Lesson 13. Working Offline

In this lesson, you learn how to use Gmail when you’re not connected to the Internet.

To work with Gmail when you’re not connected, you must install the Gmail Offline app. This app is free but works exclusively with Google’s Chrome web browser. (You can’t use Gmail offline with Internet Explorer or Firefox.)

To download and install the Gmail Offline app, you must be running the Chrome browser. Follow these steps:

1. From within the Chrome browser, go to the Google Chrome Web Store (chrome.google.com/webstore/).

2. In the search box in the top-left corner, enter gmail offline and press Enter.

3. When the search results page appears, click the Gmail Offline item to open the app page.

4. Click the Free button.

5. When asked to confirm the new app, click Add.

To launch and use the Gmail Offline app, you must be running the Chrome web browser. Follow these steps:

1. From within the Chrome browser, click the Home button to display your Home page. This also displays Chrome’s Bookmarks bar.

2. At the left side of the Bookmarks bar, click the Apps button. This displays all the apps you’ve installed in Chrome.

3. Click the blue Gmail Offline icon (not the red Gmail icon) to launch the Gmail Offline app.

4. The first time you use the app, you see the Allow Offline Mail page. Select Allow Offline Mail, and then click Continue.

5. You now see the Gmail Offline app, which is divided into two equal-sized panes, as shown in Figure 13.1. The left pane contains the contents of your inbox; the right pane displays the selected message.

FIGURE 13.1 Navigating the Gmail Offline app.

6. To display other navigational options (inbox tabs, labels, and the like), click the three-bar button at the top left of the navigation pane. (Figure 13.2 shows these additional navigational options.) Click an item to view its contents in the navigation pane.

FIGURE 13.2 Displaying other navigational options.

7. To download new messages, click the Reload this Page button at the top of the navigation pane.

When you’re using Gmail Offline and not connected to the Internet, you’ll see the most recent messages downloaded. (Gmail Offline automatically downloads all messages you’ve received within the past week.) When you reconnect to the Internet, any newer messages will be downloaded, and any new messages you’ve composed will be uploaded.

1. In the navigation pane, click the message you want to read. The message is displayed in the right-side pane.

2. To reply to this message, click the Reply button and then click Reply. This displays the Reply pane, shown in Figure 13.3, with the previous message quoted and the original sender as the new recipient. Enter your text into the main body of the message, and then click the Send button. The message will be sent when you next connect to the Internet.

FIGURE 13.3 Replying to an email message.

3. To delete a message, select it in the navigation pane and then click the Delete button in the message pane.

1. Click the Compose button above the navigation pane. This opens a New Message pane, shown in Figure 13.4.

FIGURE 13.4 Composing a new email message.

2. Enter the recipient’s name or email address into the To field. As you type, Gmail suggests recipients; select a name from this list or continue entering the complete address.

3. Enter any recipients to be copied into the Cc/Bcc field.

4. Enter the subject of the message into the Subject field.

5. Enter the text of the message into the main text area. Use the formatting controls to format your text as necessary.

6. To attach a file to this message, click the paper clip icon to display the Open dialog box. Navigate to and select the file to attach, and then click the Open button.

7. Click the blue Send button to complete the email. The message will be sent when you next connect to the Internet.