Can You Use a Chromebook Without Internet?
Published on by Jim Mendenhall
The idea that a Chromebook is useless without an internet connection is one of those myths that refuses to die. It was partially true back in 2011 when the first Chromebooks launched and ChromeOS was essentially just a Chrome browser with a login screen. But that was a long time ago. Modern Chromebooks run Android apps, support Linux, and have built-in offline functionality across Google’s entire productivity suite. The catch is that most of these offline features require a bit of setup while you still have connectivity. If you’re heading somewhere without reliable Wi-Fi, whether that’s a long flight, a rural cabin, or just a coffee shop with terrible internet, a little preparation goes a long way.
Can You Use a Chromebook Without Internet?
Short Answer:
Yes. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Gmail, many Android apps, downloaded media, and Linux apps all work offline. You need to set some of them up in advance while you still have a connection.
Long Answer:
The core Google productivity apps work offline out of the box on Chromebooks, which is more than most people realize. Google automatically enables offline access for Docs, Sheets, and Slides on ChromeOS devices. You can create new documents, edit existing ones, and all your changes sync back to Google Drive the next time you connect. This isn’t some stripped-down mode either. You get the full editing experience, complete with formatting, comments, and collaboration history that updates when you’re back online. If you’ve used Google Docs on a Windows or Mac laptop, you know you have to install a Chrome extension to get offline access. On Chromebooks, it just works.
Gmail also works offline, though you need to flip a switch first. Head to Gmail settings, find the Offline section, and enable it while you’re still connected. Once activated, Gmail downloads your recent messages to local storage and lets you read, search, compose, and reply without a connection. Outgoing messages sit in an Outbox folder until you reconnect, at which point they send automatically. It’s not as seamless as a desktop email client with full offline sync, but it covers the basics well enough for travel days or spotty connections.
Google Drive itself lets you mark specific files and folders as “Available offline” by right-clicking them in the Files app. Your Chromebook also automatically caches recently opened files, so documents you’ve been working on are usually available even if you didn’t explicitly prepare. If you own a Chromebook Plus model, the File Sync feature takes this further by automatically downloading your Google Drive files locally, removing the need to think about offline access at all.
What Works Well Offline
Android apps are where Chromebook offline capabilities really shine. Since Android apps run locally on the device, many of them work perfectly without a connection. Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube Music all let you download content for offline playback, though streaming services typically require a subscription tier that supports downloads. Games you’ve installed from the Play Store run locally, so everything from casual puzzle games to more demanding titles works fine without Wi-Fi. Note-taking apps like Google Keep and productivity tools like Google Calendar sync their data locally and function offline. If you’ve been wondering about Android app support on Chromebooks in general, our guide to Android apps on Chromebook covers the full picture.
The Files app and built-in media tools work entirely offline. You can browse local files, view photos, play downloaded music and video files, and even do basic photo editing. The ChromeOS calculator, text editor, and camera app all function without a connection. If you’ve saved web pages for later reading, those are available too.
Linux apps, available through the Crostini container on most modern Chromebooks, operate completely offline once installed. This means you can run LibreOffice for full-featured document editing, GIMP for image work, or VS Code for coding, all without touching the internet. Installing Linux apps requires a connection initially, but after that they’re fully local applications.
What Doesn’t Work Offline
Web apps that haven’t been specifically designed for offline use won’t work, and that includes most of what you’d find in a browser. Streaming video directly, browsing social media, checking news sites, or using web-based tools like Canva or Figma all require a connection. You also can’t install new apps or extensions while offline, whether from the Google Play Store, the Chrome Web Store, or Linux repositories. Cloud-based storage services beyond Google Drive, like Dropbox or OneDrive, generally don’t offer the same level of offline integration on ChromeOS.
Some services that technically have offline modes require advance setup that’s easy to forget. Google Maps lets you download areas for offline navigation, but only if you remember to do it beforehand. Similarly, web pages you want to read offline need to be saved explicitly. The general pattern is clear: anything that lives in the cloud needs to be pulled down to local storage before you lose your connection.
How to Prepare Your Chromebook for Offline Use
The difference between a useful offline Chromebook and a frustrating one comes down to ten minutes of preparation. Before you head somewhere without reliable internet, run through this quick checklist. Enable Gmail offline in your Gmail settings. Open Google Drive and mark important files and folders as available offline. Download any movies, music, or podcasts you want through their respective apps. Make sure the Android apps you’ll need are already installed and updated. If you use Linux apps, install them while you still have a connection.
Storage becomes a real consideration when you’re loading up for offline use. Budget Chromebooks typically ship with 64GB of internal storage, which fills up quickly once you start downloading media and caching files. Consider picking up a microSD card to expand your storage, and keep an eye on how much space your offline content is consuming. A Chromebook with 128GB or more of storage gives you considerably more breathing room for offline use, which is one reason the Chromebook Plus tier requires at least 128GB.
If you’re a college student relying on a Chromebook for coursework, or a senior who wants peace of mind when the Wi-Fi goes out, the preparation steps are the same. The key insight is that a Chromebook’s offline capability in 2026 isn’t dramatically different from a Windows laptop or a Mac. Most modern computing assumes an internet connection, regardless of the operating system. The apps that work offline on a Chromebook, Google Docs, downloaded media, locally installed software, are the same categories that work offline everywhere else. The myth that Chromebooks specifically need the internet more than other laptops just doesn’t hold up anymore.
