If you would like to access your files in Google Drive while your are not connected to the internet (no internet at home, air travel, remote locations), you can tell Drive File Stream to keep a copy on your computer. You should not do this for all your files as this will fill up your hard drive (and slow your computer). These files will be available when you don't have internet access and will synchronize back to the cloud version automatically when your have internet access again.


Using Windows File Explorer, navigate to the files or folders you would like to have access to offline. Right click on the files or folder and then click Drive File Stream, and then click Available offline.



If you no longer need the files to be available offline, choose Online only to reverse this.

You will know the files are stored locally by the green check mark on the icon instead of the cloud.


This article describes how to use non-Google Apps files offline, like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, PDF, and similar files. 

To use Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets files offline, follow these  instructions.


  1. Install the Google Docs Offline extension.
  2. In Drive, click Settings Settings and then Settings.
  3. In the Offline section, check the Create, open and edit your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on this device while offline box.
  4. Click Done.
  5. Right-click a file and turn on Available offline.