Offline Access

Some cloud services let you keep working when you have no internet connection. This is called offline access. Your device keeps a local copy of the files you have chosen to make available offline, so you can open and edit them even when you are out of signal.

How offline access works

When you edit a file offline, the changes are saved on your device first, and your device records that the file has changed since it was last synced. The next time your device has an internet connection, it synchronises with the cloud. Your edits are uploaded to the cloud copy, and any changes made elsewhere are downloaded, so every device ends up with the same version.

For example, Dhruv is on a school bus with no signal and adds notes to a project file he made available offline. The edits stay on his tablet. When he gets home and connects to the internet, the file synchronises, and his teammates see the new notes on their devices.

Why offline access is useful

• You can work on files when travelling, in a building with poor signal, or during an internet outage.
• You do not have to wait for a connection before you can start editing.
• Changes are not lost if you cannot connect straight away — they are held on your device until they are uploaded.

Offline access does not mean cloud storage works without the internet. You still need an internet connection at some point to synchronise your changes with the cloud and other devices, and you normally need to have made the file available offline while you had a connection. Until then, the cloud copy stays out of date and other people cannot see your work.