Using Google Drive without internet functionality is out of beta – key things to know

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Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage platforms. Part of the productivity apps offered by Google, it allows users to backup, sync and access files on different devices. It is also a popular tool used for sharing files, photos, PDFs, and other documents. Another added benefit is that multiple users can work on the same file at the same time. Google recently announced a major update for Google Drive. In a blog post, Google claimed that Google Drive is getting an offline mode. This means that users will now be able to access documents and certain files even without the internet. For the uninitiated, Google initiated beta testing of offline mode for Drive in 2019. It allowed users to access documents offline while using Google Drive on the web. The feature is now receiving enhancements and is being rolled out to a wider audience. Here are all the basics you need to know about using this feature: How to access Google Drive files offline (without internet)? To begin with, users need to download the Google Drive desktop app on their laptops. For files they want to access offline, users will need to mark them as Available offline in Drive settings on the web. When you mark these files as available offline, you can easily open them from your browser even when you’re not connected to the internet, Google says. What files can be accessed offline? According to the blog post, the feature will work for non-Google file types like PDFs, images, and Microsoft Office files. ChromeOS users, on the other hand, can also use the easily accessible Files app on their Chromebook to select Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files to make available offline. This simplified access eliminates the need to open Google Drive or Google Docs to select files and make them available offline. Is the offline feature available to all Google Drive users? The Google Drive offline feature is available to all Google Workspace customers and Cloud Identity Free, Cloud Identity Premium, G Suite Basic, and Business customers. It is also available on personal accounts. Both Windows and Mac users can use this feature. Is the function available on smartphone? No, the feature is currently limited to desktops and Chromebooks.

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