I'm trying to figure out how to see previews, specifically of .jpeg online files, on my mac desktop. I use Dropbox almost exclusively for photo management and it's frustrating not even being able to see a preview so I can figure out which files I need to download locally (I just moved from an old computer that had enough storage to download everything offline to a new computer with much less storage so almost everything is online). I can do this on my android app. All of the online-only files on the mobile app are fully previewable and I can scroll through everything before deciding what to download. Is this possible on the desktop?

The response from DB appears to miss the crucial point, as the employee doesn't seem to fully grasp that our specific need isn't unique; it's a fundamental requirement for all content creators who rely on previews to identify files. It's our business we're worried about. Our concern isn't about DB continually improving its application and features. The current state of DB is a complete failure for us. We don't require an upgrade; we're simply unable to maintain baseline productivity. The absence of a clear timeline is incredibly frustrating. If this issue isn't resolved within weeks, not months, we're gone. I implore the DB community to explore alternative cloud options that cater to creative professionals and share your experiences with those of us suffering due to DB's prolonged negligence. I operate within the media industry, and once we identify a viable DB alternative for creative professionals, I will actively pump out some media release to promote articles and content that expose this DB failure and recommend the alternative solution.

luizfernandomiller that is such a ridiculously unspecific response, ohhh a mysterious third party is to blame, sure sure 🙄. Firstly, any computer will have third party software, mac or pc, in fact, technically dropbox is third party as otherwise you'd be stuck with apple apps the mac came with and never do anything on your actual computer. Secondly, finder isn't a third party app, it's native to mac, and since we are all experiencing an issue viewing files via finder with dropbox after a dropbox update, I fail to see exactly what third party app they're blaming. Personally since I use my mac for heavy creative work I install very few programs on my mac beyond the big reputable ones, I can't think of anything I've got at all that could be considered minor/potentially unstable/untrustworthy. They surely aren't blaming Adobe or Microsoft, and again, since those programs aren't used to view dropbox files anyway, I fail to see how this would impact their service. Dropbox need to speak to Apple and sort out a solution, it's not Apple's doing either, but I'm quite sure they'd be informed enough to sort out what the issue is exactly. Mac's account for upwards of 30% of the US market as a whole, according to this article from Computer World in May. I'm from Australia and would add if we cut school students from the data that figure would likely grow exponentially, and certainly in the creative industries it's higher again. My point here being, mac use is no longer small fry, the excuses of the tech teams of years past that "oh it's a mac issue it's your fault for using mac" don't cut it any longer, especially not a service like this which is specifically targeted at industries known for being heavy mac users. I've gone back to sending wetransfer links for all clients except the one that forces me to use Dropbox. I've moved all my file storage to icloud drive. The previous comment is true, this is a fundamental part of Dropbox service and without it, Dropbox is pretty useless.

Sam, it’s been ONE FULL YEAR since this was reported! Soon, yeah right. It’s obvious your position as Community Manger is simply to make excuses and string us along. Enough! Please elevate this complaint. Transfer this case up to a more senior level. We are all fed up and tired of a year’s worth of “we’re working on it.” We need to do our work and we’d all be fired if all we had for our clients—for a year—was endless excuses.

YEP I'm a creative professional and it's happening here too. Not having thumbnail previews for online only files on mac is SO frustrating and such a complete waste of time. I have dropbox V183.4.7058I have a M1 Mac Studio running macOS Sonoma 14.0I also sometimes use dropbox from my M2 macbook air running the same OS - it is happening on that one tooIt was happening on Ventura before that, from both computers. I KNOW it's not a mac issue - all my dropbox files were perfect via my mac and I worked online-only every day until a dropbox update (can't remember when the update happened exactly, but its been at least since May) - and ever since that, all my online only files don't show preview thumbnails. I work as a freelancer and have this issue on my personal account > which I use to access a paid dropbox teams account from a large business I sometimes do work for. The issue happens to their entire inhouse team too, and it's frustrating everyone! The only practical way to use Dropbox as a designer is via finder. So please don't suggest accessing from browser, I can't place images in Indesign for example, from browser, or navigate easily to the 100 or so folders I might need, and thousands of files or images. So it's bad enough having to download each dropbox file and folder I need to work on, but if I want to check something in a previous design or any number of files I might look back on, I have to download each one to see it. When I need to view photos from a shoot and find a specific few to place or edit, I CAN'T SEE THEM! I HAVE to download either a ridiculous amount of data just to view 500 photos I might not actually need, or, well, there is no alternative. THIS IS A DAILY ISSUE. So this creates another problem: Duplicates and version control. With no image/thumbnail preview, you're forcing everyone to download all files and folders they need to work on or even check, so the files are now synced locally on their mac. Say two designers are working from the same area, on fairly large files, if we both rename or upload a photo at the same time, because it takes a while to upload big files, we sometimes get duplicates. Version control becomes hideous, the only way I can ensure another designer will see the right version of a file I've been working on is to make it online only, then download them again immediately since I need to see previews of every jpg and pdf myself too. We do fast paced work, I access a LOT of files and folders when I work for this company and what used to be seamless is now clunky, slow and frankly barely usable. Embarrassingly for dropbox, they even had a warning message pop up in-app for a good few months after I noticed my issues started, saying there were issues on mac with online only files. This has mysteriously disappeared now - but the problem remains. It's surprising they aren't taking this more seriously in terms of prioritising a solution, considering macs are pretty standard in most households now, and certainly the standard for my industry. A few of the team have started sending google drive file links, I suspect that is where we are exiting to, although I have no experience with drive myself so can't comment on the practicality of that solution. Personally I use and work from icloud drive, but there isn't really any way to share access as a team to icloud drive files and I can't see that working for teams using both mac's and PC's.

Hi, I'm struggling with the same issue currently on my Mac (running up to date OS Ventura Version 13.3.1 ). My online-only files have plain JPG icons with no preview thumbnails and when I hit the space bar (or select Quick Look) there's nothing. My local files all display perfectly.It's clear that I'm not alone with this issue.Having tens of thousands of images to sort through, this issue is potentially a deal-breaker and one that may need me to move away from Dropbox. I don't want this - so would appreciate some serious help by the DB team. Thanks in advance.

How to view previews of online-only files on desktop (like how you can in the mobile app)? - macOS

165 Replies

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Jay
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years ago
Hi meganh32, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

The difference between the apps is that the mobile app is primary used to preview files on the site, so it's actively downloading the thumbnails to let you preview the files in full when you tap them, and the full file is then downloaded.

Regarding the desktop, are you referring to using Quick Look on your Mac to see thumbnails, or something else?

This will help me to assist further!
ShropshireLad
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago
Hi, I'm struggling with the same issue currently on my Mac (running up to date OS Ventura Version 13.3.1 ). My online-only files have plain JPG icons with no preview thumbnails and when I hit the space bar (or select Quick Look) there's nothing. My local files all display perfectly.

It's clear that I'm not alone with this issue.

Having tens of thousands of images to sort through, this issue is potentially a deal-breaker and one that may need me to move away from Dropbox. I don't want this - so would appreciate some serious help by the DB team. Thanks in advance.
Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years ago
Hi ShropshireLad, let's jump right into this!

Which Dropbox version are you running? You can find this by locating your little Dropbox icon on the menu bar, next to your WiFi, and hovering your mouse over it.

If you right click on the files, and change to available offline, can you see the thumbnails then? Can you send me a screenshot of the missing thumbnails so I can have a visual of what you described?

This will help me to assist further!
ShropshireLad
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago
Hi Megan, thanks for the speedy response.

My Dropbox version is below:

I've tried uninstalling, deleting the app, reinstalling, restarting, etc. and it made no difference.

You can see the difference between online-only and local files as the screen grab below.

I changed one of the files shown into available offline and it showed the thumbnail - but it had an annoying JPG graphic obscuring most of the preview - see below:

I'm running macOS Ventura 13.3.1
I hope that this helps and thanks in advance for your help!
meganh32
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago
Hi Jay,

I'm using almost exclusively just Finder thumbnail pictures, sometimes Preview, on Mac. I mainly use dropbox for photo storage and now that I don't have a computer that can locally store all my files, and I am unable to even preview photos while connected to the internet (I would understand that the thumbnails wouldn't show up if not connected to internet) it's making it nearly impossible to use dropbox effeciently. It's seeming like I have to use the website, find the file I need, then either download it (creating duplicate files) or find the file name/location and then going back to the desktop app and finding the file name/location again and downloading it there. It's very cumbersome.
Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years ago
Hi meganh32 & ShropshireLad, can you try following these steps, in order to force quit the app?

Click the Dropbox icon in the system tray, or menu bar, by the clock.

Click on your profile picture or initials to the right of the search bar.

Choose either "Exit Dropbox" or "Quit Dropbox".

Once you do, re-launch the app, and let me know if you notice any difference.
meganh32
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago
Megan and @ShropshireLad,

I just installed the new updated version of Dropbox for Mac that I was emailed about and it looks like it fixed the problem! I now show thumbnails for all of my pictures and can press the space bar to preview them in finder (although they are a small preview and not the full size, but I'll take what I can get).
CharlotteR
Collaborator | Level 8
3 years ago
@meganh32 what version of Dropbox are you now running?

I downloaded the latest version from the website and still have the issue.

Thumbnails not appearing for offline files, and even when I sync them, the thumbnail will not appear unless I restart Finder.

I'm running Ventura.
Megan
Dropbox Community Moderator
3 years ago
Hi CharlotteR, let's jump right into this!

Did you happen to follow the steps I provided above, in order for you to quit the app, and then re-launch it? If you have any screenshots of what you see on your end, they're more than welcome.

Also, could you locate your little Dropbox icon, the one next to your WiFi on your menu bar, hover your mouse over it and let me know the version of the app that you're using?

Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there!
CharlotteR
Collaborator | Level 8
3 years ago
Hi Megan,

Yes I quit the app and then relaunched it. I actually deleted it and then downloaded it fresh and installed it again.

Here's the version I'm running.

And here's what I see in Dropbox:

Relaunching the finder will create thumbnails for those recently synced files (they don't appear automatically), but the online-only files do no have thumbnail images whatever I do. They used to about a week ago!

Thanks,
Charlotte