Google Books introduces offline support for Chrome users

Google has introduced offline support to its Google Books service.

Chrome and Chrome OS users can now read digital titles downloaded through the application without an internet connection.

"We've all been there - the internet is suddenly down, and you can't keep on reading your ebook to see what the character decides to do next," said Google Books product manager Xinxing Gu.

"Or you're about to head to the airport and want to be able to dive into a newly-purchased ebook during a long flight.

"Whether you are flying through the air, backpacking through the European countryside, or simply facing intermittent network connections, you can always read your Google ebooks in your Chrome browser or on your Chromebook."

Google Books was rolled out under the name Google Print in 2004. The service went live in the UK in October. Last year, the company announced that there are more than 15 million digital books in its library.

Offline support has also been added to Google's mobile apps.