If you are looking for a free text editor, you will not find anything better than Google Docs. It is a great tool when it comes to remote work and collaboration. With it, you can create anything and everything right in your web browser.
All the Google tools allow you to access the information from your computer or mobile device provided you have signed in to your Google Account.
It makes the online working pattern even more attractive. You can drop off the work for now and finish the work later as long as you have an internet connection.
But, what could you do when you have to edit the document and there is no internet connection?
Fortunately, you can even access Google Docs when you are offline.
In this blog post, we will talk about all the steps on how to make Google Docs available offline. But, before getting straight into it, let’s take a look at some of the basics.
About Google Docs
Google Docs is a free cloud application in which you can create, edit, and store your documents online.
It is a tool in the package of Google online applications that allow users to collaborate and work with multiple authors from diverse locations in real-time.
It is ideal for maintaining blogs, publishing within an enterprise, or creating work for viewing by the general public.
How to Make Google Docs Available Offline?
The question, “How to make Google Docs available offline,” may sound a bit tricky, but it is relatively easy. All you need to do is make some changes in the settings, and you are good to go.
Following are some of the ways how to make Google Docs available offline:
How to Access Google Docs Offline on a PC?
If you want to use Google Docs offline on your computer, you need to set it up in the online mode so that the changes are automatically updated the next time you sync your device with the internet.
Follow the steps given below to make Google docs available offline for the users to make their working easier even if they don’t have an internet connection:
Step 1:
To enable the offline feature, you need to install the Google Docs Offline extension.
Download and install the “Google Docs Offline” extension from Chrome Web Store.
Also, ensure that you are not using Incognito mode while enabling offline access as it will not work in incognito browsers.
Step 2:
Open https://drive.google.com and sign in to your Google account where you have your documents or files saved.
Step 3:
Open the “Settings” or gear icon from the “Drive” page and navigate to the “General” tab from the panel. Check the offline box to create, open, and edit your recent Google Docs on this device when offline.
Step 4:
Now, select “Done” after selecting the Check box. This way, you have the freedom to work on your Google Docs within the Google Chrome browser without having an internet connection.
Step 5:
You can even see the Cloud icon on the top right corner of the files when the offline feature is enabled.
Step 6:
Whenever you connect back to the internet, all of your changes made offline will be automatically synced to the same file in Google Docs.
It provides you with a hassle-free experience of managing your Docs in your Google drive and resolves your query on how to make Google Docs available offline.
How to Make Google Docs Available Offline on Mobile Devices?
Nowadays, we tend to rely mostly on mobile devices to work while we are travelling or when we do not have the chance to carry our laptop or desktop, which gives rise to an authentic question on how to make Google Docs available offline on mobile devices.
Mobile devices give us a much more convenient experience while working on Google Docs.
Although there is no Chrome extension option available on mobile devices, Google has provided distinct methods in Android and iOS applications to make Google Docs available for offline use.
How to Make Google Docs Available Offline on iOS?
Unlike Android devices, the Google Docs application needs to be installed on iOS devices. Although it makes our solution on how to make Google Docs available offline a bit difficult, it is entirely worth it.
You need to install the Google Docs application and sign in to your Google account.
This way, all your documents, and files will be visible in the Google Docs application.
To edit your files offline in Google Docs from iOS, you can follow any of the following steps:
Point 1: Tap three vertical dots next to the document and select the option “Make available offline” when you are connected to the internet.
Point 2: Alternatively, you can open this specific document on the Google Docs app by selecting “More” and turning on the “Available offline” option. Now, this document is available offline to access or edit when there is no Wi-Fi or data connectivity.
Any changes made to this document offline will be synced automatically when the device is connected again.
How to Make Google Docs Available Offline on Android?
Google Drive is pre-installed on Android devices, and there are a couple of changes you can make for your Docs to be available offline.
Point 1: Connect to the internet and open the Google Drive app.
Point 2: Open the document that you wish to manage offline, tap on the three vertical dots present beside the document, and select the option “Make Available Offline” to use the offline feature in the mobile app.
Point 3: Now, you will be able to see a circular tick mark symbol for all the documents, which shows that the offline feature has been enabled.
The good part is that you can manage Google Docs on any of these devices offline, be it a laptop, mobile phone, or tablet, and your work will be automatically synced to your Google drive once you connect to the internet.
With the above steps on how to make Google Docs available offline in place, you can rest assured that you can access your documents anytime and anywhere.
How to Verify if You Have Offline Access to Google Docs?
When you open a file in offline mode, you will notice an offline symbol, i.e., a circle with a line underneath, under the file name in the list view.
Verifying or cross-checking that you are operating in offline mode will help you understand that you have followed the steps accurately.
To cross-verify, you can turn off your internet connection and try to make changes in Google Docs. Now, you will notice a lightning bolt symbol beside the title of the document.
It shows that you are managing your documents in Google Docs in offline mode.
It is the best way to verify if we have successfully enabled the offline mode in Google Docs.
Summing Up
Google Docs is a powerful tool to work collaboratively in groups or teams, and it would have been quite challenging without the Google Docs offline feature for large enterprises.
This article gives you a complete picture of how to make Google Docs available offline on all devices, including desktop, Android, and iOS applications.
Hence, you should ensure that you follow all the steps along and make the most of your work while you work offline.
