Dropbox Desktop App Mac
Dropbox is a desktop app for Mac, PC and Linux computers to manage all your Dropbox accounts in one place. Manage multiple Dropbox accounts. Switch between Dropbox accounts with keyboard shortcuts. Run Dropbox in self-contained, distraction-free windows. Downloading Dropbox. Your Dropbox download should automatically start within seconds. Once the download finishes, click Run to start installing Dropbox. The desktop app gives you one organized place to work with all your Dropbox content, tools, and connected apps. Jump back into work quickly Easily prioritize your workday and stay focused on what’s happening with Dropbox in the Windows system tray and macOS menu bar.
Depending on your operating system (Linux, macOS, or Windows), you may see some or all of the options below in the preferences menu. On Linux, you can change some of these settings using commands.
Settings in the general tab
Start Dropbox on system startup
You can have Dropbox launch automatically whenever you start your computer. This option is recommended in order to keep your Dropbox folder synced online and to other computers at all times.
Language
To specify a different language from the default operating system settings, select it from this menu.
Dropbox Badge
Choose if Dropbox badge appears each time you open a Microsoft Office file, to see it only when others are viewing a file, or to never see the badge.
Open folders in
You can choose to open folders automatically in the Dropbox folder in Finder/File Explorer or the desktop app. Learn how to change that preference.
About Dropbox
This is the current version of your Dropbox installation. Reference this number in support cases or to see if you have the latest version of Dropbox.
Settings in the account tab
In the account tab you can sign in and out of your Dropbox accounts, view which plan you’re on, and view your storage space. If you have two linked accounts, you can sign in and out of them in this tab. If you sign into both your linked accounts, you can easily switch between them in the desktop app.
Settings in the backups tab
Devices
Dropbox On My Desktop
Devices configured for importing photos will show up here.
Photos
Choose if you want to enable camera uploads to automatically upload photos and videos from your phone, camera, SD card, or other devices whenever you connect to your computer.
Screenshots
Whenever you take a screenshot, Dropbox will automatically save it to your Dropbox and copy a link to your clipboard so you can share it instantly.
Settings in the bandwidth or network tab
To change bandwidth settings on a Mac computer, click Network, then click Change Settings... next to Bandwidth.
Download rate
- Don't limit: Select this radio button if you want Dropbox to download files from the Dropbox server at the fastest available speed.
- Limit to: Limit the rate of download by entering your own download rate in kilobytes per second. Entering '0' will tell Dropbox to download at the fastest speed available.
Upload rate
- Don't limit: Select this radio button if you want Dropbox to upload files to Dropbox at the fastest available speed.
- Limit automatically: Select this radio button if you want Dropbox to determine the speed at which to upload your files when it is syncing.
- Limit to: Choose your own upload rate here in kilobytes per second
LAN sync
LAN sync is a networking feature that allows you to save time and bandwidth by downloading files directly from other computers on your local network. Deselecting this option will force Dropbox to sync from Dropbox servers every time it detects a change in your Dropbox folder.
Settings in the proxies or network tab
To change proxies settings on a Mac computer, click Network, then click Change Settings... next to Proxies.
Proxy settings
- No proxy: Choose no proxy server to tell Dropbox if you don't use a proxy server. Choosing this option may bypass some issues that occur when Dropbox attempts to find a proxy server and fails
- Auto-detect: This option will let Dropbox auto-detect your proxy settings. Select this option if you are unsure if your internet connection requires a proxy server
- Manual: Select this radio button to allow you to enter your proxy settings manually. This option is typically for users or administrators who have a non-standard proxy server configuration
When Manual is selected, the following settings will be available for editing:
- Proxy type: This pulldown will let you select your proxy server's protocol. Dropbox supports HTTP, SOCKS4, and SOCKS5.
- Server: Enter the URL and port of your proxy server here.
- Proxy server requires password: Select this checkbox if your proxy server requires a login. Once you do, the Username and Password fields will be editable.
Settings in the notifications tab
Notify me about
You can set your notification preferences to choose what notifications to receive.
Do not disturb
Dropbox Desktop App Mac
On Mac computers, you can turn off notifications for a limited time. Choose how long notifications are turned off for.
Settings in the sync tab
Selective sync
Selective sync lets you choose which folders from your Dropbox online account sync to the Dropbox folder on your computer. If you deselect a folder, it won't appear in your Dropbox folder, but it's still in your account on dropbox.com. We recommend you use selective sync for files you don't use very often.
Smart Sync
Smart Sync is only available to Dropbox Business, Plus, Family, and Professional users.
If you choose the Local setting, new files and folders that you add to your account on dropbox.com download to your computer's hard drive in the Dropbox folder.
If you choose the Online-only setting, new files and folders added to your account on dropbox.com display in your Dropbox folder on your computer, but are online-only.
Note: Smart Sync settings only apply to the top-level of folders inside your main Dropbox folder. All lower-level files and folders follow the setting of their parent folder, unless you change them individually.
Select Let my admin manage this setting to use your team's default setting.
Sync setting FAQs
Why are my files downloading to my computer when my Smart Sync is set to online-only?
There are two reasons a file may download to your computer’s Dropbox folder even though your Smart Sync is set to online-only:
- The file or folder was already on your computer when you added it to your Dropbox folder
- In this case, the file or folder will continue to take up hard drive space unless you make it online-only
- Note: You can also unsync it from your computer using selective sync
- You’re using an application that needed to download files to function properly, including:
- Backup services
- Antivirus software
- Recently used file lists
- Third party applications that monitor files
Why, after using selective sync, are my folders online-only when my Smart Sync is set to local?
If you’re using Smart Sync (which is only available to Dropbox Business, Plus, Family and Professional users), you can still use selective sync to sync folders from dropbox.com to your computer’s Dropbox folder. Those folders sync to your computer as online-only regardless of your Smart Sync setting, but you can change them to local at anytime.
To change a folder from online-only to local:
- Right-click the folder.
- Hover over Smart Sync.
- Click Local.
Dropbox folder location
Dropbox On Mac
This option changes the location of your Dropbox folder. Typically your Dropbox folder is installed in your user folder (the folder named after your login). However, you can choose any location on your hard drive with this option.
Note: While you can choose the location of your Dropbox folder, you currently can't change the name of your Dropbox folder. No matter where you put it, it will be named Dropbox or Dropbox (Team name) for Business accounts and Dropbox (Personal) for connected personal accounts.
We don’t need to tell you. You know how stressful it can be sitting down at your computer trying to figure out what to do next. And keeping your head clear throughout the day, as notifications slide in, sound off, and beg for your attention? Forget it.
We’ve felt that. And we saw that pain as an opportunity, one to make work a little less hectic. And we’ve taken the first steps with Dropbox Spaces and the all-new Dropbox desktop app we rolled out in September. It takes Dropbox from being the place you find your files to being the smart workspace where your content, tools, and team come together. But we realize that’s a bit of a wide net, so today, we’ll walk you through the top 5 things you can do in our new desktop app.
1. Give everyone Space
Folders? They’ve served us well this far, but let’s face it—they’re nothing more than containers. And when you’re coordinating a project across dozens of people, it doesn’t make sense to store files in one place and helpful info in another. Dropbox Spaces, though, turn your folders into collaborative workspaces where everyone can share project notes, assign to-dos, and pin important files for quick access.
Want to create one? Just select a folder, add a description, and… that’s it. The best part is that everyone with access to a Space can also access it through our mobile app and dropbox.com. And if you ever need to access files through Windows Explorer or macOS Finder, the Dropbox folder still lives on your computer as always.
2. Store it all
Traditional files—the Word docs, MP3s, and Photoshop files of this world—are pretty straightforward. They might live in folders, but what about the work you do in cloud-based tools, the Google Docs and such? They live… somewhere, and most likely not in the same place as your traditional files. Until now. With our new app, you can create, edit, and share Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files right in Dropbox. No more keeping the regular files together and having to email links to the cloud content, just “Everything’s in the Space.”
3. Weave a web
That doesn’t mean web links aren’t useful. Say you need to share a bunch of articles with your team, but don’t want them getting lost? Now you can create a shortcut to any website and have it stored in Dropbox. But it’s not just for simple articles. Got a link to an Airtable base, Trello board, or other web-based tool? Create a shortcut and store it in a Space to make sure everyone can find the info they need without having to hunt it down.
4. Get your fair share
Chances are you use a lot of apps every workday—most of us switch between apps at work every six minutes. That’s probably a lot more app switching than you feel like doing. Our new desktop app takes aim at those time- and focus-sapping hops. You can connect three of the most popular collaboration apps—Slack, Zoom, and Trello—to make sharing one step easier. Once you’ve connected them, you can share any file in your Dropbox to a Slack channel, Zoom Meeting, or Trello board without leaving Dropbox.
5. Get personal
If you’re bolting from meeting to meeting, you probably don’t have a ton of time to dig around for the files you need… for those very meetings. But what if they just… appeared? Now they do. In the desktop app sidebar, you'll see a list of folders we think you’re likely to need. And when you connect your calendar, we’ll show you which files you’ll need for your next meeting from the Windows system tray and Mac menu bar—automatically. All so you can stay focused on your work.
Dropbox Desktop Application Mac
And that’s just the beginning. There’s a lot more to discover in our enhanced desktop experience—and a lot more on the way. Ready to get started? Open up the Dropbox app on your Windows or Mac. Don’t have it yet? Download the desktop app now or ask your admin to enable it for your Dropbox Business team.