Need to see if your shared folder is taking up space on your dropbox 👨💻? Find out how to check here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
Edit a text (*.txt) file in Chrome browser
Hi there,
I'm struggling to edit a TXT file in Chrome browser on Dropbox. I'm sure I've done it with a .docx file before.
When I search for this feature, Google returns results asking for it back to 2012, but there's nothing recently, the feature requests such as this one have been closed, so I'm assuming I'm having an issue with my account. Especially since Dropbox is pushing Family plans, signature, and other feature way more complex and less universal as a simple TXT editor. I've been using link removed it has looked the same for years and works fine, but I find it extra weird that a giant company like Dropbox doesn't have a similar feature.
How do you usually edit a TXT file in the browser? I only have a few lines to add/remove, when I'm on a machine without the Dropbox app/daemon installed, and don't want to leave any file traces on that machine.
See my environment in Chrome on a Macbook air, as a Dropbox Plus paying client. On TXT files, I have an "Open in" Menu, but the arrow only opens a 2px high line. This is definitely not expected behavior, as if the submenu was empty, it should not appear with an arrow in the first place. What could I be I missing here?
22 Replies
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
Dear support,
I am a very old user of Dropbox (maybe 2007/2008) and I suggested moving many of my friends to use it, but now I am really disappointed.
Every year the Dropbox team "forgets" to implement a web plain text editor for the browser.
This is a simple COMMODITY that all the competitors already have, and I am thinking to switch to a different service.
There is a plan to deliver it and a deadline or do I have to move to a different service?
Thank you
# SOME OLD REQUEST
2023: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Delete-edit-and-organize/Edit-a-text-txt-file-in-Chrome-browser/td-p/658939
2021: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-ideas/Add-universal-txt-file-edit-interface/idi-p/550439
2021: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Delete-edit-and-organize/Edit-text-files/td-p/504160
2018: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-ideas/Create-files-text-and-markdown-in-Dropbox-via-web-interface/idi-p/278997
2015: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-ideas/Edit-text-file-in-browser-window/idc-p/300594
2015: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Dropbox-ideas/Edit-text-file-in-browser-window/idi-p/19795
(And many more)- Nancy
Dropbox Community Moderator
At the moment, I’m afraid we don’t have any further updates on this.
I’d glad to hear though you’re seeing the correct app after updating it on your device!
Hi all,
Are you aware of any changes on this front?
I have noticed that, for .txt files in my Dropbox, using the latest Chrome browser versions:
- on iOS, the button "Open In" shows "Connect Apps" button, instead of nothing
- on Windows, the same button also shows "Connect Apps", and it now shows "Notepad" and "File Explorer". See screenshot.
Update: When changing my default application for TXT from Notepad to Notepad++, it also updates that menu on Dropbox website.
That's very good news!
- Thanks for the reply Nancy .> As mentioned above, there isn’t currently a built-in function to edit .txt files via your web browser. We’ve passed your feedback along to our team, but we can’t share something more for the time being.After some research, I found an app, StackEdit.io, a markdown editor, allowing me to edit Text Files in my Dropbox: https://stackedit.io/appIt's not part of the Dropbox App center (https://www.dropbox.com/apps). Since I connected with it, it appears in my connected apps at https://www.dropbox.com/account/connected_apps, but is it possible to get it to appear in the "Open With" menu when viewing a text file on Dropbox web?Incidentally, looking for web-based markdown editors syncing with Dropbox, I also learnt that Dropbox Paper is one of them! Likely built over Hackpad. However today, Dropbox Paper cannot open and edit text files already in my Dropbox. In my opinion it's a bit of a shame: Dropbox Paper is overlapping with Google Docs, with no "killer feature". It has actually dropped its differentiating feature, which is seemingly missing from the Dropbox App center: the ability to edit text files already in Dropbox.
> As per the “Open in” menu, can you please try to clear your browser’s cache, check if there are any pending updates on your browser and also, open an incognito window and let me know if you see any difference there?
Sure. I logged in in an incognito window (latest Chrome version on MacOS) and observed the same behavior happens (menu opens but is empty and shows a narrow line). - Nancy
Hi from me too, jb43!
As mentioned above, there isn’t currently a built-in function to edit .txt files via your web browser. We’ve passed your feedback along to our team, but we can’t share something more for the time being.
As per the “Open in” menu, can you please try to clear your browser’s cache, check if there are any pending updates on your browser and also, open an incognito window and let me know if you see any difference there?
Thanks Hannah.
Can you please share the response from your product team?
> We appreciate your feedback on this, however, and I will make sure that your comments are passed along to our team.
It's important to know if the inability to edit .TXT files is a honest mistake (since more complex file types are handled successfully, and text files like logs, code, .ini .cfg, ... can be seen as the basics of an operating system) or a voluntary decision (since there's no app to do this, even MS Word refuses to handle text documents that are not .doc(x)).
> Regarding what you see when you click on the "open in" button, do you see this behavior on other browsers/private browsing windows as well?
I observe that behavior with Chrome, on both MacOS and Windows.- Hannah
Hey jb43, sorry to jump in here.
Indeed, it's not possible to edit a .txt file through Dropbox.
We appreciate your feedback on this, however, and I will make sure that your comments are passed along to our team.
Regarding what you see when you click on the "open in" button, do you see this behavior on other browsers/private browsing windows as well?
