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Dropbox content isn't searchable in Spotlight when using Mac OS Monterey 12.0.1
Dropbox files/folders are not searchable in spotlight on new MacBook Pro with M1 chip - Monterey OS 12.0.1. Have re-indexed spotlight. Have uninstalled and reinstalled Dropbox and rebooted. Have made sure Dropbox has full access in Security and Privacy. Help please?
I have found a solution, everyone! I hope everyone struggling with this will find this post. The problem isn't with dropbox, it's with Mac Spotlight. Which surprised me, as I always thought the finder search was separate from Spotlight, but apparently, on the back end, both are one-in-the-same. I've heard many times that re-indexing spotlight didn't work, but it does! You just have to do it a different way for everything to ACTUALLY 100% reindex.
Tutorial is here on apple's forums: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253479408
Just giving credit where credit is due.
In case that goes away, instructions are also listed below.
- Open System Preferences and go to Spotlight's Privacy tab.
- Add the entire hard disk INTO the Privacy list.
- Maybe wait 30s.
- Remove the hard disk FROM the Privacy list.
Spotlight will re-index. After finish re-indexing, the search in folder works for me.
(To see if Spotlight is indexing, use Command+Space to invoke Spotlight, and type in something. Wait a second. You should see a progress bar to show indexing progress)
Of note, I am on Mac OS Monterey 12.6 (21G115). My dropbox version is 158.4.4564. These are both the lastest, as of now, 10.3.2022.
Hopefully this helps! Changed my life - I can work again!
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Re-indexing Spotlight worked for me!
Never had an issue with searching DropBox in Finder until the major Dropbox upgrade last week. I spent two hours on Chat, which was a big waste of time and never resolved my issue. I guess a Google search is much better than the lousy support I received from Dropbox. I pay close to $500 per year with my various accounts for my business and expect better service.
Thanks for posting this solution!!
Help! I did this and now I can't even search in Documents. Please reply also to [removed per the Community's Guidelines]
Thanks!
Thank you for this!!! I was just having this issue and the fix you posted worked like a charm! I added both my drop box folder specifically and my entire Mac hard drive - it's working now!!!
Thank you for this fix - resolved searching my Dropbox folder on Monterey 12.6.3
I had initially loaded the local Dropbox folder in and out of Privacy but this only allowed search results to appear in "My Mac" and not in the folder itself.
Re-indexing by dropping the whole hard drive in and out resolved this for me.
Many thanks
Greg
Thanks! Just replied.
Please do. My email is on file with my account. Ty.
13.2.1 (22D68)
v170.4.5895
Again, ALL of the issues I am having have to do with how Dropbox has changed its software.
I have also voiced my issues here https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Create-upload-and-share/Files-automatically-shifting-to-cloud-only/td-p/669203 and on Twitter. Twitter is full of comments from others with the same complaints. Spotlight, Finder, etc should all work with ease.
Thanks,
Dr Andrew Joseph Pegoda
