How to get Gmail as a desktop app

September 17, 2020

In this two-minute guide, I'll show you a quick and easy method to create a Gmail desktop app.

Unfortunately, Gmail does not have a downloadable desktop app of their own, so we'll have to do a quick workaround.

This guide requires you to use Google Chrome as your main internet browser. We use a Mac in the examples, but the technique works equally well for Windows users.

In this guide

Create a Gmail desktop app

Step 1:
Open Gmail in your Chrome browser.

Step 2:
Click the three vertical dots in the right-hand corner -> go to More tools -> and then Create Shortcut.

Click the three vertical dots at the top-right corner of your browser. Go to More Tools and then Create Shortcut

Step 3:
Make sure that "Open as window" is checked.

Tick of "Open as window"

Step 4:
Right-click or alt+click on the Gmail icon in the dock, and go to Options and then Keep in Dock.

Select Keep in Dock

How to use Gmail offline

Step 1:
Open settings by clicking the cog wheel icon and selecting Settings.

Open Gmail Settings

Step 2:
Go to the Offline tab in the top menu.

Go to the Offline tab

Step 3:
Check off for Enable offline mail.

Check Enable offline mail

Step 4:
Select the option that best suits you. “Keep offline data on my computer” is a good choice if it's only you who use your computer.

Select one of the two security options

Step 5:
Click save changes and that's it! Well done you! 🙌

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