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Dropbox is not searchable in 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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Not working. I reindexed Spotlight, it was TEMPORARILY solved. Again, and again the problem arises, and now reindexing does not solve it.
Dropbox imposing this change, with no chance of NOT upgrading, or reconfiguring the location other than within the library has been a very very disliked, useless and trampling idea. You are in my hated companies list now.
Thanks, I tried this without any luck. Do I have to restart?
had no luck with this method.
Sorry to gripe in my last email....this system did work!
- Nancy
Dropbox Community Moderator
Hi FreddoArgento, I’m sorry to hear the same issue persists, and I can totally understand your frustration.
If you want, I can log a support ticket for you, so that we can look into this together and check other possible options.
Let me know if you’d like that, and I can get things started.
OMG. It worked! I followed your suggestion, davidarden, from the apple forum, with a couple of minor differences (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253479408):
- Open System Preferences and go to Spotlight's Privacy tab. (On my computer, I went to System Settings, then "Siri & Spotlight," then scrolled all the way down to find "Spotlight Privacy.")
- Add the entire hard disk INTO the Privacy list. (I did that, clicked "Done," and closed the window.)
- Maybe wait 30s. (I went to make a cup of tea. 😉)
- Remove the hard disk FROM the Privacy list. (I went back in to the window, highlighted the disk and clicked the minus "-" button, then clicked done and closed the window.)
Spotlight will re-index. After finish re-indexing, the search in folder works for me. (IT WORKED!!!)
(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)
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
FYI, I had to shut down System Preferences and then open it back up before it worked for me.
This solution works for me on a temporary basis but then the problem persists. I have since updated to MacOs Ventura 13.2.1 and the very recent Dropbox update but I have the same issue. Can you help please?
Hi Walter
Yep, ive tried re-indexing after upgraidng to ventura. It's 169.3.5651
thanks
