How To Use Google Docs Offline

Google Docs has gained its popularity primarily because it’s one of a kind a highly efficient search engine. Since then, it has forayed into more relevant uses of the email, thus making Google Docs available for public consumption. Google Docs prides itself with being the only online platform that allows more than one user to edit the same document together.

However, only a few people can actually go online 24 hours a day. Not all can afford data plans with their phone line provider as well as a sophisticated smart phone that has the ability to surf the internet or push emails.
Thus, as of March 2008, Google has again made history by adding a new feature to the popular Google Docs. It has now an offline feature. The new capability just means that wherever you are, you can always carry with you the latest edited version of your Google document.

* While offline, you are able to continue your work because Google Docs somehow downloads the work that you are doing. Without having to hit the save button, Google Docs with the help of Google Gear actually does it for you seamlessly. When going back online using the same computer, all your documents are also immediately synchronized. All revisions done while you are offline are saved into the online one.
* Google Gears is a special plug-in application that you will need to install once. It synchronizes the online and offline information in your web browser. To install Google Gears, visit the site. Click the “Learn More” tab if you want to maximize the plug-in and learn more about its other features.
* Install Google Gears Plug-in. To start off, turn on your internet connection. Create a Google document as you would before. Then install the Google plug-in. When working on a document, look at the top-right portion of the screen where an “offline” button may be found. If it is your first time to install Google Gears, a prompt will appear as soon as you click the “offline” button. The prompt will show a security warning. Simply click “I trust this site” and “allow” consecutively. Immediately, Google Gears will synchronize everything.
* Know what the green and gray buttons are. To know whether you are online or not, look at the button on the top of the widow. A green button signifies that you are online. Otherwise, you are offline, or that Google Gears is not working properly. If the latter is the case, you should try to uninstall the program first then install it again. A gray button signifies that you are offline. This may be because your internet signal is low, or you have purposely signed out.


Test the Offline Mode. Before you completely turn your computer off, make sure Google Gears is working by turning off the internet for a while first. While offline, click the Google Docs shortcut icon in your desktop. A window will appear showing all your documents in Google Docs. Now, view the icon on the top rightmost portion of the screen. A button will inform you that syncing is going on.