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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sdwla032a
Helpful | Level 6
2 years ago
Oh, it’s definitely a Dropbox issue. Their support and time of resolve to fix this issue has been abysmal for us paying customers.

What they need to do is fix and dump the caching of the generic icons. If a user opens a folder before making it online, which is often, the generic thumbs will cache and then appear no matter if it’s made online. The cached generic thumbs will not flush.

HOWEVER, if a user makes a folder online BEFORE opening that folder, the previews of the images now appear since those are being captured and cached as the true previews of the thumbs instead.
Ed M.27
Explorer | Level 4
2 years ago
Same issue here, it's rendering Dropbox pointless for me. Shame my annual subscription just renewed too as I can't stick with another year of this.

GDrive seems to work properly for me, I can search and see previews of files. Very close to binning off Dropbox after years and years of use for a Google One account.
wallerlaurenp
Helpful | Level 6
2 years ago
I am having the same problem as the rest (many others, it seems). Can only see jpeg icons in finder using Ventura, dropbox version 182.4.6427.

This bug makes dropbox completely useless to me.
No_Icons_No_Dragon
Helpful | Level 6
2 years ago
Is this no icon preview issue universal? If so, I don’t see how any creative professional, or anyone who works with images would choose to work with Dropbox. Lacking previews wouid be a fatal flaw. That said, I’ve not heard of a mass exodus, so why is this? Is it just the scores of us on this thread? Do you know of other DB users who can see previews? I’m looking for some hope that the issue is isolated and can somehow be resolved. Is DB even listening? Do they monitor the community?
massimilianogrieco
Helpful | Level 6
2 years ago
hello BenDBX and Walter.

It's been since May that we don't hear back on this thread.
I'm tagging you directly because if you scroll trough this thread you'll notice how we feel literally abandoned from Dropbox Support.

Considering that we are paying for this service, this absolutely doesn't make any sense to me.

Please NOTE that this is not a small issue, as we are basically working on the files in BLIND, without previewing files.

I hope you'll reply with some updates asap.
ngchristina
New member | Level 2
2 years ago
Adding the the list of DISCONTENT users. I've been following this thread for a while now. My workaround in the past has been using Adobe Bridge, but now corporate IT is not allowing us to use this program. PLEASE FIX THIS DROPBOX.
lemontea
Explorer | Level 4
2 years ago
This is ridiculous. I have the latest dropbox update and having no thumbnail previews completely destroys the workflow. Looking for another file hosting service. BYE DROPBOX.
jimmy92233
Explorer | Level 4
2 years ago
Finally found a thread addressing this issue and a bit shocked that this is still unresolved.

As a professional creative, I might as well have my hands tied behind my back. Completely incapable of doing any work without being able to see a thumbnail picture of online-only files. The rest of my team running latest OS is also experiencing this and resorted to using the dropbox website to preview files, then hop over to the folder location to edit.

This is insane and it's crippled our productivity. Will be looking into other services for sure.
No_Icons_No_Dragon
Helpful | Level 6
2 years ago
For those who are leaving Dropbox to gain thumbnail previews, please let us know of the cloud storage alternatives you ‘tested and found will do the job. Thanks!
wallerlaurenp
Helpful | Level 6
2 years ago
The free version of Dropbox works! It’s just the larger storage, paid version that is absolutely useless. That said, the files are more likely to be downloaded to your hard drive (less space on the free version), so you would see the thumbnails. I would love to hear of an alternative to Dropbox. I would switch immediately.

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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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