Dropbox for macOS syncs when the app is closed - what can I do?

[HrdcorECW1637]

*I'm copying and pasting my final reply to Dropbox support, who told me to come here - Dropbox syncs on Mac even when the app isn't open.*

Dropbox should only sync WHEN THE APP IS OPEN. You have it running in the background now and didn't tell your customers. I don't want to have to click Pause Syncing every time I quit out of the app; I'm going to get busy, forget, and have things randomly syncing without my permission again.

I'm willing to bet the majority of your customers have no idea this is happening.

It needs to go back to the days before the Dropbox folder moved to the Library folder: app open = syncing. App closed = not syncing.

I'm a fan of only having apps open when I'm using them, so I don't want to have to wonder "Hmm, I wonder how Dropbox is acting today" every time I'm at my computer.

[Hannah]

Hey @HrdcorECW1637, thanks for taking the time to post here.

Indeed, what you've described is the expected behavior with File Provider.

The workaround is to pause syncing, before you close the app and then unpause it, when you wish to continue syncing.

However, your comments have already been passed along to our team, so we appreciate your feedback.

If you have any questions, let us know.

[DianaG13]

 It's not just macOS that's doing this, it just did it to me on windows 10. After YEARS of having the app turned off because I had files I didn't want synced, your app just ran itself WITHOUT MY PERMISSION and wiped those files completely from my harddrive, replacing them with my cloud files. I am LIVID. I have no way to recover those files because you guys failed to program your app properly.

[Hannah]

Hey @DianaG13, I'm sorry to see that you're having issues with the Dropbox desktop app.

The issue described in the OP is actually specific to macOS computers, but let's see what might have happened in your case.

You mentioned that the files were wiped from your hard drive and were replaced by your cloud files, can you give us some more clarifications on this?

Also, was there some kind of change on the computer before this happened? Like an OS update or something similar?

[the_name_youll_be_known_as]

I have an iCloud account on my Mac, and using iCloud Drive with the "Desktop & Documents Folders" option active.

I noticed that files in the Dropbox folder are syncing to my other devices, even when the Dropbox application is not running.

I presume that this is because the Apple File Provider API is doing the sync to my other devices, and this API does not need Dropbox to do that.

Correct?

So, if I do not have the Desktop & Documents Folders" active, does Dropbox stop syncing when it is not running? Or do I have to stop iCloud Drive entirely? Or does it always sync, even without iCloud drive? Does it sync to Dropbox.com using the same API? How does this work? 

Thanks for any insights you can give. Not really a problem, but it really bugs me 🙂

[Hannah]

Hey @the_name_youll_be_known_as, indeed, what you're seeing is expected with the File Provider API.

You can see Emma's response here for more info.

[the_name_youll_be_known_as]

Hey @Hannah,

Thank you for your quick answer.

As the Apple File Provider is doing the sync, even when Dropbox is not running, I presume it is syncing only between iCloud configured macOS and iOS devices and not to the Dropbox server.

Is this correct?

If Dropbox is running, does it sync to the dropbox.com servers AND the iCloud servers?

Does it transfer the data twice?

I am somewhat concerned about my Internet bandwidth and most of all the cost (data roaming in the EU is still VERY expensive and limited).

[Hannah]

Hey @the_name_youll_be_known_as, happy Monday!

Dropbox isn't really connected to iCloud; they are basically two different services, which shouldn't even interfere with each other. 

If you make changes to your Dropbox files using the local Dropbox folder on your computer, for example, Dropbox will sync these changes to our servers and any other devices you have linked to your Dropbox account, like a phone you've installed the Dropbox app on.

I hope this helps clarify things a bit, but if you have more questions, I'd be happy to help!

[the_name_youll_be_known_as]

Hi Hannah, happy Monday to you as well 🙂

Dropbox isn't really connected to iCloud; they are basically two different services, which shouldn't even interfere with each other. 

After some experiments, I'm starting to get it.

1. The DropboxFileProvider process on macOS and iOS use Apple File Provider to synchronise the files

2. This process runs even when Dropbox is not running.

3. Allthough one might think that ~/Library/CloudStorage/ is used by iCloud, it is not used by the Dropbox folder, which resides in the Cloudstorage folder.

4. The DropboxFileProvider syncs to Dropbox and not to iCloud.

So there is absolutely no double upload. I think point 3 got me confused to start with.

CloudStorage ≠ iCloudStorage.

Thanks! -- peter

[nvalvo]

I've gotta say, the newstyle background sync behavior with File Provider is a big win from my perspective, perhaps because I end up needing to juggle a bunch of cloud providers — iCloud, OneDrive, Drop Box, gCloud (or whatever it's called) — for various projects. There's a lot of "Where's that file? Oh, I rebooted two days ago and haven't had [cloud provider client X] open...". Then I get to open it and wait three minutes for it to get caught up. This removes that friction. 

And I really like having that "Locations" spot in the Finder sidebar — it's the same pattern as in the Files app on iOS/iPadOs — and not having to have three or four duplicative-but-slightly-different cloud storage apps open all the time. Drop Box's desktop client interface is perfectly pleasant, and I'm sure someone feels that way about gCloud or OneDrive (even if it isn't me), but they're all a bit different. 

I find it really improves matters conceptually in keeping track of where each file is actually stored: here's a simple, straightforward list of all of the places you keep things! The only improvement I would make would be for iCloud Drive to be down there in Locations with the hoi polloi — or hot pollo as autocorrect would have it LOL — too. But don't hold your breath for Apple to make that change. 

It also (I think?) makes it harder to produce the insane mixups that would happen if you inadvertently put a folder synced by one service inside a folder synced by another.