Being able to save your documents on a cloud is a huge benefit to many people. When your computer crashes or ran out of battery and you have nowhere to recharge it, you can always access your documents using another device. Thanks to cloud storage services such as Google Drive.
But, there are also instances when we need to access our Google Drive files even if we are not connected to the Internet. If you find yourself in this situation, you can always set up your Google Docs files to download offline on your computer.
It is easy and possible to use your Google Drive files offline on Chromebooks. Doing so will not limit your access to your documents on Chrome OS especially when you are out in the public or traveling to remote areas.
How to Use Google Drive on Chrome OS Offline

A good way to start using your Google Drive documents is to save them in your locally in your Chromebook, so even when you don’t have any network connection, you are able to read or edit it.
To save your documents, make sure that you have an Internet connection. You also need to download the Google Docs Offline Extension. Go to the Chrome Web Store on Chrome OS and add the extension to your Chrome browser.
- Launch your Chrome browser.
- Go to your Google Drive.
- On the top right corner, look for the Gear icon. Click to open.
- Select Settings.
- Look for the offline section. Check the box, Sync Google Docs, Sheets, Slides & Drawing files to this computer so that you can edit offline.
- Click Done.
This method will automatically sync all your Google Drive documents to your Chromebook. So even if you have no network connection, you are able to edit or read the current changes you made on your documents. If you want do not want to use your Google Drive offline, you can uncheck the Sync box option.
Do you always feel the need to access your Google Drive offline on your Chromebook? When do you often need your documents offline? We would love to know more about you, so tell us in the comments below.