Gmail Labs has just activated a new feature which it should have rolled out a long time ago – offline access. That means that if you activate this new feature on your Gmail Lab Settings, you can start reading emails that have piled on your Gmail Inbox through a web browser even if you’re not online. The interface simulates the same interface as when you are browsing your Gmail online.
Gmail offline utilizes Google Gears to download your mail’s local cache. When you are online, your Gmail account will be synchronized with Gmail’s servers ensuring that all updates that happen to your live Gmail account gets to the offline Gmail interface. This feature is similar to accessing iGoogle offline, which also uses Google Gears. And like Google Docs offline, this new Gmail feature will automatically be activated and will display the last synchronized data before you went offline.
Here’s the best part, Gmaill offline does not only allow you to read messages but you can also star and label them. You can also compose and send messages offline and Gmail will save that message on your outbox and will be immediately sent the next time you go online.
In addition the new feature also lets you select the “flaky connection mode,” which will be useful for Gmail users which have slow Internet connection. Gmail will use the local cache of your Gmail account while synchronizing your Gmail accounts.
Gmail offline is currently accessible to Gmail users in the US and in the coming days will also be activated for users in UK English. As for us, international users, Google has now words yet on when this feature will be activated on our respective Gmail Labs setting.
If you’re one of those lucky users who has the new feature already, Gmail gave the following directions for activating Gmail offline on your account.
- Click Settings and click the Labs tab.
- Select Enable next to Offline Gmail.
- Click Save Changes.
- After your browser reloads, you’ll see a new “Offline 0.1 “ link in the upper righthand corner of your account, next to your username. Click this link to start the offline set up process and download Gears if you don’t already have it.
