We all have been super frustrated about not being able to access files from the cloud at some point, thanks to the slow internet connection. Well it’s time to bid farewell to those times, because Google has introduced offline mode for Google Drive. The feature is currently being tested in beta.
The feature will let you store all kinds of files offline including documents, Slides and Spreadsheets. The tech juggernaut announced on Tuesday about it’s beta test which is also experimenting with storing PDFs, images, Microsoft Office and other non-Google files.
It is only available to organizations using G Suite at present, not to individual Google account holders which is unfortunate. Admins who had previously opted into the Alpha test for offline Docs, Sheets, and Slides will be automatically white listed for this new beta, Google notes.
The beta might be limited for time being, but might be made available to not just its G suite user base but to the common consumer base who use Google Drive. This could work out if Google is effective with its bugs and brings out a more stable version to the platform.
Once the G Suite domain is enrolled, users will be able to enable offline from within the Drive or Docs settings, then sign into Chrome and right-click on files, then check “Make available offline.
The new beta takes note of Google Drive’s one big notable issue, especially in the workplace. Most of the files that users tend to use may not be in Google file formats. Thus, accessing these files is equally tough for someone who is travelling and with limited connectivity. As of now, users could sync their Google docs, Sheets, slides and Drawings files offline. One could also use desktop client applications for sync solution. The new offline clearly changes that.
Google said that this feature isn’t available for Chrome OS users as yet, but ensured that they’re working on it
