How to Use Gmail in Offline Mode? Google Gears makes it so

Posted by inforids on July 4, 2009 Leave a comment (1) Go to comments

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Gmail is the most widely used popular email service after its launch in 2004. Now you can use Gmail with its extented ability to be accessed in the offline mode(when your network is not connented to Internet) with the arrival the Google Gears plug-in for Firefox and Internet Explorer.

Yes, Offline Gmail. So even if you’re offline, you can open your web browser, go to gmail.com, and get to your mail just like you’re used to.

(Credit: Google)

How this Works?

Once you turn on this feature after installing Google Gears, Gmail uses this to download a local cache of your mail. As long as you’re connected to the network, that cache is synchronized with Gmail’s servers. When you lose your connection, Gmail automatically switches to offline mode, and uses the data stored on your computer’s hard drive instead of the information sent across the network. You can read messages, star and label them, and do all of the things you’re used to doing while reading your webmail online. Any messages you send while offline will be placed in your outbox and automatically sent the next time Gmail detects a connection. Having your mail on your hard drive makes fast work of archive searches that can take several seconds when interacting with Gmail’s servers.

What to do to use Offline Gmail?

After you install Gears, you’ll see an Offline option under the Labs tab in Gmail’s Settings. Choose the Enable button, and when you restart your browser, you’ll see an “Offline 0.1″ link in the top-right corner of the main Gmail window. Click this link to begin the installation. (You’ll also be prompted to download and install Gears, if you don’t already have it on your PC.)

(Credit: Google)

After the initial sync completes, click the Offline icon to the left of the Settings button to check your online status and view your options (choose Show Actions to see all available options).