Google Calendars’ desktop version will again be accessible offline for the Google userbase, after this very feature was removed back in 2018.
If this author is to be honest, the removal of that very feature was probably not the best move that Google pulled. In 2018, Calendar’s desktop UI received a rather hefty set of visual and function revamps, bringing the PC version much closer to the original mobile device iteration. However, this came at the cost of Calendars being freely accessible offline, a feature that anyone could have relied on. Particularly, people with looming deadlines and/or a shoddy network connection could truly lean on the offline site for support, until Google decided to yank that metaphorical walking cane away. And yet another entry can be added to the company’s unfortunately prolific Graveyard of products. If not for a recent announcement.
It seems that Google’s made their mind up for now and in lieu of that has recently reintroduced the offline desktop version of Calendars for public access. In a post made on their Workspace Updates blog the company announced the return of offline desktop Calendars, with a few caveats however. The first limitation at hand is its availability, since the offline mode is only being rolled out for Google’s business endeavours (such as Workspace itself). Having said that, however, there is no mention of such a restriction in the Support site’s post on the matter, and thus we’ll have to wait and see as the feature is rolled out over the next 15 days (starting from January 25th for Google’s rapid release domains, and February 8th for the scheduled release ones). Offline Calendars will only show events from 4 weeks prior to current time, or any time in the future, be it day, month, or year.
The offline feature will be turned on by default for admins, while the rest of Google’s userbase will have to manually turn the feature on. In order to turn the feature on, all one has to do is go to the calendars.google.com domain, click on Settings, then General, and simply check the offline box. Upon reloading while online, Calendars will sync with one’s account details, and ready itself for offline use. And that’s it. Upon going offline, a textbox will appear conveying to users that certain features will not function. For admins looking to turn off the feature, all they have to do is follow through to the general settings, then uncheck the offline box. Simple enough, yes?
Photo: S3studio via Getty Images
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If this author is to be honest, the removal of that very feature was probably not the best move that Google pulled. In 2018, Calendar’s desktop UI received a rather hefty set of visual and function revamps, bringing the PC version much closer to the original mobile device iteration. However, this came at the cost of Calendars being freely accessible offline, a feature that anyone could have relied on. Particularly, people with looming deadlines and/or a shoddy network connection could truly lean on the offline site for support, until Google decided to yank that metaphorical walking cane away. And yet another entry can be added to the company’s unfortunately prolific Graveyard of products. If not for a recent announcement.
It seems that Google’s made their mind up for now and in lieu of that has recently reintroduced the offline desktop version of Calendars for public access. In a post made on their Workspace Updates blog the company announced the return of offline desktop Calendars, with a few caveats however. The first limitation at hand is its availability, since the offline mode is only being rolled out for Google’s business endeavours (such as Workspace itself). Having said that, however, there is no mention of such a restriction in the Support site’s post on the matter, and thus we’ll have to wait and see as the feature is rolled out over the next 15 days (starting from January 25th for Google’s rapid release domains, and February 8th for the scheduled release ones). Offline Calendars will only show events from 4 weeks prior to current time, or any time in the future, be it day, month, or year.
The offline feature will be turned on by default for admins, while the rest of Google’s userbase will have to manually turn the feature on. In order to turn the feature on, all one has to do is go to the calendars.google.com domain, click on Settings, then General, and simply check the offline box. Upon reloading while online, Calendars will sync with one’s account details, and ready itself for offline use. And that’s it. Upon going offline, a textbox will appear conveying to users that certain features will not function. For admins looking to turn off the feature, all they have to do is follow through to the general settings, then uncheck the offline box. Simple enough, yes?
Photo: S3studio via Getty Images
Read next: Google Chrome 88 is rolling out with some outbreak changes like you can edit saved passwords, and new UI for giving permission will also end the Mac OS X 10.10 support
