The proposed solution relates to methods and systems for automatically synchronizing data between an email server and a handheld computing device based on an event occurring on a personal computer communicating with the server. A module in the personal computer monitors events in the operating system of the personal computer that signifies that the user is either away from the vicinity of the computer or is about to leave the computer. Upon detecting these events, the module initiates an automatic synchronization of data between the server and the handheld computing device. This way, emails which have already been seen or responded to by the user on the computer will appear as such on the handheld computing device.