Are you considering Google Docs vs. Word?
- Google Docs Offline Install
- Google Document Available Offline Extension
- Google Docs Offline Chrome Extension
This extension brings 'Work Offline' button to your browser. When the extension is in the offline mode, no web request can be sent or received by web pages. Note that still, your extension can use the internet. So let's say you have a web-based email client and an email notifier extension. Sign me up Stay informed about special deals, the latest products, events, and more from Microsoft Store. Available to United States residents. Back up all of your content to the cloud – easily access your files in Google Drive and your photos in Google Photos. Download Learn more. Download Backup and Sync for Windows.
Microsoft is moving away from standalone software to a subscription and web-based service.
It is a monthly charge that you could really do without paying for basic online word processing.
Why pay for all the programs that you will never use by installing Office, just to be able to do basic word processing?
In This ArticleHideFree word processorsChanging from Microsoft Word to Google DocsHow to set up Google Docs offlineUsing Google Documents offlineGoogle Drive and file saving tipsSummaryFree word processors
There are many free word processor alternatives to Word.
But Google word processing is proving to be one of the most popular choices.
Similar to Microsoft Office, it is a suite of office tools.
The biggest difference is that it is absolutely free.
Changing from Microsoft Word to Google Docs
For a content writer, author, or blogger, Docs includes all the writing tools and functions you could ever need in a word processor.
It has all the collaboration tools you need for text documents.
Unlike some free word processors, Docs has a word count so you can keep track of your word count goals.
You can do editing and share your files in real-time, with revision history similar to Word Track Changes.
Better still, everything is free, including 15 GB of storage space on Google Drive.
However, there is one small drawback. If you are out of wi-fi range or can't get connected to the Internet, you can't access files or edit your documents.
But this has all changed. It is easy now to make any file available when using the Google word processor offline.
You can now use Google Documents and open and edit your files anytime, without an Internet connection.
This makes it one of the best offline alternatives to Microsoft Word.
All you need to do is set up offline sync access to use the Google Docs standalone features.
How to set up Google Docs offline
Here is how you can easily change from Microsoft Word to Google Docs and still be able to work offline.
You will probably have most of the necessary setup steps already done.
But I'll take it step by step, and you can skip the ones you already have in place.
1. You need to have a Google account. If you don't have one, you will need to sign up for a Google account.2. You need to have the Google Chrome browser installed on your computer, and be signed into Chrome.3. You need to use Google Drive and install the Google Drive app on your computer.Now you are ready to set up everything for offline sync Google Docs. http://wvlwoq.xtgem.com/Blog/__xtblog_entry/19154440-how-to-print-jpg-file-on-mac#xt_blog. It only takes four quick and easy steps.
1. Open Google Docs and click Settings
2. In the settings box, check mark the box, or slide, labeled, Offline.
You also have the option to check the box for recent templates to show on your home screen.
3. In the pop-up box — Click Add extension.
4. Don't close this screen. Wait for Google to finish setting up your offline access.
In the bottom left corner, you can check the setup progress.
You have finished the setup of the Sync Offline Chrome Extension, and you can now use your free offline word processor any time you like.
You can use the online version or use your offline files in your Chrome browser.
Note: There are many other Chrome extensions for bloggers and writers.
Using Google Documents offline
To open your application when you are offline, open a new tab or window in Chrome. Now click the apps tab in the far left corner of your bookmarks bar.
Alternatively, you can type docs.google.com into your browser address bar.
Then you will see this screen.
Click on the Docs icon, and you will be ready to start writing using the Google word processor offline. You can use Google office offline to access your Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offline.
When you edit offline, your edits and saves will be saved locally in Chrome and then synced to Google Drive the next time to are online.
However, I prefer to use the Google Drive app.
I can find, copy, move, or delete my files on my local drive. Again, any changes you make will be synced the next time you connect to the Internet.
You can also use Docs in offline mode on your mobile devices.
Refer to Google Help for instructions for installing and setting up on your particular devices.
Google Drive and file saving tips
Google saves all your word processing files to Google Drive.
To access your Google Drive files offline, click on the Google Drive icon, as shown in the image above in Chrome.
If you have already installed the app, you can open the Google Drive app from your local applications folder. Cryptocurrency browser download.
It will then sync Docs, Sheets, Slides, and all your other files to your local hard drive.
By default, it saves all new documents to the root of your Google Drive. There is no setting to change the default location of new files.
However, there are easy ways to overcome this minor issue.
First, create a new folder in Google Drive. Perhaps be imaginative and name it My Docs.
Then when you start work on a new file, use the Docs File menu, and select Move To. You can then save your new file in your new folder.
Alternatively, you can open a new document from your Google Drive. Navigate to your new folder before you select New.
Now click Google Docs to create your new document, and it will be saved automatically into your new folder.
Summary
Google word processing with Docs is free and has everything a writer could possibly need in a word processor.
You can also easily work with Microsoft Word files.
It is simple to use, and there is no learning curve at all when moving from Word. The menus are similar and intuitive.
If you want to do more, there are hundreds of add-ons available.
But the biggest and best feature, like most Google products, is that everything you need to write, create and edit, save, and share files is free.
Of course, you will need to work or collaborate with people using Word documents, but this is easy.
You can import and export all the popular file types.
Yes, for authors, you can even export to epub files.
If you are using an installed software version of Word and you are happy, there is no urgent need to change.
But if you have a very old version, and you are thinking about buying a new laptop, older versions of Word may not work anymore.
For example, for Mac users, older versions of Word will not work on High Sierra or later operating systems.
This is when the Google word processor and spreadsheet can be a (free) lifesaver.
But if you are considering the cloud-based Office 365 and paying $99.00 per year (United States price. Possibly more in some countries), then free might very well tempt you.
Especially if all you need is a word processor, and you only occasionally use a spreadsheet.
Haven 1 1. Note. For Mac users, you always have the alternative to use Apple Pages instead of Word.
It's been a while since I ditched Word for Google Docs, and I don't regret my decision one bit. But if there's a downside to using Google's word processor, it's the rather erratic offline experience. And considering the spotty internet in my area, that's a concern.
Over time, I have come to know of a number of reasons that can cause Google Docs to fail to function properly offline. If you are having issues when attempting to use Google Docs offline, then let me share a few pointers that will help you get things rolling in the right direction.
These troubleshooting tips also apply to Google Sheets and Slides, so if you have any issues getting your spreadsheets or slideshows to work offline, then feel free to try them out.
1. Switch to Google Chrome
I was quite dismayed when I first came to realize that Google Docs only worked offline in Chrome. But really, can we blame Google for wanting to keep Docs functioning the best on their own web browser?
Download Google ChromeUnlike with other browsers, Docs running on Chrome will not freeze while you are working on a document if you lose internet connectivity. And even better, it's the only browser to officially support the Google Docs Offline extension — install it, and you can seamlessly access your most recent documents even when you are offline.
So if you are using a browser such as Firefox, Safari, or Edge, then you need to switch browsers. Yeah — that sucks, but it's something that you have to do if you really want to use Google Docs offline. Once you have Chrome installed, don't forget to install the Google Docs Offline extension as well.
Technically speaking, other Chromium-based browsers (Opera, Brave, Vivaldi, Edge Chromium, etc.) should also support the Google Docs Offline extension. While I haven't tried this personally, Vlad Savov of The Verge seems to have the extension up and running in Brave without issues. It's something that you can look into if you use such a browser.
Also on Guiding Tech How to Install Chrome Extensions in Microsoft Edge Read More2. Enable Google Docs Offline Extension
Chrome latest stable version. Already using Google Chrome? If you can't open documents in Google Docs when you are offline, then once again, make sure that you have the Google Docs Offline extension installed.
If you are absolutely sure that you have it installed, then head into the Extensions panel in Chrome and verify that it is enabled. To get to the Extensions panel, open the Chrome menu, point to More Tools, and then click Extensions.
3. Enable Offline Access in Docs or Drive
You have Chrome installed, and you have also verified that the Google Docs Offline extension is downloaded and activated. If you are still facing issues in getting Google Docs to kick in when offline, your next course of action should be to verify that offline access is enabled for Google Docs. And it's quite simple to do that.
Within the Home screen of Google Docs, just open the Docs menu, click Settings, and then turn on the toggle next to Offline.
In the event that it is already enabled, it's always a good idea to switch it off, and then back on again. Doing that tends to resolve any bugs associated with offline access.
4. Create New Chrome Profile
Are you in a shared environment? If so, a single Chrome profile will only support a single Google Docs account for offline syncing. This is usually denoted by the ‘Another user has already enabled offline access on this computer error' when attempting to enable offline access in Google Docs.
In this case, you must disable offline access for the Google Docs account that it's currently activated for. To do that, you must sign into that particular Google Docs account. If that isn't possible (such as in the event that you don't know the exact account or aren't the owner of the account), then there's an alternative way — you must create a separate Chrome profile and use that instead.
To create another profile, click on the Chrome profile picture on the upper-right side of the Chrome window, and then click Manage People. On the pop-up window that shows up, click Add Person. You can then sign in with your Google Account credentials and enable offline mode in Google Docs.
Warning: Google Docs warns against the use of offline access in a shared environment due to potential privacy and security concerns in such an environment.5. Manually Save Files Offline
Google Docs will only save your most recent files offline. This is done in an attempt to conserve local storage. If you want to be certain that a file that you want to work on is available without an internet connection, you must manually make it accessible offline.
Simply click the vertical ellipsis icon to the left (or to the bottom in grid-view) of a document within the Google Docs Home screen, and then flick on the switch next to Available Offline.
Alternatively, you can do the same while a document is open. To do that, click the File menu, and then click Make Available Offline.
6. Do Not Use Incognito Mode
Are you using Google Docs in Chrome's Incognito mode? Stop doing that. To start off with, all Chrome extensions are disabled by default in Incognito mode, which means that Google Docs won't have access to the Google Docs Offline extension to function properly.
And even in the event that you enable the extension for Incognito mode, Chrome will flush the browser cache whenever you exit it, which means that you won't be able to access any files that you've saved offline on subsequent visits.
If this sounds like something that you've been doing, then start using Google Docs outside of Incognito mode.
Tip: You can identify Incognito tabs by checking the upper-right corner of the Chrome window — if it reads ‘Incognito,' then you are in an Incognito tab. Also on Guiding Tech #troubleshooting Click here to see our troubleshooting articles page7. Update Chrome
If you still face issues when attempting to load Google Docs when offline, it's best to update Chrome before we move any further. The latest releases usually carry loads of bug fixes, and considering that both products are from Google, a browser update is definitely warranted.
To do that, open the Chrome menu, point to Help, and then click About Google Chrome. If there are new updates available, Chrome should automatically install them. You will have to restart the browser to finalize any updates.
8. Clear Google Docs Cache
Often, an outdated browser cache can work against you. If you face specific errors when using Google Docs offline such as 'Checking offline sync status' or 'Offline setup failed,' or if attempting to make files available offline results in a stuck 'syncing' animation, then you must clear the cache.
The good news is that rather than clearing the entire browser cache and having to sign into just about everywhere from scratch, you can clear cached files related to just Google Docs.
Copy and paste the following path into the address bar of a new tab, and then press Enter. On the screen that shows up, click Remove All.
9. Use Docs Without Extensions
Often, conflicts with certain extensions can cause all sorts of problems in Chrome. If you run into intermittent issues where Google Docs fails to function properly when offline, then try to isolate any problematic extensions.
To do that, use Google Docs with all extensions except for the Google Docs Offline extension disabled. Head over to the Extensions screen (open Chrome menu, point to Tools, and then click Extensions) to disable your extensions.
If Google Docs then starts to work offline without issues, start re-enabling the extensions, either one by one or in batches, to identify the problematic add-on. Once you have it isolated, either remove the extension or keep it disabled for the moment and let the extension developer know about it.
10. Reset Chrome Settings
Often, improperly configured browser settings can wreak havoc. Usually, this is caused by using lots of extensions over time, although browser hijackers can also play a role. Try resetting Chrome to see if that would help Google Docs function effectively offline.
To do that, head into the Chrome Settings panel. Next, expand the option labeled Advanced on the left-pane, and then click Reset and Clean Up (labeled as 'Reset Settings' in Chrome for macOS). Finally, click Reset Settings to Their Original Defaults, and then click Reset Settings on the confirmation pop-up box.
Resetting Chrome will not remove your bookmarks or passwords. However, any pinned tabs, startup pages, search engines, etc., will be restored to their defaults. Click the Learn More link on the confirmation pop-up box for the full list of affected items.
Since all extensions are also disabled after the reset, make sure to re-enable the Google Docs Offline extension via the Extensions panel before checking to see if resetting the browser helped to resolve the issue.
11. Run Chrome Cleanup Tool
Another reason that Google Docs may fail to function normally is due to problematic browser extensions or hidden forms of malware. Although we just restored Chrome, it's always possible for malicious extensions and browser hijackers to still linger.
Thankfully, Chrome has its own malware cleanup tool (surprise!) that can help you get rid of them. Head over to the Chrome Settings panel, expand Advanced on the left page, click Reset and Clean Up, click Clean Up Computer, and then click Find to search for harmful software.
Note: The Clean Up Computer option is not present in the macOS version of Google Chrome. Also on Guiding Tech How to Insert YouTube Videos in Google Docs Read MoreBack to Work
I hope that the troubleshooting tips above helped you fix the offline issues that you had with Google Docs. Most often than not, switching to Chrome, installing or enabling the Google Docs Offline extension, or clearing the Google Docs cache will help resolve these issues. While it's a downright pain to put some of the other tips into practice, getting Google Docs to function normally is well worth the trouble. It's that good.
Next up: Now that you have Google Docs back to normal, ramp it up on the productivity side with this fantastic set of add-ons.
Google Docs Offline Install
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read Next5 Superb Google Docs Add-ons for WritersAlso SeeGoogle Document Available Offline Extension
#google docs #productivityDid You Know
The first animated Google Doodle was made in honor of Sir Isaac Newton.