Did you know you can still use Gmail when your internet goes down? Turn on Gmail’s offline mode and it keeps a copy of your recent emails on your computer, so you can read them, search them and reply to them without a connection.
In this guide I’ll show you how to turn on Gmail offline, what it can and can’t do, and how to turn it off again and remove the stored emails.
The Short Version
- Open Gmail in Google Chrome.
- Click the Settings gear, then See all settings, then the Offline tab.
- Tick Enable offline mail, choose how many days to keep, and click Save changes.
- Bookmark Gmail, so you can open it when you’re offline.
How to Enable Offline Mode in Gmail
Offline mode is switched off to start with, and it only works in the Google Chrome web browser. Open Chrome, sign in to Gmail, then:
- Click the Settings icon (the gear wheel) at the top right, then click See all settings.
- Click the Offline tab along the top of the settings page.
- Tick the box next to Enable offline mail.
Gmail Offline Options
Once it’s turned on, the rest of the settings appear:
- Sync settings: how many days of email to keep on your computer: 7, 30 or 90 days. You can also choose whether to download attachments. More days and attachments take up more space.
- Security: what happens to the stored emails when you sign out of Gmail. Keep them on your computer, or remove them.
Which Security Option?
If you keep the offline data on your computer, anyone who uses your computer can read those emails, even when you’re signed out. On a shared computer, choose Remove offline data from my computer. It re-downloads next time you sign in.
Click Save changes.
Create a Bookmark for Gmail
After saving, Gmail suggests you bookmark your inbox. Do it. When the internet is down, the bookmark is the easiest way to open Gmail. Click Got it to go back to your inbox.
Next time you lose your connection and open Gmail, a message at the bottom left tells you you’re offline. Your emails are still there to read.
Sending and Receiving Mail While Offline
Here’s what you can and can’t do with no internet:
- Read and search any email from the days you chose to sync.
- Reply and write emails. When you click Send, they wait in a folder called Outbox and go automatically as soon as you’re back online.
- Save attachments to your computer and open them there, though you can’t preview them in Gmail.
What you can’t do is receive anything new. New emails wait on Google’s computers until you reconnect, and then they arrive as normal.
Offline Mode Isn’t a Backup
Your offline emails are only stored in Chrome, and only for the days you chose. If you want a permanent copy of your emails on your computer, see How to Download Emails from Gmail.
Which Browsers Can You Use?
Google only supports Gmail offline in Google Chrome, and not in an Incognito window. It doesn’t work in Firefox or Safari. If you don’t have Chrome, How to Set Up Google Chrome shows you how to install it.
It also needs turning on separately on each computer you use, and it only works for the Gmail account you were signed in to when you set it up.
Clearing Your Browser Cache Will Delete Your Offline Emails
Your offline emails are stored inside Chrome. Clear Chrome’s browsing data (cookies and cached files) and they’re deleted with it.
Worth knowing if you’ve set Chrome to clear everything when you close it. Your emails are safe in Gmail and re-download the next time you’re online.
Want All Your Emails Offline? Use an Email Program
Gmail offline only keeps up to 90 days of email, and only in Chrome. If you want all your emails on your computer, readable at any time, an email program does that better.
Add your Gmail account to a program such as Thunderbird (free) or Outlook, and it downloads a copy of your emails to your computer. You can read them, search them and write replies with no internet. Anything you send goes as soon as you’re back online, and everything stays in step with Gmail.
Windows 11 comes with the new Outlook app already installed. How to Use the Outlook for Windows App shows you how to add your Gmail account to it.
How to Turn Off Gmail Offline
Turning it off takes two steps, because unticking the box doesn’t delete the emails already stored on your computer.
- In Gmail, click the Settings gear, See all settings, then the Offline tab. Untick Enable offline mail and click Save changes.
- To remove the stored emails, open Chrome’s Settings, click Privacy and security, then Third-party cookies, then See all site data and permissions. Search for mail.google.com and delete its data.
Deleting the data signs you out of Gmail in Chrome, so you’ll need to sign back in afterwards.
Troubleshooting
There’s No Offline Tab in My Gmail Settings
You’re probably not using Chrome, or you’re in an Incognito window. Open Gmail in a normal Chrome window. If it’s a work or school account, your administrator may have switched offline mode off.
Some of My Emails Aren’t There When I’m Offline
Gmail only keeps the number of days you chose (7, 30 or 90), and it only syncs while Chrome is open. If you’ve just turned it on, leave Chrome open and online for a while so it can catch up.
Gmail Says There Are No Offline Messages
Offline mode either isn’t turned on in this browser, or it hasn’t finished copying your emails yet. Check the Offline tab in settings, make sure you’re in Chrome, and leave Gmail open while you’re online so it can sync.
Gmail Says I’m Offline but My Internet Is Working
First check other websites load. If they do, reload the Gmail page. Still showing offline? Turn off any VPN, try switching off your browser extensions for a moment, or open Gmail in a different browser. If it works there, deleting Gmail’s stored site data in Chrome (as in the turn-off steps above) usually clears it.
My Emails Haven’t Sent
They’re waiting in the Outbox. They go as soon as you’re back online with Gmail open in Chrome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use Gmail without the internet?
A: Yes. Turn on offline mode in Gmail’s settings in Chrome, and you can read, search and reply to your recent emails without a connection.
Q: How do I turn on Gmail offline?
A: In Chrome, open Gmail, click the Settings gear, See all settings, then the Offline tab. Tick Enable offline mail and click Save changes.
Q: Can I send emails in Gmail offline mode?
A: Yes. Emails you send while offline wait in the Outbox and are sent automatically when you reconnect. You can’t receive new emails until then.
Q: Does Gmail offline work in Edge or Firefox?
A: Google only supports Gmail offline in Chrome, and not in Incognito windows.
Q: How many emails does Gmail offline keep?
A: It keeps the last 7, 30 or 90 days of email, depending on what you choose in the offline settings.
Q: Is Gmail offline safe on a shared computer?
A: Only if you choose Remove offline data from my computer under Security. Otherwise anyone using the computer can read your stored emails.
Q: How do I turn off Gmail offline?
A: Untick Enable offline mail on the Offline tab in Gmail’s settings, then delete mail.google.com’s site data in Chrome’s privacy settings to remove the stored emails.
Q: Why does Gmail say I’m offline?
A: Either your internet connection has dropped, or something is blocking Gmail, such as a VPN or a browser extension. Check other websites load, then reload Gmail.
Q: What’s the best way to keep all my Gmail emails offline?
A: Use an email program such as Thunderbird or Outlook. It downloads a copy of all your emails, not just the last 90 days, and works without Chrome.
Q: Does Gmail offline work on my phone?
A: The Gmail app on your phone already keeps your recent emails, so you can read them without a signal. Offline mode is for Gmail in Chrome on a computer.
Summary
Gmail offline mode makes Gmail in Chrome behave a bit more like an email program such as Outlook. Your recent emails stay on your computer, and anything you send waits in the Outbox until you’re back online.
It won’t be something you need every day, but if your internet drops out now and then, it’s well worth the two minutes it takes to turn on.
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You can find this and other related step by step guides in – At Home Computer Gmail Guides
Written by Jeff Porter. I’ve been fixing Windows PCs since 2010 and I’m CompTIA Network+ certified. More about me