The rumors about Gmail’s offline availability have been circulating for months, and finally they’re coming true. Google announced yesterday that users will be able to access Gmail offline.
However, many people won’t necessarily be able to take all their inboxes offline with them; much will depend on the size. Instead the company has developed algorithms to determine which of the messages should be downloaded.
Rajen Sheth, senior product manager for Google Apps, said:
"Gmail was a tough hurdle," adding, "We had to make it such that we’re managing a sizable amount of information offline and doing it well in a way that’s seamless to the end-user."
However, all messages in the Star Folder will be copied, and typically, several thousand messages can be downloaded. Google claims to be the first mail service available offline via a Web browser.
The service was rolled out last night, but it might be a few days before it’s available to everyone. To activate it, you’ll need to click on ‘Settings’ after logging on, then hit the ‘Labs’ tab. From there simply click ‘Offline Gmail’ and ‘Save Changes.’
Along with offline Gmail, Google is also making its Calendar available offline, although you’ll need to have a Google Apps account, and for now it will be read-only.
