT_INFORMATION_CACHE, Mailbox.TYPE_NONE);

I guess syncing tasks could come in handy in corporate environments. Combined with support for multiple task folders you could even design your own Kanban “board” that way.

Nevertheless I’d like to add that ActiveSync is no big deal for me anymore because I am very happy with a – albeit 3rd party and not yet Open Source – CalDav implementation, which can even sync multiple task folders.