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How to Save Google Sheets to Desktop – Spreadsheet Offline Access

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Published By Raj
Debasish Pramanik
Approved By Debasish Pramanik
Published On May 30th, 2024
Reading Time 9 Minutes Reading
Category Cloud

This article is all about how to save Google Sheets to desktop, so you can access them offline without any internet. You will be able to download Google spreadsheets from a single Gmail account, or from multiple G Suite accounts at once. So, it doesn’t matter what Google service you are using – personal or business, this article will get you through the spreadsheet saving methods.

Reasons to Download Google Sheets to Desktop

There are several advantages of Save Google Sheets to desktop which can offer improved data control, security, and accessibility. Here are some important reasons why you might want to save your Google Sheets locally:

  • If you don’t have an Internet connection or working at a location without Internet access or offline Access in that situation have a download copy that allows you to continue working without disturbance.
  • Saving a download copy provides you with an extra layer of backup. In any situation if your Google account is deleted or suspended then you don’t have to worry about your data.
  • By saving the file locally that can keep a record of changes over the time that allow you to revert to previous versions if needed.
  • If your Google Sheets contain sensitive or confidential information in that situtaion storing them locally can reduce the risk of unauthorized access ..
  • Sometimes you need to share files through USB or CDs with people who do not have internet access.
  • Sending download files as email attachments can be easy in comparision to cloud sharing links.
  • Working with local files can be faster in compare to online.

Techniques to Save Google Sheets to Desktop

There are different techniques to download Google sheets to desktop. And you need to choose between them while figuring out which method is the most suitable for you. Imagine having to sit there and download sheets from one Google account at a time when you need to do it for 100 more accounts. Insane, isn’t it?

That’s why, you must figure out what you need, and choose one of the following methods to do your task:

  1. Methods to Process a Single Gmail Account
    1. Save One Spreadsheet At a Time
    2. Save Multiple Google Sheets to your system – Manual way
    3. Download All Google Sheets to computer – Automated way
    4. How to Save in Google Sheets?
  2. Method to Process Multiple Google (G Suite) Accounts
    1. Save Google Sheets to Desktop from Multiple G Suite Accounts

Methods to Process a Single Google Account & Save Sheets

There are 3 methods to do so. They are explained in a consecutive manner below.

I. Save One Google SpreadSheet At a Time to Computer

This technique allows you to save one Google Sheet file at one time. Here’s how it works:

  • Log into your Google user account in a browser.

sign in to google

  • Open the Google Sheets application.

select google sheets

  • Click on any Google sheet to open it or create a new one if you want.
  • While the sheet is open, go to File menu, click Download and select a format to save the spreadsheet.

download sheet

  • The browser will download the file on your computer. Simply open it using compatible programs and view it online on your system.

view offline

II. Save Multiple Google Sheets to your system – Manual way

This technique allows you to save Google sheets to Desktop in bulk. You can select and download multiple files at once. We will access Google Drive for this method, as all the created sheets automatically get stored in your drive.

  • Log into your Google account in the browser.

sign in to google

  • Open Google Drive application.

select google drive

  • Find and select multiple Google sheets file in your G Drive account.
  • Once selected right-click and select the Download option.

download single spreadsheet

  • You can also download the entire folder containing all the Google Sheets.

download multiple sheets

  • Google will automatically start compressing the selected files/folder.

automatic compression

  • Once compressed, the file will be downloaded on your computer system.

download is ready

  • Finally, extract the file on your system and open the Google sheets offline.

Limitation of the Manual Solution to Save Google Sheets to Desktop

Here are the several drawbacks to download Google Sheets to Desktop are:

  • Downloading the each Google sheet one by one can be a time consuming process and inefficient 
  • While downloading the files manually, it may be saved in different formats which lead to inconsistencies.
  • Manual solution is not practical for handling large data volumes.
  • There might be a chance of risk and data loss from the unauthorized access.
  • Downloaded copy can quickly become outdated if the changes are done in online Google sheet.

Download All Google Sheets to Desktop – Automated way

An automated method takes care of all your needs without consuming your precious time and effort. There is no limit to the number of files it can download at once. As long as you own the file, it will be automatically downloaded from the Google account. This software also allows you to save emails, contacts, and calendars along with documents (docs, sheets, ppts, etc.)

Here are the Steps of the Automated way

  • Log into the tool with login credentials.
  • Set the category to Documents to save Google sheets to Desktop.
  • The format is for emails only. So you can neglect it if you are only saving sheets.
  • Browse to location to save the file after downloading and click Apply Filters button.
  • Click Start button and start the process of saving sheets from the Google account.

That’s it. You can simply log in and download the data without having to go through unnecessary troubles.

IV. How to Save in Google Sheets to Desktop?

How to Save in Google Sheets? This question can be interpreted in two manners:

  • Save data in Google Spreadsheet – Google automatically saves the entirety of data after you edit the sheet in any way. But if you still want to make sure, simply press Ctrl+S to save it manually. Of course, all of this is based on the premise that an internet connection is available, else Sheet will not save anything.
  • Save the entire sheet as a file on your computer – To download the sheet as a file, three different approaches are already mentioned above. Use any of them as per your requirements.

Method to Process Multiple Google (G Suite) Accounts

Use a professional backup utility to backup G Suite data. It will help you save sheets from multiple G Suite accounts at once. It allows you to set filters, choose different categories, and export Google sheets to your preferred destination location.

Free Download Purchase Now

It does not save shared Google sheets. So make sure the user has ownership of the sheets that you want to download. However, the tool is available for free demo. So, you can download and check if it’s saving all the files that you want from 2 accounts for free.

The software has Outlook as its only destination. But, it is applicable to only emails, contacts and calendars. When you choose to export Google sheets (documents), it exports the documents from G drive to your computer in original format. 

The Steps to Save Google Sheets to Desktop are as follows:

  • Run the tool and click Backup button and select G Suite.
  • Select Documents ONLY if you want to save Google sheets from the Category and apply other settings as per requirements.
  • Enter your Google admin credentials and other details as obtained from the pre-requisites.
  • Give the folder path, where the sheets will be saved on your computer.
  • Choose to either Fetch users or Select the CSV file containing all the user accounts to download sheet.
  • After authentication, the tool will display the list of users, Validate the users.
  • Click Start backup >> Start button to start downloading Google documents including Sheets.

Final Words

There are different methods to save Google sheets to desktop. Choosing the best one among them is all about your requirements. In this article, we have covered 4 such methods that collectively ensure to download Google sheets regardless of the circumstances. Figure out your requirements and download Google sheets to desktop in a hassle-free manner.

FAQ

Q: What are the advantages to save google sheets to desktop?

Some of the pros of saving google sheet to access sheets offline, create backups, keep record of changes over time, protect sensitive data, share files via USB/CD, send as email attachments, and potentially have faster performance compared to working online.

Q: What are the different methods to download Google Sheets to desktop?

The main methods covered are: saving one sheet at a time, manually saving multiple sheets, using automated software to download all sheets, and saving sheets from multiple G Suite accounts using backup software.

Q: How do I save a single download google sheets to my PC?

 Open the sheet, go to File > Download and select a format like .xlsx to download the file locally.

Q: What are the limitations of manually saving Google Sheets?

Manually Save Google sheets to desktop has several limitation like, it can be time-consuming for many files and has a risks of data loss.

  author

By Raj

A technical analyst and a writer with innovative ideas when it comes to technology. Provides solutions, tips and tricks to get things done using technology.