Hey

For years, Notion users have been waiting for one crucial feature: the ability to work without an internet connection.

Whether you're on a flight, in a remote location, or dealing with spotty WiFi, there's nothing more frustrating than having a brilliant idea but being unable to access your digital workspace.

Now that Notion has finally released offline mode, let me share the most practical ways to use this feature and how it can transform your productivity workflow.

Understanding the Limitations

Before diving into use cases, it's important to understand what you can and can't do offline.

Notion's offline mode has some key restrictions:

What doesn't work offline:

• All Notion AI features

• Embedding or playing videos and audios

• File uploads (you can add images, but they won't display until online)

• Database relations and rollups

• Sharing and exporting pages

• Advanced Rollups and formulas (it depend)

Supported blocks you can create:

• All text blocks (headings, paragraphs, lists, callouts, quotes)

• Tables and dividers

• Code blocks

• Database views (Table, Board, Gallery, List, Feed, Calendar, Timeline) — not charts

• Pages and links to pages

Important syncing notes:

Notion automatically makes your most recent pages available offline - 50 pages for paid users, 20 pages for free plan users.

However, there are inconsistencies.

Pages you've recently opened are more likely to be available than those you haven't visited, even if they're part of your core workflow.

For reliable offline access, manually mark pages as "Available Offline" using the three-dot menu.

The 7 Best Use Cases for Notion Offline Mode

Writing Category

1. Daily Journaling

Sometimes I lose cell connection or wifi during the day but still want to capture what happened.

My solution is simple: while on WiFi, I make sure my daily journal page is saved offline.

Since my journal entries creates automatically each day, I also ensure my journaling database is available offline so I can create new entries if I'm still without internet the next day.

Setup tip: Open your journal template and database view as a full page, then enable offline mode for both.

2. Content Creation and Article Writing

As someone who regularly writes articles, having offline access to my content workspace is essential.

I simply navigate to my content database, make it available offline, and can draft new articles even without connectivity.

Capturing Category

3. Idea and Note Capture

Ideas strike at the most inconvenient times - often when you're away from reliable internet.

I keep my ideas and notes databases available offline so I can immediately capture thoughts, insights, and inspirations.

4. Capturing Expenses

You're out shopping, at a restaurant, or traveling, and you need to log an expense but have poor signal or no WiFi.

By keeping your expense database available offline, you can immediately record purchases with details like amount and date.

Then once you back online Notion automatilcy will sync and merge your new page

Checking Category

5. Workout and Gym Tracking

Here's a realistic scenario that inspired this use case: I had this idea before Notion's offline mode was even introduced.

I would plan my workout routine in Notion (in my tasks manager) with specific exercises, sets, and reps organized as subtasks.

Then I'd head to the gym, but the WiFi would be terrible and my phone's data signal weak in that concrete building.

Now with offline mode, you can:

• Check off completed sets as you go

• Update weights or reps for future sessions

This approach turns your phone into a reliable workout companion, even when connectivity fails you in the gym.

Setup strategy: Create your workout task plan while online, mark it offline-available, then head to the gym with confidence.

6. Habit Tracking

When I'm reading and want to avoid distractions, I turn off WiFi completely.

But I don't want to forget to log this habit later.

By ensuring my habit tracker is available offline, I can mark activities as complete even when intentionally disconnected. (but not with a button with a checkbox)

This is particularly useful for:

• Deep work sessions where you disconnect intentionally

• Morning routines before you've connected to WiFi

• Evening wind-down activities when you want to stay offline

7. Project Deadlines and Schedule Management

When someone asks about my availability or when I need to check project deadlines, I can open my laptop and review my tasks, deadlines, and commitments - even without internet access.

Essential setup: Make your main dashboard, project pages, and calendar/deadline views available offline before important meetings or travel.

When You'll Actually Use It

Here's the reality: offline mode is great, but you'll rarely use it extensively.

We're more connected than ever, and most places have some form of internet access.

However, when you do need it, it's incredibly valuable.

The situations where offline mode truly shines are:

• Travel

• Remote locations or poor connectivity areas

• Intentional disconnection for focus

• Emergency access to critical information

In my workspace, even while testing offline mode, I can see most of my tasks, check completed items, and access my recent captures.

Relations between databases work because they were established before going offline, making the experience surprisingly seamless for basic productivity workflows.

Making the Most of Offline Mode

Key recommendations:

• Manually mark important pages offline - Don't rely on automatic syncing

• Visit pages before going offline - This ensures you have the latest updates

• Remember it's per-device - Making a page offline on your laptop won't make it available on your phone

• Plan ahead - Think about what you might need offline and prepare accordingly

The feature works best when you're intentional about preparation rather than hoping it will magically have what you need when connectivity disappears.

What offline use cases have you found most valuable?

I'd love to hear how you're incorporating this feature into your workflow.

Thank you for reading

Osama aka Ols