How to Use Chromebook Offline
Your first option is to enable the apps and services you’ll use while you’re offline to work in offline mode. That’s most of what you’ll access through Google Drive apps, including:
Checking your email.Creating and editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.Creating and accessing notes or note taking capabilities.Reading saved web pages.Playing movies, music, or games.
To get started, you’ll need to make Google Drive, and maybe some specific files available offline.
Make Google Drive Available Offline
You’ll need to make Google Drive available while you’re still online so it will have time to sync files with your computer before you don’t have access to the internet. To do that:
How to Access Offline Files
Now, you’ve granted offline access to Google Drive. This will sync your most recent used files to your Chromebook’s internal storage so you can access them when you don’t have access to the internet. You can make any changes you would like to the files while offline and those changes will sync automatically the next time you connect your Chromebook to the internet. To access your offline files:
Make Specific Files Available for Offline Use
By default, the files made available when you enable Offline Use on your Chromebook will be the files you’ve most recently accessed in your Google Drive. If there are other files you would like to have available, you can enable those individually, while you’re still connected to the internet.
How to Remove Offline Access
If you no longer need access to a document while you’re offline, you can remove it from offline access at any time.
Using Chromebook Offline
Your Chromebook offers a lot of capabilities (some of which may surprise you) even if you can’t get an internet connection. Much like Windows and Mac computers, however, you’ll need to think ahead if you’re going to be offline to enable some of the functions you may need. You have two options:
Enable apps and services that are compatible with offline work to be available when you’re not connected to the internet.Use third-party apps and services that are available offline.
Fortunately, Google Apps have a built-in offline mode, so once they’re enabled, you should be all set. As for third party apps, there’s an easy way to find apps that are compatible with offline mode, but as a general rule of thumb, if it works for Android devices offline, it will probably work with your Chromebook offline.
Other Chromebook Offline Apps
Google Drive isn’t the only Google app you can access while you’re offline. Gmail, Google Keep, and other Google Apps can also be made available offline. Each app is slightly different, but in general, you’ll need to go into Settings for the app while you’re online and toggle on the Available offline app to make the app available when you have no internet service. As with Google drive, any changes that are made offline will sync the next time your Chromebook is connected to the internet. There are also tons of third-party apps for any purpose you may need that are available offline. You can find those apps by going to the Chrome Web Store and selecting Apps then search for Runs Offline. There you’ll find popular apps like Evernote, Trello, and Pocket (which is used to save webpages for offline viewing) and dozens of others.
