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novalin's avatar
novalin
Helpful | Level 5
4 years ago
Solved

Sharing a file with people without Dropbox accounts

I have a PDF I want to share with people so they can download it, but I don't want them to have to create a Dropbox account (or sign in) to download it.   Is there a way to do this with Dropbox? ...
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  • Megan's avatar
    Megan
    4 years ago

    Hey novalin, thanks for sending me the steps. 

     

    It sounds as if you've shared the file directly, instead of using a shared link. Can you try following these steps and share the link to them via an email or any other means? 

     

    They should be able to view the link without a Dropbox account too. 

Megan's avatar
Megan
Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
4 years ago

Hey novalin, thanks for sending me the steps. 

 

It sounds as if you've shared the file directly, instead of using a shared link. Can you try following these steps and share the link to them via an email or any other means? 

 

They should be able to view the link without a Dropbox account too. 

novalin's avatar
novalin
Helpful | Level 5
4 years ago

Hi. Using the "copy link" option also results in the recipient hitting a log in screen. However, you can dismiss the log in screen and still download the file. While it does work it's just a bad user experience to hit people with a disruptive log in screen.

  • Megan's avatar
    Megan
    Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
    4 years ago

    Hi novalin! 

     

    I'll forward your feedback to the appropriate areas so we can continue to improve.

     

    I'll be one post away if you need anything.

    • novalin's avatar
      novalin
      Helpful | Level 5
      4 years ago

      Thank you Megan. Candidly, it appears Dropbox is prioritizing harvesting new accounts over a better UX, which is unfortunate.

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