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Forum Discussion
Dropbox greyed out on IOS 13
Got a new iphone 11 with IOS 13 preinstalled.
Cannot change default download location to dropbox.
I can access dropbox files through app and through Apples files app after adding dropbox within files app.
However, when trying to change default download location through safari settings the dropbox choice is grayed out. I have tried reboot, turning on and off app through files app but still greyed out, any ideas?
- Rich
Super User II
From what I've read, apps that are greyed out in that list do not yet support the capability.
So I am guessing it must be an IOS 13 thing?
Still on iOS 12 on my iPad without issues.
Hopefully Dropbox updates and/or apple allows downloads like before.
- Rich
thewallin wrote:
So I am guessing it must be an IOS 13 thing?
Seems to be, and it's not just Dropbox. None of my other cloud services are available and some that are enabled in Files don't even show up. Only the device itself, iCloud and ShellFish (SFTP access to my own server) are available to select.
Best guess is that this is an iOS issue unrelated to Dropbox, and Apple will need to correct it.
I tried to set Dropbox to be used for Safari downloads. However when I go to select Dropbox in system preferences it is greyed out.
Any ideas? Is this something that requires an update from Dropbox? Or does Apple only allow downloads to go to iCloud Drive?
- Daphne
Dropbox Staff
Welcome to the Dropbox Community Scott W.1!
So that I can have a better understanding, can you just confirm for me if you're trying to do this on Safari on a mobile device or a computer? Also, when you're trying to change the downloads location, can you send me a screenshot (excluding any personal info) of where you see Dropbox greyed out?
Since you mentioned only being able to download to the iCloud location, it sounds like you might be referring to a mobile. If that's the case, can you see if you're able to change the location to your local device storage?
Let me know what you find and we'll go from there - thanks!
Yes on iOS. With iOS 13 you can download files with Safari. In the Settings App on the iPhone you can specify a location to where downloads are saved. You will notice from the screenshot below the Dropbox provider is greyd out.
SCREENSHOT CAPTION: notice lack of other options
Since the release of iOS 13.1, it is no longer possible to download certain file types directly to a chosen Dropbox folder. Instead, Mobile Safari downloads the files directly to the new iCloud Downloads folder without asking or offering other options. This makes it extremely cumbersome to then go to the Apple Files app, locate the file in the iCloud Downloads folder, export it and finally resave it to the desired dropbox folder. (And finally delete it from iCloud if you don't want a duplicate hanging around.)
Has anyone found a way around this yet?
I would like to continue to tap downloads of all types in Safari and have the option to save them to a chosen Dropbox folder.
Thanks in advance for any solutions or suggestions.
I had the same problem prior to iOS 13.1. After looking into it, I vaguely recall it's related to having a PIN, password or fingerprint required on each use of Dropbox. Because Dropbox is locked when it's not open, iOS can't access it.
The suggested solution was to completely remove Dropbox security on iOS. I find this solution unacceptable.
I don't have an answer for you. But hopefully this will help point you in the right direction, even if I got some of the details wrong.
Hey All!
I recently found I was able to turn on the cloud sharing apps like Dropbox and OneDrive.
Go to the Files app. Then to Locations on the main page. The app has now made it availbe for the cloud sharing apps to be turned on. I haven't tried saving anything directly, but I was able to transfer the files I have been downloading since the iOS13 update to my Dropbox! Hope this helps!!
- Nope, still won’t work for me. No passcode either.
This is totally bogus, and might be what frees me from iphone bondage.- Lusil
Hey Fred666, thanks for checking in with us and sorry to hear that you're also having trouble accessing Dropbox as a location on your iOS.
Could you check if the option for Dropbox is enabled in your Files app? If it's on, could you try toggling Dropbox as an option off and on again?
You can do this by:
- Going to your Files app.
- Tapping on the ellipsis (...) button that's on the top right corner of your screen.
- Toggling the option off (if it's on).
- Saving changes.
Let me know how it goes!
