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Does Dropbox compress files that user's upload?
Hello Dropbox,
It's time for transparency on the topic of file compression. It is ridiculous that this question has been asked by so many users, dating back a decade, and still, I am unable to ...
Forget it. We're moving on.
Jay
Dropbox Community Moderator
Dropbox Community ModeratorHi Walt805, a Dropboxer is a person who is employed by Dropbox.
This article might help to answer your various questions. In general, files are not compressed when you upload them, so the original size is preserved. The only exception would be when uploading HEIC and HEVC files, for which you have an option to choose a more common format when uploading, which does compress the file.
While it isn't explicitly stated that files are compressed on the server itself, when files are being previewed on the site, they use a file format suitable for previewing, so it might result in the file being compressed in some form for the preview alone.
However, once a file is downloaded from the site directly, or when synced to a device, the file as it was originally uploaded would appear, without any compression or other changes to the file.
Just for clarification, you're looking to compress your files to use up less of your quota on your Dropbox account, given the info in your first post?
Jay, thank you. We're getting closer but this still isn't what I need.
I had not seen the first link, but you're right, it doesn't specifically state whether Dropbox is or is not compressing files.
From what I understand, lossless compression would make it possible for my files to be compressed on the server, but then decompressed at the time I downloaded that individual file. Lossless would mean that I wouldn't ever know, right?
Actually, if I chose to select multiple files at the same time, wouldn't they be .zip'd together first so that I would only download a single file?
That would speak for itself that there is some file compression at play.
Why doesn't Dropbox provide transparency on this? Dropbox is in the business of storing and protecting data. How that data is handled is paramount to the product being sold. Sure most that have specific needs would go to a substantially more complex storage solution, but this is affordable for those ~300 students to use each semester to instill good habits.
Why doesn't someone at Dropbox create a FAQ or knowledge base article on this? It's time for this to happen. People have asked the same question for *years*. What is it that Dropbox doesn't want us to know?
Thanks,
Walt
I had not seen the first link, but you're right, it doesn't specifically state whether Dropbox is or is not compressing files.
From what I understand, lossless compression would make it possible for my files to be compressed on the server, but then decompressed at the time I downloaded that individual file. Lossless would mean that I wouldn't ever know, right?
Actually, if I chose to select multiple files at the same time, wouldn't they be .zip'd together first so that I would only download a single file?
That would speak for itself that there is some file compression at play.
Why doesn't Dropbox provide transparency on this? Dropbox is in the business of storing and protecting data. How that data is handled is paramount to the product being sold. Sure most that have specific needs would go to a substantially more complex storage solution, but this is affordable for those ~300 students to use each semester to instill good habits.
Why doesn't someone at Dropbox create a FAQ or knowledge base article on this? It's time for this to happen. People have asked the same question for *years*. What is it that Dropbox doesn't want us to know?
Thanks,
Walt
