The problem of having files stored in the cloud is that they're not accessible when you're offline. For a while now, Google has been attempting to change this by making files on Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides available to download for offline viewing or editing.

With the latest update to the three apps, any file that has recently been opened will be downloaded to your device. (Note: Slides has not rolled out yet, but we'll let you know when it does.) If you lose your internet connection, this file will be available offline. The changes you make will then be synced back once you've got an internet connection. As files start to age, or the device runs out of storage space, they will be deleted automatically. Of course, files can still be made available offline manually, by tapping the action overflow on each document, then checking the 'Available Offline' checkbox. These files will have a check next to them, while those that have been automatically downloaded will not have this.

Left: Slides. Right: Docs. In the case of both images, checkboxes on the left of each item indicate file has been manually made available offline.

The great thing about this is you don't need to remember to explicitly make a file available offline; Docs, Sheets, or Slides will do it for you. Once that file hasn't been updated or modified in a while, it will be deleted from the device to make space for other files. Magic!

Download

The APK is signed by Google and upgrades your existing app. The cryptographic signature guarantees that the file is safe to install and was not tampered with in any way. Rather than wait for Google to push this download to your devices, which can take days, download and install it just like any other APK.

File Name: com.google.android.apps.docs.editors.docs_1.6.192.06.40-61920640_minAPI16(arm64-v8a)(nodpi)_apkm.apk

Version: 1.6.192.06

File Name: com.google.android.apps.docs.editors.sheets_1.6.192.08.40-61920840_minAPI16(arm64-v8a)(nodpi)_apkmirror.com.apk

Version: 1.6.192.08

Source: Google App Updates blog