Managing an external APFS Apple external drive with Dropbox.

Hey Jurij Nowickyj - thanks for using Dropbox and welcome to our Community!

When it comes to your concerns now, note that the Dropbox Backup feature is different than the automatic Camera Uploads feature and are not to be confused.

That said, the Dropbox desktop app will keep the files you backed up from the external drive to your account up to date for as long as you have plugged the drive and/or when you force an update through the desktop app via the Backups tab in the app's preferences. 

To access the files you backed up from your external drive from your mobile devices, you'll need to use a web browser and navigate to your backups page. 

If you'd like those files to be synced, why don't you just copy them in your Dropbox folder so that you can then access them from everywhere, be it the website, your desktop app or even the mobile app? 

I hope this information helps a tad and please let me know if you have any follow up questions, Jurij. 

Many thanks for your quick reply Walter.

My external drive is connected 100% of the time and I update files only on the external drive.

In the past I dragged and dropped the folders from the external drive into the DropBox folder in my Apple Finder view, however when updating the files on the external drive they did not update in DropBox.

Do I have to drag'n drop my folder from the external drive into the DropBox view, in order to see them online via my mobile devices?

Hey Jurij Nowickyj, if your external drive is backed up to Dropbox with the Dropbox backup feature, any changes you make to your files in the external drive, should update in your backups page on dropbox.com as well.

Now, your backups depending on the version of backup you're using, may or may not be accessible from the Dropbox mobile app.

If you've updated to the new backup experience, backups will only be accessible from the backups page online.

I hope this clarifies things!

Many thanks for your response, however I simply want to backup my external drive via my MacBook. 

What are the steps to see this backed up information on my mobile devices (iPhone and iPad)?

The DropBox app on the Mobile devices does not allow me.

Maybe I need to simply save a link to my DropBox files? And what is this link?

Many thanks 🙂

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Jurij Nowickyj wrote:

What are the steps to see this backed up information on my mobile devices (iPhone and iPad)?

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The Backup feature is no longer accessible within the Dropbox app on mobile devices. The only way to view backups would be the Backups page in your browser, which should also work on a mobile device.

Hi Rich,

I will find the link to my dropbox and then use this link to access my files, rather than the mobile DropBox App. Not sure why this is?

Hey Jurij Nowickyj, I hope you're doing well! 

As Rich mentioned there has been a recent, small change as to how this works. 

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

If you need anything else, don't hesitate to let me know!

Hi Megan,

Yes please send me more info to knowing the limitations of syncing my external hard drive which I leave connected to my MacBook permanently. 

I am learning that what ever I update on my external drive, I need to make sure the same information is updated on my DropBox folder view.

Hey Jurij Nowickyj, can you clarify if you're referring to backing up your external drive to Dropbox or are you referring to keeping your Dropbox folder on your external drive?

Hello Hannah,

I would like a backup of my permanently connected external drive that is attached to my MacBook. So far I have learned that I need to drag the folders/files from my external drive to my DropBox view, but any changes must be done in both places. And nothing needs to be backed up from my MacBook.