One of the biggest issues with using Google's Gmail is that users can't access their account offline, but that changes today. Google has announced via its blog site that offline access to Gmail accounts is now a reality. The catch? The offline feature is only available if you use the company's Chrome web browser and download the new Gmail Offline addon from the Chrome Web Store.
The new app, which uses HTML5, is actually based on Google's Gmail app that it made originally for Android-based tablets. Google says it hopes to add offline Gmail support for other web browsers when they "support advanced functionality," however, it's not clear what that actually means. It also hopes to add support for users who want to customize how much of your online Google Gmail is synced with its offline messages.
Google also announced that two more of its web-based services will also get offline support. Google Calendar and Google Docs will soon be able to be accessed by users without the need of an Internet connection. As usual there's a catch. Users won't be able to edit any files on Google Docs when in offline mode. However, the blog post states, "[...] we know it’s important to many of you, and we’re working hard to make it a reality." In the meantime, Google Calendar and Google Doc users can switch into offline mode by clicking the gear icon at the top right corner of the web app and selecting the option for offline access.
Image via Google
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