How to keep 'doing your thing' without Internet...

If an outage of Internet service is likely, here are some fascinating features to keep using some of our systems offline:

(my favorite is Pocket)

Gmail

Gmail, surprisingly, works fairly well offline. It can't actually send and receive emails without an internet connection, but it will let you search through old messages and compose new ones (which can then be sent as soon as connectivity returns).

In your web browser, click the cog icon (on the right), then Settings and Offline—check the box marked Enable offline mail, and choose how many days of messages you want to sync to your computer (7, 30 or 90).

Google Drive

In offline mode, Google Drive lets you create, view and edit Docs, Sheets and Slides, with changes synced back to the cloud when an internet connection returns.

You need to put in some preparation first though. On Google Drive on the web, click the cog icon (top right), then choose Settings and General—make sure the Offline box is ticked, and Drive will start syncing files to the local computer.

Google doesn't make it clear exactly how many files get synced, but in our experience it's at least a month's worth, starting with the most recent. To make absolutely sure a specific file is available without an internet connection, right-click on it and turn the Available offline toggle switch on. Also, if you find you're running out of space in Gmail, we have some tips to help trim back to the stuff you really need.

iCloud

Apple's iCloud platform will move older, less frequently used files off your Mac if you start running out of space on your computer, keeping copies in the cloud and downloading them as and when you need them. If you want to make sure this offloading doesn't happen, open System Preferences, then click Apple ID and iCloud, and untick the box that's marked Optimize Mac Storage.

Pocket

Pocket is one of the best read-it-later services on the web, able to store up all those articles you don't have time to read, and store them safely for when you're able to get around to them. Pocket can work offline, if needed, so if you're researching something it might be a good idea to save a few key webpages to Pocket so you can get at them without a web connection.

You'll need the Pocket app for macOS, the Pocket extension for Chrome, or the Firefox browser (which has Pocket built-in) to enable offline support: Pocket downloads articles automatically in the background on the Mac and inside Chrome, but on Firefox you need to open an article while you're online to make sure it stays available if you ever go offline (click Library then View Pocket List).

Spotify

Having offline access to your playlists might not be as critical as having offline access to your work documents, but music is important for productivity, right? To store a specific playlist for offline playback, open it in the Spotify application for Windows on macOS, and turn on the Download toggle switch.

Netflix

When the working day is done and you want to kick back with some Netflix, having a borked internet connection can really mess with your binge-watching plans. All is not lost if you're using Windows though—you just need to download the Netflix app for Windows and queue up movies and shows in advance (no love for Mac users yet, unfortunately).

Not every show and movie can is available for offline viewing, but many of them are: Choose Available to Download from the app menu to see a selection. Whenever you see a downward arrow symbol on the listing page for a show or film, it means it can be saved locally—just click the icon to start the download.

Nield, D. (2020, May 31). How to Take Your Work Offline in Case of an Emergency. Wired. Retrieved from 
https://www.wired.com/story/work-offline-blackout-google-gmail/