Work in All Google Drive File Types Offline

If you have ever used the offline feature in Google Drive, you know how useful it can be. When you’re working in a place with a bad internet connection -- in a plane, train or automobile, a vacation on a remote island, or stuck in the middle of Yosemite -- being able to edit your document, sheet, or slide presentation without Internet access can be a life saver.

But if you’re someone who has a lot of PDFs or Microsoft files in their Google Drive, you didn’t used to have access to your files offline unless you had a copy saved to the device you were working on. Now, you can open and edit those files - and any file type - offline, too, as long as they are saved to your Google Drive account and you have an application on the device you’re using that can open them. For example, if you make a Microsoft Excel file available offline, and you try to open it on your phone, you will need to have the Microsoft Excel app downloaded. Or, if you need to edit a PDF, you can make the PDF available offline but you will still need a PDF editor like AdobePro or Preview, to edit. Incidentally, I did test making a change to a .docx file in offline mode and it opened up in Google Docs and allowed me to edit and sync the changes when I was back online. If this is the case, then WOW, this will make my Google/MSFT work life much easier!

To make a file available offline, left-click on the file and toggle “Available Offline” on.

This feature will be available for all Google Workspace customers and personal accounts starting September 28, 2021. If you do not see the option to make a file offline after September 28, ask your IT admin about it. The offline option may have been turned off for security reasons.

Blanca E. Duarte, Chief Enablement Officer, LogicWing