Want to keep a web page handy for later? Here are a few apps that will let you store them offline, so you can access them even when the internet’s down.
Photo by Auremar (Shutterstock).
A lot of people are still without power and internet over in North America due to Hurricane Sandy, and these apps can be a lifesaver. Whether you want to store an article for when you’re bored or keep those emergency and other support numbers handy when you’re offline, here’s how to save a web page on your computer and mobile phone.
Saving Web Pages on Windows, Mac and Linux
If you’re on a desktop computer, saving a web page is very simple. Just open up your browser, navigate to the page, and go to File > Save Page As. Save it as “Web Page, Complete” anywhere handy on your hard drive. You’ll get an HTML file and a folder full of images and other data contained within — don’t delete this. When you want to see the web page, just double-click on the HTML file and you should be able to see it just as it was when you saved it, whether you have a connection or not.
Saving Web Pages on iOS
Offline Pages Pro does a good job of saving pages in iOS. It’s not cheap ($10.49), but it is effective. Just open up the app, type in the address of the page you want to save, and click the Save button in the address bar. You’ll then be able to open it up when you don’t have a connection.
What’s really nice is that it will even save pages that your current page links to, as well as automatically update the page regularly if you have an internet connection, so you can stay on top of the latest information. Check out the Options menus when you go to save a page to tweak these settings.
Saving Web Pages on Android
If you want to keep a web page for later on Android, you need Offline Browser. To use it, just open it up and tap the plus sign to add a new page to your library. Not only will it save your page for offline viewing, but it will also keep the page up to date when you do have a connection, download Flash objects, and save pages that your page links to. You can even tell it to save only pages whose links contain certain text, which is a really nice touch.
You can also use services like Pocket, Instapaper or Readability to save articles for readable, offline viewing.
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