Google Calendar's desktop site can work offline again, in some cases
Google Calendar lost its offline feature for the second time during the 2018 redesign, but now it's back.
If you occasionally need access to your calendar when you’re not connected to the internet, then Google Calendar’s web interface is getting a bit more useful. When Google rolled out a new UI for the app in 2018, that meant removing the ability to access the data in your browser without an internet connection.
Now Google’s Workspace Updates blog notes the feature is coming back, however individual users will need to enable it — the instructions are available here. If you don’t see the option yet, check back later, it’s rolling out over the next 15 days or so, or it may have been disabled by your admin. The blog post only mentions access for Workspace accounts (formerly known as G Suite), but the support page doesn’t note any limitation, so we’ll see if it comes to individual free users too.
Open Google Calendar.
In the top right, click the gear icon and then Settings.
On the left, under “General,” click Offline and then Turn on offline calendar.
Click Reload now.
In the top right of your calendar, an icon shows your Calendar is syncing for offline use .
When the sync is complete, your calendar’s status shows Ready for offline .
When you’re offline, your calendar’s status shows as Offline .
A notice appears: “It looks like you’re offline. Some actions might not work.”
Longtime GCal users will note this isn’t the first time we’ve done this dance. When Google phased out Gears in favor of HTML5, it took until late 2011 until offline access was restored. This time the gap was less noticeable since it’s so much easier to stay connected, and access on your phone while online or offline continued to be an option. Still, it’s just one more reminder of how Google’s features can quietly come and go, or move behind a paywall.
