How to work offline with Google Drive documents

Both on the computer and via the smartphone app you can edit the documents on Google Drive, even without a connection and the Internet

Google Drive is one of the cloud services most used by users. It is associated with the Google mailbox and with all the services developed by the Mountain View company. The cloud service is also widely used in the business world to share documents with your colleagues without having to send emails or use USB sticks.

The only problem is the Internet connection. To access Google Drive and edit documents you need to be connected to the Web. But this is not always possible. Few, however, know that you can edit the files on Google Drive even when you are offline, whether you are using a computer or a smartphone. It's not about complicated tricks, you just need to change some Google Drive settings that allow you to work on your documents even if your Internet connection is not stable (it often happens if you're tethered with your smartphone).

Edit offline documents on Google Drive via your computer

On Google Drive you can upload all the Word and Excel files you use at work. Thanks to the suite developed by the Mountain View company, you'll have no problems editing documents even remotely. If you don't have a stable Internet connection, you'll have to activate some settings to save your documents. Launching Chrome, you'll first have to check that you are connected to your Google account and then enter the Google Drive settings. At this point a pop-up will open with several settings: you'll have to check the box next to the words "Synchronize Google Docs, Sheets, Presentations and Drawings files on this computer so you can edit them offline".

Edit offline documents on Google Drive via your smartphone

You can also edit files on Google Drive via the smartphone app. To do this, you need to launch the app and go to your home. All the documents saved on the cloud space will appear on the screen: to edit them offline, you'll have to press on the icon with three vertical dots. A pop-up menu will open and you'll have to activate the "Offline availability" option so that it will be available even when there is no Internet connection. This process will have to be repeated for all the files you want to edit offline. The documents will then be grouped within the Offline section, which you can reach from the Google Drive Settings. When you get back to having a stable connection, the changes will also be saved online and synchronization will be done.