Google Drive is a cloud-based service for creating and storing files online. But did you know that you can also store your data offline if you enable the offline access feature in Google Drive? This feature will be helpful when you do not have internet access, but you need to access your files on Google Drive.
Offline access allows you to access, edit, and save your Google Drive files locally. The good thing about it is that when you make changes to a document, its cloud version will automatically update once you have access to the internet.
This article will take you through a step-by-step guide on how to enable the offline access feature in Google Drive.
Requirements:
- Google Drive account: You will obviously need to set up a Google Drive account if you don’t have one. You can quickly register using your Gmail account by visiting www.drive.google.com.
- Google Chrome browser: Unfortunately, if you are not using Google Chrome as your internet browser, you can’t enable offline access on Google Drive. You will have to download and install Google Chrome to be able to use this feature. However, if you are using a device that runs on ChromeOS such as Chromebook, then you’re good to go.
How to Enable Offline Access in Google Drive
Step 1: With Google Chrome, visit the Google Docs Offline’s extension page on Chrome Web Store to install it. Click on “Add to Chrome” and then “Add Extension” when prompted, to complete the installation.
Step 2: Log in to your Google Drive to enable offline access. To do this, click on the Settings icon at the top-right corner and click on Settings in the pop-up menu that appears.
Step 3: You will be taken to another pop-up window. Locate a checkbox labelled “Offline”, close to the bottom of the window and click on it. After that, click on a button labelled “Done” in the window’s top-right corner.
That’s it! You have successfully enabled offline access in your Google Drive. You can now view and edit your documents even without internet access.
