How to Make a Google Drive File Available Offline

11 minutes ago
1 min read

Making your files accessible without an internet connection is a game-changer and dispels the myth that you cannot work offline with Google Drive.

Questions we get asked a lot in our Google Workspace Training session are 'Can I edit Google Sheets without internet?' or 'Can I access Google Docs offline?', and our answer is yes!

To make a specific file available offline:

Step 1 - Right-click any file in your Drive.

Step 2 - Click 'Make available offline'.

File menu with options is open next to "CloudShed 2026" training slides. Icons for Google and Microsoft services are visible below.

Step 3 - A small tick icon will appear next to the file name once it’s synced, and you can remove offline access from it from the same menu.

Context menu over CloudShed file thumbnail with options like Open with, Download, and Remove offline access. Visible icons at the bottom.

Tips before you try to enable offline access:

Browser: You must use the Google Chrome browser or Edge.
Extension: Install the Google Docs Offline Chrome extension.
Space: Ensure you have enough disk space on your device to save the files.
Avoid Incognito: Offline mode doesn’t work in Incognito or Private browsing windows.

To learn more about Google Workspace, book one of Cloudshed's live sessions or our on-demand Google courses.