Google Sheets is a spreadsheet program included as part of a free, web-based software office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service. The service also includes Google Docs and Google Slides, a word processor, and a presentation program respectively. But many of the users have been using it when it’s connected to the internet. Many of them wonder if they may be able to use it in offline mode just like Microsoft office. Well, this guide is a solution for using Google Sheets offline.
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Google Sheets
Google Sheets is available as a web application, mobile app for Android, iOS, Windows, and as a desktop application on Google’s ChromeOS. Luckily, the app is compatible with Microsoft Excel file formats. The app allows users to create and edit files online while collaborating with other users in real-time. Edits are tracked by a user with a revision history presenting changes.
An editor’s position is highlighted with an editor-specific color and cursor and a permissions system regulates what users can do. Updates have introduced features using machine learning, including “Explore”, offering answers based on natural language questions in a spreadsheet.
Back in June 2014, Google rolled out a dedicated website homepage for Sheets that contain only files created with Sheets. During the same year, Google launched a dedicated mobile app for Sheets on the Android and iOS mobile Operating Systems. In 2015, the mobile website for Sheets was updated with a “simpler, more uniform” interface, and while users can read spreadsheets through the mobile websites, users trying to edit will be redirected towards the mobile app to eliminate editing on the mobile web.
Steps to use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offline
Before you turn on offline access
- Make sure that the device is connected to the internet.
- It is recommended to use the Google Chrome browser.
- Refrain from using incognito mode.
- Install and turn on Google Docs Offline Chrome extension.
- Make sure you have enough available space on your device to save your files.
Steps to turn on offline access from PC
- Open Google Drive.
- At the top right, click Settings.
- Turn on the Offline setting (Turn off to stop offline access).
- Open Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides from the Chrome browser.
- Now, to make specific files available offline
- To manually select files to save offline, follow the steps above to turn on offline access.
- Then, open the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides home screen.
- On the file, you want to use offline, click More.
- Click Available offline. A checkmark will appear in the bottom left corner to show that the file is available offline.
Steps to turn on offline access from Android devices
- On your Android phone or tablet, open the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app.
- Open setting from the menu.
- Select “Make recent files available offline” option.
- Now to make specific files available offline, open the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app.
- Next to the file, tap More.
- To save a file offline, tap “Make available offline”.
- Now if you need to find the files you saved for offline access, open the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app.
- Tap menu, followed by the offline option.
- Select your file.
Steps to turn on offline access from iPhone or iPad
- Make recent files available offline, open the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app.
- Open setting from the menu.
- Select “Make recent files available offline” option.
- Similarly, to make specific files available offline, open the Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides app.
- Next to the file, tap More.
- Tap menu, followed by the offline option.
- Select your file.
