Google Docs is arguably the best online word processor as it is incredibly easy to use. Also, you can conveniently collaborate with others. It’s not a pretty picture in all browsers, however. For example, if you use Google Docs using Safari on your Mac, you run into a big problem—you can’t use it offline. So if you lose your internet connection, you cannot access and work on your documents.
Support for offline mode functionality in Google Docs is limited to Google Chrome. In short, if you want to use Google Docs in offline mode, you need to install Chrome on your Mac.
However, you can also use Google Docs offline with Chromium-based web browsers (Edge, Opera, Vivaldi, etc.) as long as you want to use a workaround. But the experience won’t be as polished as what you get in Chrome.
Let’s set up Chrome and find out how to work in Google Docs offline. Next, we’ll look at what you need to do to get offline Google Docs functionality in unofficially supported Chromium web browsers.
Install Google Chrome
Google Chrome is a prerequisite for using Google Docs offline. While you may not want to have another web browser on your Mac, the convenience and peace of mind are worth the effort.
That said, Google Chrome is pretty easy to install on Mac. Download and open the Chrome installer file. Then drag and drop the Chrome app into the Applications folder.
Open Chrome and you can choose to sign in with your Google Account at the browser level if you want to set up Chrome sync.
Or, you can use the browser without logging in. Disabling Allow Chrome Sign-in should help (Settings > Sync & Google Services > Allow Chrome Sign-in). If you don’t, Chrome will automatically log in at the browser level the next time you sign in to Google Docs.
Chrome also prompts you to set it as the default browser. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to do this or not. If you prefer your current browser for your main browsing activities, you can only use Chrome to work on Google Docs.
Add Google Docs Offline Extension
After installing Google Chrome, you must add the Google Docs Offline extension to the browser. As the name suggests, the extension lets you use Google Docs Offline. It’s only available for Chrome, but you can also install it on alternative Chrome-based browsers, as you’ll do later.
Go to the Chrome Web Store, search for ‘Offline Google Docs’ (or click the Download button above). Then click Add to Chrome to add the extension to Chrome.
Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to start using Google Docs offline. However, you must enable the functionality first.
Enable Google Docs Offline
Load Google Docs in a new Chrome tab and sign in to Google Docs. If you’re already signed in to Chrome at the browser level, you don’t need to sign in to Google Docs again.
In the Google Docs clipboard, select the 3 stacked rows in the upper left corner of the screen. Next, select the option labeled Settings. In the Settings popup that opens, turn on the switch next to Offline.
Finally, click OK to enable offline functionality in Google Docs. The web app will then start caching the latest documents offline.
This means you can install the Google Docs web app in Chrome and start working on your documents. The Google Docs Offline extension saves your changes offline. When you reconnect to the internet, your changes are automatically synced to Google Drive.
Google Docs also lets you continue working on a document if the connection drops while you’re working on it. Again, the web app will save your changes offline and load them when you reconnect. However, you cannot create new Google Docs documents while offline.
Set Document Offline
Additionally, Google Docs lets you set any document to be always available offline. To do this, click the three-dot icon next to a document in the Google Docs dashboard and turn on the switch next to Offline Access.
Alternatively, you can do this while working on a document — open the File menu and select Make Available Offline.
Alternative Chromium Browsers
If you prefer an alternative Chromium-based web browser (like Microsoft Edge, Opera GX, or Vivaldi) over Chrome, you can use Google Docs offline.
Start by installing the Google Docs Offline extension from above. Chromium-based browsers support Chrome Web Store extensions, so you should have no trouble installing them.
Follow along by adding the User-Agent Switcher and Manager extension. This allows you to make the browser look like Chrome by changing the user-agent string.
After doing that, select User Agent Switcher and Admin icon and set user agent string to Chrome; you can do this for a single tab or the browser in general.
Once you’ve done that, you can enable the Offline functionality by going into the Google Docs Settings pane. You can still work in Google Docs even after you lose your internet connection.
However, the fact that you always have to set the browser’s user-agent string to Chrome and the fact that the Google Docs Offline extension is not officially supported can put your business at risk. That’s why it’s best to use Chrome itself to work on Google Docs offline if possible.
Don’t Stress
Google should have supported offline functionality in all browsers, but given where they came from, it’s clear they want people to start using their browsers. If you love using Google Docs and want to get the most out of it, Chrome is definitely worth installing on Mac.
Next: Problems with Google Docs not working offline in Chrome? Click on the next link to refer to the guide to fix Google Docs offline issues.
