Need to see if your shared folder is taking up space on your dropbox 👨‍💻? Find out how to check here.

Forum Discussion

Dave B.5's avatar
Dave B.5
Helpful | Level 5
11 months ago
Solved

Move Dropbox folder from local to external disk on Mac

MacOS - I have the Finder integration whereby I have a "Dropbox" as one of my Favorite locations. All my files are fully backed up, Online Only.  If I mark any file for offline access, it downloads...
Apple
desktop
Mac
  • Walter's avatar
    Walter
    11 months ago

    Hey Dave B.5 - thanks for posting on our Community and happy Monday!

    If you make sure that your external hard drive meets the requirements, you'll be able to move your Dropbox folder there by following the steps outlined here.

    I hope this helps, Dave! 

Walter's avatar
Walter
Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
11 months ago

Hey Dave B.5 - thanks for posting on our Community and happy Monday!

If you make sure that your external hard drive meets the requirements, you'll be able to move your Dropbox folder there by following the steps outlined here.

I hope this helps, Dave! 

  • Dave B.5's avatar
    Dave B.5
    Helpful | Level 5
    11 months ago

    Thank you Walter.  That was what I was looking for.

    I had not yet done the upgrade to Dropbox for macOS on File Provider so it was possible for me to make the move.

    What's the scoop in this?  What advantages does it offer and will I eventually have to make that upgrade?

    • Hannah's avatar
      Hannah
      Icon for Dropbox Community Moderator rankDropbox Community Moderator
      11 months ago

      Hey Dave B.5, I'm glad those steps worked for you!

      As for the Dropbox for macOS on File Provider version of the app, it was developed to adhere to the requirements as set out by Apple and to ensure the best possible experience for our Mac users long into the future.

      The app will still work without the update, but if you do decide to go forward with the update, here are the changes you'll need to expect.

      If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to let us know!

      • Dave B.5's avatar
        Dave B.5
        Helpful | Level 5
        11 months ago

        Hi Hanna, 

        Best possible experience?  For me the best possible experience is to not make any change that breaks things.  But I get it.   The good news is that there is a way to use an external disk as the home for Dropbox after doing the update.  I may consider it.

        Thanks for your reply.

About Apps and Installations

Have a question about a Dropbox app or installation? Reach out to the Dropbox Community and get solutions, help, and advice from members.

The Dropbox Community team is active from Monday to Friday. We try to respond to you as soon as we can, usually within 2 hours.

If you need more help you can view your support options (expected response time for an email or ticket is 24 hours), or contact us on X, Facebook or Instagram.

For more info on available support options for your Dropbox plan, see this article.

If you found the answer to your question in this Community thread, please 'like' the post to say thanks and to let us know it was useful!