We’re Still Here to Help (Even Over the Holidays!) - find out more here.
Forum Discussion
Solved
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!
185 Replies
Replies have been turned off for this discussion
Exact same issue except im on monterey 12.6.1. and dropbox v161.4.4923.
Want to note that this only happened after the update where the Dropbox folder was moved to ~/Library/CloudStorage. It really messed up my workflow and I wish I could go back. If anyone knows how to undo that and move back in dropbox versions, that'd be great.
Additionally, have two issues:
1. Preview no longer works properly on files in dropbox, all files just shows as the dropbox logo in spotlight
2. Can no longer jump to the folder location with CMD+return on a file that is held inside dropbox. It will open the file as if you clicked on the file every time if the file is held in dropbox.
Lastly:
Tried Nancy's solution to reindex and it doesn't help. I reindexed and restarted multiple times. No difference.
Other issues are the same:
In Spotlight (cmd+space) :Searching for a file in the Dropbox folder *by name* works, but not *by content* (PDF files that should be indexed without a problem)
In Finder search : neither by name nor by content works in the Dropbox folder.
Elsewhere on the same volume is fine.
I have tried adding then removing the Dropbox folder to the Spotlight privacy exceptions list, that didn't help.- Nancy
Dropbox Community Moderator
Awesome!
Glad to hear it!!
- I use CleanMyMac to re-index spotlight with a press of a button & Alfred to replace spotlight search / just some tips 🙂 both are super useful apps in general
- Hannah
Hey bri_guy and vmkirin, thanks for the additional info here.
Are you having this issue specifically with Spotlight search?
If so, there are a few reasons you might be experiencing issues with it.
Following the update where the Dropbox folder was moved to ~/Library/CloudStorage , Spotlight sometimes does not re-index the folder until after it is opened for the first time.
Could you try opening the Dropbox folder in Finder, and then allow a little time for indexing to take place before retrying Spotlight search?
Another reason is that the Spotlight index may need to be rebuilt, carry out the steps in this article.
Note: the article mentions the ‘Documents’ folder but you need to use the Dropbox folder instead.
If none of the above steps help, please let me know and we can take another look.
This worked... thank you so much!!! 🥳
Worked like a charm
macOS Monterey 12.6 (21G115)
Dropbox v161.2.3938 (Beta)
Many Thanks
- Thank you so much, this has prevented me from buying a new windows laptop now!
Search hasn’t worked for months and nothing I could find could sort it out. Tried this and it’s working great now!
Was impossible to work efficiently before, having to have Dropbox open in a browser window to find out where files are and the LN manually opening them in finder!
Thanks again 👍 Hmmm. For me, if I open DropBox from the DropBox icon, it takes me to the expected folder with all my items. But if I look in Finder for DropBox it doesn't exist, and my apps can't find it to open any files or databases therein. I tried to make a Finder hotlink in the Finder sidebar to the DropBox folder that opened from the icon, but no dice. Hope they can help us soon.
