Luke Hubbard

Did you know you can access Gmail even when you don’t have an Internet connection? Google Gears is a program that allows users to access applications such as Gmail while they are offline. Here’s Google’s official blog post on Offline Gmail.

Without an Internet connection, Gmail can’t access Google servers according to the official Google video on offline Gmail above. Google Gears allows Gmail to “store the information it needs to run all on your computer.”

Here are some simple instructions on how to get offline Gmail on your computer:
1. Click Settings in the top right of your Gmail
2. Click on Labs. (This may appear as a little beaker icon)
3. Choose “Enable” for Offline Gmail
4. Save changes
5. You should arrive back to your Gmail inbox. Select “Offline 0.1″ or “Offline 0.2″ in the top right.
6. Set-up for offline Gmail via Google Gears should begin. Follow the steps and I do recommend allowing Gears to place a shortcut icon on your desktop for easy access.

-Luke Hubbard