 

Download Wikipedia for Offline Reading

Edited by Maria Arieanza Santos Tan, Eng, Lynn, Graciela Franchesca Rosario and 7 others

Marias17 laptopuserwiki.jpg

Have you ever been so exhausted that you don't have the energy to do your research before you literally flop down on your bed? Well, we've got the solution to your problem. Now you can download all the information you'll ever need right onto your phone, Tablet or Laptop and bring Wikipedia along on bus rides and vacations without the hassle of needing an internet connection! Follow the directions closely to have a world of knowledge at the tap of a button, without the need for an internet connection.

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Steps to Downloading Wikipedia to Your Device

  1. 1
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  2. 2
    Next, type "Wikipedia Database" into the site's search bar and you will be redirected to the Wikipedia Database Download Page.
    Marias17 wikioffline databasedl.JPG
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  3. 3
    Scroll down until you get to the part where it says, "Where do I get English-language Wikipedia"
    .
    Marias17 wikioffline englishwiki.JPG
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  4. 4
    Then, click on the link they have provided to download all the latest data revisions named "pages-articles"
    .
    Marias17 wikioffline downloadpages.JPG
    These files are also known as "Database Dumps" and are periodically updated for the user's convenience and ease of download.
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  5. 5
    While you are downloading, you will notice the file has an icon that looks like a small stack of books, which means that it has been compressed for a faster download, and to save space on your device
    .
    Marias17 wikioffline rarfileicon.JPG
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Space Requirements

You will now need to download and install software to extract the files; otherwise you won't be able to access the files.

  1. 1
    Before you proceed to extract those files,
    Marias17 wikioffline filesizeuncompressed.JPG
    check around a little bit and make sure you have enough memory for what's coming, because those 9.5 gigabytes of data you downloaded from Wikipedia is not all of the space you need
    !
    Once you've extracted the file, it becomes uncompressed. Therefore, it expands. According to the Wikipedia Database Download information, the files add up to a total of approximately 44 gigabytes once extracted.
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  2. 2
    There is one more thing to go through
    :
    to easily access the files you have downloaded for smooth, offline reading, you are going to need portable software that can open ".xml.bz2" files (Wikipedia pages have this file extension). You're probably wondering why you still need to do this when you've just extracted the files. So far, you've only managed to un-compress the files, now you need to be able to open them. There are several of those available over the internet!
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Apps to Download to Read Wikipedia Files

Free Applications

A few FREE applications and software programs have been listed below, along with brief descriptions for your convenience.

  1. 1
    WikiTaxi
    .
    This software will extract the Wikipedia database files (.bz2) right before converting them to a ".taxi" format. You can now easily read these pages right off WikiTaxi like you'd read paperback books on the bus ride to work!
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  2. 2
    Kiwix
    .
    This software has been made available for Windows, Mac and Linux systems. All you have to do is install the application, and download Wikipedia editions which are packed as ".zim" files that will open without any glitches or conversions required through Kiwix. Note that the latest packages in ".zim" format can be downloaded from kiwix.org or you can download torrent files, instead of Kiwix. This app will allow you to read Wikipedia when you're offline. Kiwix is used in Mozilla. It is designed specifically for Wikipedia but it is also allowed for Wikimedia. Kiwix for Wikipedia is created for schools. Kiwix files are in ZIM files. Kiwix is available in 100 languages.
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  3. 3
    WikiOffline Application - This is for people who have iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPad, etc
    .
    You can just download the application and have Wikipedia accompany you anywhere you go! This application has also been made available to Mac OS X patrons through the Mac App Store.
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Applications to Buy

Of course, if you are willing to spend a little, here are some other applications that are undoubtedly worth it!

  1. 1
    All of Wikipedia - this software is available for all iOS devices
    .
    It has more features and will alert you whenever new Wikipedia database dumps are available to download in a fast and easy way! Last checked cost: $9.99. All of Wikipedia is an app where you can download the largest encyclopedia Wikipedia. You can access this app in iOS devices. Your download of Wikipedia will take 3 to 4 hours, depending on the speed of your internet connection.
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  2. 2
    WikiPock - This particular software is no less efficient than the others
    .
    It has been made available for all kinds of platforms, including Android, Windows Mobile, Blackberry and Symbian devices. An added bonus is they will ship you a pre-loaded memory card with Wikipedia on it if you find you don't have enough space for it on your device. Last checked cost: $9.99. WikiPock brings Wikipedia to your mobile.
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Other Source of Wikipedia

  1. 1
    Wiki Offline
    .
    You can change the theme and fonts of the app. This is a Mac application. It allows image galleries and full-screen reading.
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  2. 2
    WikiDroyd
    .
    This turns Wikipedia articles into audio book through the use of a text-to-speech plugin. It supports up to over 40 languages. Images are not supported with this Android app.
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  3. 3
    WikiReader contains 3 million Wikipedia articles
    .
    Wikireader.png
    Here you can convert Wikipedia into PDF book. This is not an app but a device. A 3.5 " monochrome device. You get updates through SD cards or connecting to your computer. This device cost $99. It is a touch screen device. The device also features calculator. It contains a 16 GB Micro SDHC memory card. It is sponsored by Openmoko.
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  4. 4
    Lexium
    .
    This provides you a summary of the article content instead of the full Wikipedia content. You can print it by entering the code in the box. You can use it in various languages.
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  5. 5
    PediaPhon
    .
    This is an audio app. So you can do whatever task you work on while you listen to the audio in PediaPhon. You French, German, and Spanish.
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  6. 6
    Wiki encyclopedia Offline-Free
    .
    This Android app includes bookmarks, compressed database, and the ability to adjust the font size.
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  7. 7
    You can also convert Wikipedia articles into eBook, ODF, or PDF, or printed.
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Tips

  • This is a long process. Make sure your battery is fully charged AND it's plugged into a device or directly to an outlet.
  • For your own convenience, make sure to check the available memory on your device, so that the download and installation processes will run smoothly and be finished quickly.
  • Make sure to download only the applications and files compatible with the specifications of your device.
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Things You'll Need

  • The actual files from the Wikipedia Database
  • An extractor for RAR Files
  • Portable software that can access ".bz2" or ".zim" files, depending on your preference. (Read step 7 for more about this.)

Questions and Answers

I am looking for a database of English words.

I am looking for a database of English words spoken by a male voice, for a new application I am testing.

What you're looking for is called a speech corpus. Speech corpus cannot be used for commercial purposes unless you pay for it. However, if you're testing an application for your personal use, you can use this speech corpus from the University of Ohio's Department of Psychology. If your application will eventually be made public for commercial purposes, you will have to purchase a commercial copy.

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If you download a speech corpus and find out it's not exactly what you're looking for, you can also try to search through a site like SampleSwap to find words that you can use in the development of your application.

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I want to download the Wikipedia database of English in archive form.

I want to download the Wikipedia database of English in archive form in .zim format

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Can I open Wikipedia offline data with mobi-reader?

Thanks for your article about downloading and reading Wikipedia offline stuff.

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I need a software/app in which I can search anything. It should give the results offline?

For example, if I search communication it should show the relevant data regarding that. I have tried: Google but it is an online.

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Referencing this Article

If you need to reference this article in your work, you can copy-paste the following depending on your required format:

APA (American Psychological Association)
Download Wikipedia for Offline Reading. (2016). In VisiHow. Retrieved Mar 31, 2017, from http://visihow.com/Download_Wikipedia_for_Offline_Reading

MLA (Modern Language Association) "Download Wikipedia for Offline Reading." VisiHow, visihow.com/Download_Wikipedia_for_Offline_Reading Accessed 31 Mar 2017.

Chicago / Turabian VisiHow.com. "Download Wikipedia for Offline Reading." Accessed Mar 31, 2017. http://visihow.com/Download_Wikipedia_for_Offline_Reading.

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