While Google Docs excels at collaboration online, you lot tin likewise use Docs offline. Whether you're offline due to your location, personal preference, or a connection problem, you may continue to create and edit files with Chrome and Google's mobile apps (Docs, Sheets, and Slides) on Android and iOS devices. Whatsoever files you create or edits you make while offline will sync when y'all connect to the net.

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To enable offline capabilities, you'll need to connect online first and adapt a setting. Follow the steps below to enable offline work.

Note: If you use G Suite, an administrator will demand to permit offline access from the Admin console. To do this, the Grand Suite administrator will sign into https://admin.google.com, then become to Apps | Chiliad Suite | Drive & Docs | Features & Apps | Allow Users To Enable Offline Access. If you find you can't piece of work offline with your G Suite account, contact your organisation's Chiliad Suite administrator–some administrators may choose to prevent offline piece of work in lodge to protect organizational data.

How to work offline with Docs, Sheets, or Slides in Chrome

  1. Y'all need to install Chrome on a laptop or desktop arrangement in order to work with Docs offline.
  2. If yous aren't already signed in with your Google account, sign in to Chrome or go to https://drive.google.com and sign in.
  3. Install the Google Docs Offline Chrome extension. If a Remove From Chrome button displays when you lot follow the link to install the extension, then the extension is already installed.
  4. Get to https://bulldoze.google.com/drive/settings, cheque the box adjacent to Offline to enable your system to Create, Open up And Edit Your Contempo Google Docs, Sheets, And Slides Files On This Device While Offline (Figure A). The arrangement will automatically brand near files you've worked with recently available offline. This process may take a scrap to complete.

Figure A

In Chrome on your laptop or desktop, go to Google Drive settings to enable Offline files.

5. If you choose to brand a Docs, Sheets, or Slides file available offline, become to Select File | Make Available Offline when you lot take the file open (Figure B).

Effigy B

After the feature has been enabled, y'all may select File | Make Bachelor Offline when you lot edit any Google Doc, Canvas, or Slide.

6. To see which files are bachelor to utilize offline in Google Drive on the spider web, open up https://drive.google.com, select the offline indicator icon (in the upper right area), and enable the Offline Preview slider (Figure C). Files and folders available for offline use will display in a darker font, while files not notwithstanding bachelor for offline apply will brandish in a lighter font.

Figure C

In Google Bulldoze on the web, select the offline icon and enable Offline Preview mode to display files yous tin can open and edit while not connected to the net.

vii. Subsequently Drive offline admission has been enabled, you tin open https://bulldoze.google.com and select File | New | choose Docs, Sheets, or Slides, and and then Blank Document to create new files while offline.

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How to piece of work offline with Android or iOS Docs apps

  1. Install the Google Drive app for Android or iOS, along with each corresponding editor app yous want to apply (Google Docs: Android, iOS; Google Sheets: Android, iOS; and Google Slides: Android, iOS).
  2. If you aren't already signed in with your Google account in i of these apps, open the Google Docs app and sign in.
  3. Tap to open up the Google Docs app, tap the icon of 3 horizontal lines in the upper left corner, and and then tap Settings. Enable the slider next to Make Recent Files Available Offline (Figure D).

Effigy D

In the Docs, Sheets, or Slides apps for Android or iOS, select the three horizontal line menu in the upper-left, then Settings, and enable Make Contempo Files Available Offline.

iv. The arrangement volition automatically brand most files you've worked with recently available offline.
five. Within each app, you lot may choose to brand a specific file bachelor offline. While viewing the listing of files, tap the three-dot menu in the lower corner side by side to a file, and then select or enable Bachelor Offline. Alternatively, when y'all have a file open, tap the iii dot card in the upper right, and and so select or enable Bachelor Offline (Figure East).

Effigy E

To manually make a file available to edit offline in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides on mobile, tap the three-dot menu and then enable the Available Offline slider.

six. To see which files are available to use offline in whatever of these mobile apps, tap the icon of the 3 horizontal lines in the upper left, and then tap Offline. Only items available for offline use volition display (Figure F).

Figure F

In the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides mobile apps, tap the three horizontal line menu in the upper-left, and and so tap Offline to view all files available for access while not connected to the internet.

vii. In the mobile Docs, Sheets, and Slides app, you tin ever tap the + icon in the lower correct to create a new file. This new file will be saved and sync to Google Bulldoze the adjacent fourth dimension the app connects to the cyberspace.

Your experience?

Take you lot worked with the updated offline mode that Google launched in Apr 2019? If then, has this made accessing and editing offline Docs, Sheets, and Slides easier? How has offline editing of Docs, Sheets, and Slides worked for yous on mobile devices? Allow me know your experience in the comments or Twitter (@awolber).


Image:TechRepublic/Andy Wolber