Set all folders to "make available offline" on macOS

[jwhitley]

In the new macOS FileProvider API version of Dropbox, is it possible to recursively set all folders to "make available offline"?  If so, does this setting persist for newly added sub-folders?  I've read reports that each individual folder must be manually set, which is completely unacceptable if true.

My key use case is that I ALWAYS want every file in Dropbox synced to my Mac so it will be included in my backup process. Automatically and/or silently reverting to "online" behavior is therefore never OK. A related use case is that I need to be able to trust "make available offline" for times when I may not have robust connectivity and/or for when redownloading is unacceptable. Concrete example, among many: if I'm presenting, I need to know that all presentation assets are local. Delaying a professional presentation because "downloading" is a bad look.

With the old version of Dropbox, the above workflows were essentially bulletproof, and my longstanding ability to rely on that is literally what makes me a paying customer. What I'm reading of the new version give me significant doubts.

[Jay]

Hi @jwhitley, thanks for messaging the Community.

By default, on the new version of the Dropbox desktop application for Mac OS, newly added files will be online-only.

You can mark folders as available offline when right clicking them for files within those folders to also be downloaded offline.

If you have any further queries, feel free to message back.

[jwhitley]

Thanks for the reply. To clarify/reiterate my question: Does marking a folder as "offline" make that folder's subfolders also available offline?  This, specifically, is what I've gathered isn't supported. It's also completely nonsensical, which is why I'm trying to clarify the behavior here. Dropbox's documentation is silent on this point, as far as I can determine.

My expected/desired behavior is this: if I mark a top-level Dropbox folder (call it "Stuff") as available offline, all files and folders underneath that will be made available offline in perpetuity. If I have to constantly hunt down new files and/or subfolders of "Stuff" and also mark those "offline" ... that's a deal breaker, as I explained above.

[Jay · Accepted solution]

Yes, marking a folder as available offline will make all subfolders available offline as well, in perpetuity.

[RicBret]

>> By default, on the new version of the Dropbox desktop application for Mac OS, newly added files will be online-only.

This was an **bleep** move.  You reversed my universal setting without asking, without notification.  And now it's MY job to fix your mess.

I will be reconsidering continuing my subscription to Dropbox.  

[AA1975]

I am writing this message so Dropbox should improve update for Mac users. It was a disaster when I upgraded--I lost 30% of my video files, presentations, etc. and that is what i noticed. May be i lost some more files. Also, my presentations were gone and I donot understand why some were gone and some were not. They were not in deleted folders just disappeared. All shared folders disappeared. This was a disaster. I was lucky that i did time machine a month ago so i had to take another Mac, do time machine and then compare the files. so i restored some and went to old version. Very bad for dropbox since they put storage in cloud i belive now. I hope they will go back to normal and before that I am not upgrading. I hope Dropbox can comment on the disaster which happened to me and I am surprised that noone writes that. I lost 30%video files, presentation and probably the files which i donot know since i had 220GB on my dropbox. Hope to hear the comments

[beatbox45321]

Can someone from DB please let us know why this was changed?? I have used DB for over a decade for all our business files precisely because I could have local files that were also synced but fully available whether I was online or not. But now the app silently removed this option with no notice. I accidentally discovered it.

Is this option going to be added back? After being a long-term customer this upgrade unfortunately is going to lead me to look for other options.

[adelanteconjuicio]

I agree. I am very disappointed in this DB move. Mac + DB was my dream set-up and DB managed to shatter it with a) moving the files to a different folder (which changes all the folder addresses I use in other files) and b) changing to online-only as default. (I am not affected by the external drive issue). Poor move, even more poorly communicated. Very disappointed. 

[beatbox45321]

FYI DB support told me if you go to the Dropbox folder and set it to offline using right click that will restore the old behavior because it applies to all subfolders.I *think* it is working for me but will have to verify over time.

Still I'm very disappointing in the lack of clarity on this and this option could easily have been kept as it was before instead of buried. Like you it was my dream solution for many years but unfortunately I may have to look for alternatives in the future.

[RicBret]

Dropbox, make absolutely no mistake. Your "feature" represents a data-loss situation even if you don't lose one file.  You've lost settings on files that may have been thoughtfully made on a case-by-case basis, and you wiped that out without notice, without annotation, without any care for the preferences of your users. 

This was a thoughtless and lazy example of sub-par programming and design.  Your team should be ashamed of themselves and the permanent damage they have done to Dropbox's reputation. You are no longer trustworthy, you are no longer "beloved."  

I have terabytes of unused space on my OneDrive storage that I'll be moving my mission critical files to.  I may not resubscribe to Dropbox when my current term runs out.  This is a shame, I've been a user since you first launched, and much of my default storage was gifted to me because of my recommendations that brought you new users.  I'm not a hater here, I'm a victim of your poor decisions.

YOU OWE US AN EXPLAINATION AS TO WHY YOU COULD NOT HANDLE THIS UPGRADE IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER.