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Summary
Because Microsoft 365 relies heavily on the "cloud," many employees assume they cannot get any work done if their internet goes down or if they are on an airplane without Wi-Fi. However, with a little preparation, you can read emails, edit documents, and write responses completely offline. They will sync to the server the next time you connect to the internet.
Before You Start
- You must set these features up before you lose internet access.
- You must be using the desktop versions of the apps, not the web browser versions.
Instructions
1. How to Make OneDrive Files Available Offline
Seeing a file in OneDrive does not mean it is on your laptop.
By default, OneDrive uses "Files On-Demand." This means you can see the icons for your files, but they aren't actually downloaded to your hard drive until you double-click them. If you board an airplane, you won't be able to open them. For the full set of status icons and how to switch the feature on if you do not see them, see How to Use OneDrive Files On-Demand.
- Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
- Click on your company's OneDrive folder in the left sidebar.
- Look at the icons next to your files. If you see a Blue Cloud icon, the file is only on the internet.
- Right-click the file (or a whole folder) that you need for your flight.
- Select Always keep on this device.
- A green circle with a white checkmark will appear. The file is now permanently saved to your physical hard drive and can be opened without the internet.
2. How to Work Offline in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
If you downloaded the file using the steps above, you can double-click it to open it in the desktop app.
- Open the document, spreadsheet, or presentation.
- At the very top left, the AutoSave toggle might turn off. This is normal.
- Work as you normally would. When you are done, click the Save (floppy disk) icon, or press Ctrl + S (Cmd + S on Mac).
- The file is saved locally to your hard drive.
- The Magic: As soon as you land and connect your laptop to hotel Wi-Fi, OneDrive will automatically detect the changes and upload the new version to the cloud for your team to see.
3. How to Read and Write Emails Offline in Outlook
If you use the dedicated Outlook Desktop app (not the website), it downloads a copy of your recent emails to your hard drive (usually the last 12 months).
- Open the Outlook desktop app while on the airplane.
- You can freely click through your Inbox and read past emails.
- To reply: Click Reply, type your message, and hit Send.
- The email will not send immediately. Instead, it moves to your Outbox folder.
- As soon as you connect to the internet again, Outlook will silently push all the emails in your Outbox to the server, and they will be delivered. If they are still sitting in the Outbox after you reconnect, Outlook is stuck in offline mode — for the fix, see How to Fix "Working Offline" in Outlook.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom / Error | Potential Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Can't open a file in OneDrive | File was cloud-only | You forgot to select "Always keep on this device" before losing internet. You cannot open it |
| "Upload Failed" or "Sync Conflict" when reconnecting | Someone else edited it | A coworker edited the live document while you were offline. You must click "Resolve" to compare the two versions |
| Outlook says "Working Offline" with a red X | Manual offline mode | Click the Send/Receive tab at the top of Outlook and click the Work Offline button to toggle it back online |