- How to configure Dropbox on Mac to sync folders (all files, photos and vidoes) as virtual folders? I don't want everything physically download onto my mac. I want to access it only when i need it. Dropbox is physically downloading all files as part of synchronization and taking up all space in Mac.
- Enter Cloud Photos (99 cents), a camera app that saves photos to your Dropbox account, freeing up space on your iPhone for apps, music, and other content. Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET.
If you work on a computer, in a team of people, or if you’re a freelancer, Dropbox is the default part of your life now. But Dropbox is much more than just a place to save and sync your work files15 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Dropbox15 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do with DropboxCloud storage services have come and gone, but Dropbox is probably the one that's been here the longest. And now it has upped its game with a host of new features. Let's explore.Read More between your laptop and mobile devices.
I managed to free up almost 4GB of space by deleting old TV shows, GIFs, videos sent to me by friends and the usual detritus we pick up while online. Use Unclouded One third party app works to fill in feature gaps that Dropbox really should have itself.
Dropbox has turned into an ecosystem for collaborating on projects, collecting documents, and sharing important files. But as your entire work life moves into Dropbox, it can be difficult to manage the different parts of Dropbox. The simplistic folder structure surely definitely doesn’t help when you want to share your files. That’s where our tips and tricks come in.
1. Instantly Share Any File With Anyone
Dropbox used to have a separate system for sharing files from your Dropbox account. You had to use the Public folder and it would automatically generate public links for anything in the folder. Now, Dropbox has simplified the workflow.
There are now multiple ways to share a file or folder on Dropbox.
When viewing a file, you can quickly go to the Share section and create a link. Now anyone with the link can access the file.
If you’re looking to collaborate with people on a file or a folder, it’s best to add them to Dropbox sharing directly.
2. Restore Deleted Files
Accidentally deleted a file from Dropbox? Don’t worry, there’s an easy way to get it back, as long as it’s been less than 30 days since the deletion process. If you want to keep deleted files for up to 120 days, you’ll have to upgrade to Dropbox Professional.
Open the Dropbox website, go to the Files section and click on Recently Deleted. Just like the Recycle Bin on your computer, you’ll see a list of files you’ve recently deleted. Air canada inflight entertainment app for mac. Select the revenant files and click on the Restore button to put them back to their original place.
3. Revert Back to an Old Version of a File
One of the best features of Dropbox is its revision history. If you’re a writer or an editor, you’ll appreciate the ease with which you can instantly revert to an older version of the same document.
Click on the menu button next to the file and select Version History. You’ll see a list of every different version of the file that Dropbox saved, along with the time stamp and the user who made the change. Click on one version to preview it. Use the Restore button to switch back to it.
4. Request Files
If you’re using Dropbox to collect different kinds of files from different users, Request Files featureThe Easiest Way to Receive Files Directly in DropboxThe Easiest Way to Receive Files Directly in DropboxReceiving files from others has never been easier thanks to this new and awesome feature from Dropbox.Read More will save you a lot of time. Using this feature, you can create a link and a unique folder associated with it.
You can send this link to anyone and they can add any file to the folder. They don’t even need to be a Dropbox user.
From the sidebar, click on File Requests and then use the Request Files button to get started. Enter the name of the folder, where to save it, put up a deadline, generate the link and send it along!
5. Star Important Folders for Quick Access
Dropbox might be a repository of all of your important work files, archive documents, home documents and even your photo library. If you simply use Dropbox’s folder structure to organize it all, you’ll spend a lot of time just finding the right folder.
This is where starring comes in. Pick a couple of folders you use frequently and Star them. The next time you open Dropbox website or the app, you’ll see these folders right at the top.
6. Save Files for Offline Use
You can’t be connected to the Internet all the time. It’s a good idea to save a couple of important files for offline use. If you’re using Dropbox Basic account, you can save individual files offline (using the iOS and Android app), for free. To save folders, you’ll have to upgrade to a Dropbox Professional account.
Tap on the menu button when you’re viewing a file and tap on the Make Available Offline button to save the file on your device.
7. Use Selective Sync to Save Storage Space
Once you’ve installed Dropbox on your Mac or Windows PC, head to Settings and find the Selective Sync option. Using this feature, you can choose to sync only a selected number of folders with your computer instead of your entire Dropbox account.
This is a good way to make sure that your photo backup or other large files don’t take up space on your computer.
8. Change URL to get Direct Download Link
Here’s a cool little hack to bypass Dropbox’s UI for previewing a file. Instead of dodging a popup that keeps asking you to sign in to Dropbox, just change the URL a bit. At the end of a Dropbox shared URL, replace the “dl=0” part with “dl=1“. Reload and the file will be downloaded instantly.
9. Use 2-Factor Authentication and PIN Lock
If you’re like me, you’re using Dropbox to sync not just important documents but also a password vault for services like 1PasswordThe 5 Best Password Managers for Your iPhoneThe 5 Best Password Managers for Your iPhoneStruggling to remember your passwords? You need a password manager. Here are the best password managers for your iPhone.Read More. This means that you’ll want to protect your Dropbox account. And a complex password isn’t enough.
The best thing you can do is to enable 2 Factor Authentication (with an SMS OTP or Google Authenticator). Go to your Personal Settings > Security and turn on Two-step Verification.
On your iPhone or Android phone, go to the Settings section of the Dropbox app and enable the lock feature. You can use a Pin lock, fingerprint or even Face ID authentication on your iPhone XIs Face ID on the iPhone X Any Good?Is Face ID on the iPhone X Any Good?Gone is the home button. Gone is the fingerprint scanner. It's time to make way for Face ID.Read More.
10. Scan Documents Directly to Dropbox
Dropbox is probably where your scanned documents end up. No matter if you use a third party scanner app like CamScannerScan Documents on Your Phone with CamScanner for AndroidScan Documents on Your Phone with CamScanner for AndroidYou can use this handy app to scan any document straight from your phone.Read More. Now, you can cut out the middleman and directly upload scanned documents using the Dropbox app on your iPhone or Android smartphone.
Dropbox On Mac
After opening the app, tap on the + button and select Scan Document. Follow the prompts on the screen to capture a picture and convert it into scanned document format. Then, choose where you want to save the document.
Now, Master Dropbox Paper
Now that you’ve got a hang of Dropbox, it’s time to take on Dropbox Paper. Paper is Dropbox’s answer to Google Docs. It’s a modern take on a document collaboration tool and it’s actually quite nice. In many ways (the design, mentions, built-in task management), it’s downright better than Google Docs11 Compelling Reasons to Try Dropbox Paper11 Compelling Reasons to Try Dropbox PaperWe have 11 compelling reasons for you to try Dropbox Paper. The new online document tool is off to a good start with features for personal use and collaborative work.Read More.
Explore more about: Cloud Storage, Collaboration Tools, Dropbox.
Active3 years, 2 months ago
When travelling I will need all of the 'space' I can claim on my iPad. Am I correct in thinking 'space' is not being taken up on the iPad by DB folders, unless I have made them favorites?
MC Hodges
migrated from superuser.comMay 11 '13 at 7:16
This question came from our site for computer enthusiasts and power users.
9 Answers
Yes. The files are cloud based until you favorite them.
Straight from DropBox:
How much can I store on my phone or tablet?
The Dropbox iPhone app can save as many files as your iPhone or iPod Touch can hold or Dropbox space allows. If you find yourself running out of space on your iPhone, removing files from your Favorites list will clear up space on your device. If you're running out of Dropbox space, you can delete files from your Dropbox, or you might want to consider upgrading to a bigger Dropbox.
nohillside♦56.5k1414 gold badges118118 silver badges166166 bronze badges
Does Instagram Take Up Storage Space
TravisTravis
I think they cache them locally cause sometimes I'm able to view the images in my folders even while I'm offline but those files aren't on my Favorites.
Jash JacobJash Jacob3,38577 gold badges2828 silver badges5252 bronze badges
I contacted DropBox in relation to this. The files will only stay on the device itself in the sandbox area if they are favourited. Sketch for mac mobile app design download. If not, they will load into the memory and be dropped from memory once the application closes. Because they are cloud-based, they are 'read' then 'dropped' once no longer being 'read'. Kind of like a while loop in programming.
Source: DropBox technical support
Tech29Tech29
If marked as favourite then on iPad/iPod/iPhone
Looking at file means that it is temporarily downloaded to view until application is closed, then it is removed.
Mark20.8k1212 gold badges6060 silver badges9898 bronze badges
![Dropbox App For Mac Take Up Storage Space Dropbox App For Mac Take Up Storage Space](/uploads/1/2/4/6/124696051/557679231.png)
4,02855 gold badges2525 silver badges5252 bronze badges
I have the Dropbox app on my iPhone and have closed and opened it multiple times, as well as resetting the phone, since getting a notice that my phone is nearly full, and Dropbox is taking up 3.9 GB of space without anything being selected as a favorite. Therefore it would appear that the files to take up space without being selected as favorite.
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joejoe
Actually there is a software called iFunBox http://www.i-funbox.com that allows you to 'Manage App Data'.
I noticed my DropBox app was taking 3.6 GB (99% data). Now I just used iFunBox to delete 3,6 GB of 'uploads' from DropBox, and it shrunk again - works like a charm. And DropBox also correctly recovered - picked up to upload my camera folder at the correct place.
![Client Client](/uploads/1/2/4/6/124696051/911149611.jpg)
zxmon21zxmon21
The best and the easiest way to release the dropbox memory is that you unlink your cell phone and then linked again.. I have like 1.9 Gb (the same as the photo and video files) I try this and inmidiatlly the memory was clean.. the best part is when you linked again you not have to reload your files..
CarlosCarlos
Actually it saves everything on your harddrive. I just came to realize I only had 2GB of free space on my iPad. I downloaded iFunbox on my PC and with it I discovered that pretty much every file I've ever downloaded had a copy in a Cache folder under the Dropbox app directory. A couple of those files had even more copies because I had opened them multiple times. I deleted every file on my dropbox cache and recovered 12GB of free space on my 32GB ipad.
freddyfreddy
Just freed up about 8gb on my iPhone! If you're running low on memory just delete Dropbox & then re-install it. Apparently stuff you either upload,download, or view still gets stuck or cached in the local Dropbox app on your iPhone. Note to Dropbox: Fix this! I thought I had a virus or something for the last 2 months! Everytime I uploaded a video to Dropbox I'd use up actual iPhone memory & not just my Dropbox 'Cloud' memory.
BeyatchkillahBeyatchkillah