How to use Google Drive offline on Mac – Setapp

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) offers a robust suite of productivity apps, rivaling Microsoft Office. For free word processing, Google Docs is a top contender, readily accessible on Mac and other platforms. Google Drive even allows offline access for document storage, spreadsheet manipulation (Google Sheets), and presentation editing (Google Slides). Offline edits sync automatically upon reconnection.

However, accessing and modifying Google Docs offline requires specific setup steps. This guide details how to enable offline editing.

Enabling Offline Access:

To use Google Docs offline, you must first set Google Chrome as your default browser on your Mac. This is crucial for offline functionality.

1. Access System Settings via the Apple Menu.
2. Navigate to Desktop & Dock.
3. Choose Google Chrome as the "Default web browser."

Setting Chrome as default ensures it launches when opening web links, enabling offline Google Docs access.

Google Docs Offline Extension:

With Chrome as your default, install the Google Docs Offline extension:

1. Download and install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
2. Sign in to your Google account.
3. In Google Drive, click the gear icon (Settings).
4. Select "Settings," then "General."
5. Enable "Offline" to allow offline creation, opening, and editing of recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files.

Google Drive Desktop App:

For seamless offline access on your Mac, download and install the Google Drive desktop application:

1. Go to drive.google.com.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings) in My Drive.
3. Select "Get Drive for desktop."

This downloads your files to a local Google Drive folder, syncing automatically with online changes. Ensure sufficient hard drive space.

Accessing Offline Files:

Access offline files directly from your Mac's Finder via the Google Drive folder. You can also see offline availability directly within drive.google.com by enabling the "Offline preview" setting in General settings. Recently accessed files are automatically available offline.

Alternatives:

While this process requires several steps, alternatives like Craft offer simpler offline editing without extensions or complex settings. For robust backups, ChronoSync Express is recommended. CloudMounter expands storage options by integrating various cloud services. These apps, along with others, are available through Setapp.

With these steps, you can confidently edit Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offline, maintaining productivity even without internet connectivity.

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