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Stuart C.4's avatar
Stuart C.4
New member | Level 1
11 years ago
Solved

Android phone storage is filled with dropbox files that have never been opened on the phone

My phone is running out of storage because a very large number of my dropbox files are stored in the folder /storage/emulated/0/DocumentSync. Most of these were never opened on the mobile. I have no idea how or when they came to be downloaded. The cache was only a few megabytes, deleting it makes no difference. How can I get rid of these files without removing them from Dropbox and hence from my desktop and laptop computers?

  • Jane's avatar
    Jane
    9 years ago

    Hey WonderWoman

     

    I'm here to help you out install Dropbox across your devices. 

     

    Please keep in mind that, when it comes to the Dropbox mobile application, it functions differently than the desktop one, hence the files are previews and they do not take up any space on your phone's memory, except from the ones that you decide to use offline

     

    Moreover, if you'd like to free up some space on your phone, the ideal solution for you is to user the Camera uploads feature, that automatically adds photos and videos from your camera, phone, or tablet to Dropbox. Your photos and videos are then available and viewable from anywhere in your Dropbox account. 

     

    If you'd like me to further clarify, just let me know in your reply, it'll be a pleasure to follow-up. 

     

    Warm regards, 

    JaneA

  • Jane's avatar
    Jane
    9 years ago

    Hey WonderWoman

     

    Just keep in mind that anything outside the Dropbox application on your phone doesn't sync to the web, so it doesn't affect your Dropbox account at all. If you decide to use the Camera Uploads feature, you can go ahead and delete your files from your mobile after they're transferred on the web to free up some space. 

     

    Happy Dropboxing, hope you have a great weekend ahead! 

     

    Warm regards, 
    JaneA

15 Replies

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  • Jane's avatar
    Jane
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    9 years ago

    Hey WonderWoman

     

    I'm here to help you out install Dropbox across your devices. 

     

    Please keep in mind that, when it comes to the Dropbox mobile application, it functions differently than the desktop one, hence the files are previews and they do not take up any space on your phone's memory, except from the ones that you decide to use offline

     

    Moreover, if you'd like to free up some space on your phone, the ideal solution for you is to user the Camera uploads feature, that automatically adds photos and videos from your camera, phone, or tablet to Dropbox. Your photos and videos are then available and viewable from anywhere in your Dropbox account. 

     

    If you'd like me to further clarify, just let me know in your reply, it'll be a pleasure to follow-up. 

     

    Warm regards, 

    JaneA

  • WonderWoman's avatar
    WonderWoman
    New member | Level 2
    9 years ago
    Thanks Jane. If I delete pics and vids from my phone, will these also be deleted these from my Dropbox?
  • Jane's avatar
    Jane
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    9 years ago

    Hey WonderWoman

     

    Just keep in mind that anything outside the Dropbox application on your phone doesn't sync to the web, so it doesn't affect your Dropbox account at all. If you decide to use the Camera Uploads feature, you can go ahead and delete your files from your mobile after they're transferred on the web to free up some space. 

     

    Happy Dropboxing, hope you have a great weekend ahead! 

     

    Warm regards, 
    JaneA
  • mgmidget's avatar
    mgmidget
    New member | Level 2
    9 years ago

    I am not a phone techy or computer tech. Just an "average" user. I have noticed in the past few days that I cant access any downloaded files on my Samsung Andriod phone. They are usually just PDFs' or documents. I am now getting a prompt that "I need to allow dropbox access to these files" I dont want these files put in dropbox but even if I did, when I click "ok" nothing happens ???

    Any suggestion that a simpleton might understand would be much appreciated as this problem means I cannot respond to anything received until I get back to my home base

  • pattie57's avatar
    pattie57
    New member | Level 2
    9 years ago

    I have found the only way to stop that message coming up is disable the Dropbox app on the Smartphone i was using, it then allows you to open the documents you want to as you normally would either in word, pdf etc. you can do this by going to Apps, find dropbox and open the app press it and hold down or touch the icon in the top right hand corner it then give you an option to disable the app on the phone.

     
    [This thread is now closed by moderators due to inactivity. If you're experiencing a similar behavior, feel free to start a new discussion in the Find Answers section here. ]

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