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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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user davidarden's solution worked a charm! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
Hi Megan. Yes please. I assume you have my email address from my account details? Thanks
Thank you so much!!!!! I'd upgraded to Monterey 12.5 and hadn't been able to search for a couple of months. You made my day.
Brilliant, thank you!!
It worked!
I had a feeling this issue would happen when Dropbox forced me to move the Dropbox folder into the Library folder, and I was right. The Library folder is hidden and not searchable. What were they thinking?
I think all the tech companies think we have good internet access 24/7 and only save to and work from the cloud. Sorry, but there are millions of us stuck with satellite or DSL on copper lines. Even if we live in a city. Dropbox is my back-up drive. And I'd like to change my answer about the Spotlight fix. It worked for a day, now Finder can't find anything on Dropbox again. I'm not sure why. If this doesn't get fixed, I will switch my cloud storage provider.
I didn't have any issues using Spotlight Search until DropBox's update that changed everything. This fix seems to also fix the issues caused by this update.
I'll be anxious to see how long the "fix" lasts. If it doesn't keep working (and if DropBox doesn't fix everything), I'll also be moving my business. Have been a customer for over 10 years. Hopefully, DropBox values loyalty.
