In today’s Digital world, most of our workflow depends on online applications. Among these tools, Google Workspace, formerly known as G Suite, is an essential tool for productivity and collaboration. But what happens when you get stuck with an unreliable internet connection? Can you access your Google Workspace files offline? Interestingly, the answer is yes! This detailed guide will walk you through accessing the Google Workspace files.
Google Workspace Offline Access
With Google Workspace, you can work on Google Documents, Google Spreadsheets and Google Slides without any internet connection. But you can’t just start using Google Workspace in offline mode; you will have to do some preparation before accessing Google Workspace offline. Let’s understand how to do this.
How to Set-up for Offline Access
Preparation for Google Workspace offline access is a simple and one-time step-up that must be done while connected to the internet. The following steps will guide you through the Google Workspace offline access process.
Google Docs Offline Extension: The first is to install the Google Docs Offline Extension for your Google Workspace-supported browser. This extension lets you access and edit your documents, sheets and slides offline. Visit the Chrome web store, select Extensions, look for Google Docs Offline, and click Get to install it.
Turn On Drive Offline Access: In the next step, open Drive (drive.google.com). Click on the setting icon in the top-right corner. In the setting window, select the general tab. In this tab, you will see sync Google Docs, Sheets and Slides to this computer so you can edit files offline.
Making Specific Files Offline: In the default settings, Google Workspace saves recent files for offline use. However, if you want to use specific files in offline mode, you can manually select the offline edit option. To change the settings, go to Google Drive -> Right-click the files you want to change the access -> like offline access.
You have completed the setup for accessing Google Workspace’s Google Documents, Google Spreadsheets, and Google Slides offline. Once you set up Google Workspace files for offline access, you can continue your work without internet access. Open any Google Workspace-supported browsers. Visit docs.google.com (for Docs), sheets.google.com (for Sheets), or slides.google.com (for Slides). You will see all the recent files; the selected files you prepared for offline access will be available for editing.
When given offline access, Google Workspace files act just like it when connected to the internet. You can edit, add, and view the documents without any hassles. Whatever changes you make to the paper will be saved locally on your computer. Once the device reconnects to the internet, all the changes will be synchronized and updated in the files in Google Drive. Remember, if you are in offline mode, only the files you selected for offline use will be accessible.
As has been Demonstrated
Google Workspace’s ability to function offline is an excellent option for people who work with unstable internet access. With just a few minutes of pre-set-up, your work won’t halt due to a lack of internet connection. Once you connect to the internet, all your changes to the document will sync and update into files in the drive automatically.
Also transition between online and offline mode is so seamless you won’t feel the change. Also, remember the crux of offline functionality lies in pre-preparation. Make sure you enable offline mode for selected files for offline mode. With this, you can make the most out of Google Workspace, even offline!