cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Announcements
Want to learn some quick and useful tips to make your day easier? Check out how Calvin uses Replay to get feedback from other teams at Dropbox here.

Create, upload, and share

Find help to solve issues with creating, uploading, and sharing files and folders in Dropbox. Get support and advice from the Dropbox Community.

cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Re: How to permanently / forever / for real ... turn OFF Smart Sync

How to permanently / forever / for real ... turn OFF Smart Sync

Julian G.2
Helpful | Level 6

Hello, 

 

When Smart Sync was introduced, I tried it, disliked it, and had to search how to disable it (which was not intuitive). It was gone. Auto app update worked fine and did not introduced it back. 

 

Now I just installed the release Apple Silicon version of Dropbox (v163.4.5456) and sure enough, it's back to the Online-only default behaviour for every newly created file.  And again, there's no obvious option in Settings to turn it off, and to make the matter worse, posts describing how to do it do not work! https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Create-upload-and-share/How-to-disable-Smart-Sync-really-and-truly/t...

 

I really do not need to save space in my hard drive.

Quick View on macOS doesn't work on an Online-only file placeholder!

 

Please help me disable the function.

And please consider asking users to opt-in on this feature.....

 

Thank you!!!

13 Replies 13

Rich
Super User II

@Julian G.2 wrote:

Please help me disable the function.


There is no option to disable it. Also, with the latest updates to macOS and the Dropbox app, files added to your account from another device will default to online-only.

 

Julian G.2
Helpful | Level 6

Thanks.

I wonder how not allowing to change the default behaviour could be a deliberate decision, as Quick Look is a basic functionality of macOS, it just doesn't work with a placeholder, so....

 

But: According to your link:

  • Files added to your Dropbox account from another device or that are shared by another user will default to online-only.
    (which is my case), and given the second topic:

as a workaround, I will select "Make available offline" on the root folder that holds the files form that computer. And see how it goes..

The first time it crashed my computer:

Screenshot 2022-12-26 at 21.56.01.jpg

Regards,

Julian G.2
Helpful | Level 6

Ok...

So much for the "workaround" of setting the desired behaviour in the root folder.

It seemed to work at first, but now I pay attention: an amount of seemingly random files, folders and subfolders are appearing have te dreaded cloud icon of "online only". So also the root folder because it contains "some" placeholder files.

But making the root folder "available offline" again, does not seem to do anything with the status of their contents. Also, nothing happens when acting on any single file..... 

 

FOR THE MOTHER OF GOD: I DON'T WANT THIS.

PLEASE LET ME TURN OFF "ONLINE ONLY" FUNCTIONALITY.

I NEVER WANT ANY FILE TO BE ONLINE ONLY, EVER, EVER!

 

Please let me turn this off.

 

 

Julian G.2
Helpful | Level 6

Update: 

 

Context menu > "Make available offline" does nothing... bug?

To make available offline, click on the cloud icon. But anyways, clicking on a root folder does nothing to the rules of future content inside created in a remote machine.

 

Hannah
Dropbox Staff

Hey @Julian G.2, I hope you're well.

 

Please try again, but this time, open your Dropbox folder and select all your top level folders and switch those to "available offline", to see if that works.

 

If not, please send us a screenshot of the Dropbox application's sync status and a screenshot of your local Dropbox folder, showing the icons on your files after you switched them to "available offline".

 

You can hover over the Dropbox icon in your menu bar, to see the sync status.


Hannah
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, give it a Like below to let us know.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Need help with something else? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Find Tips & Tricks Discover more ways to use Dropbox here!
:arrows_counterclockwise: Interested in Community Groups? Click here to join!

Julian G.2
Helpful | Level 6

Hi Hannah, 

 

You mean select folders on the root (I have 5) and righ-click > then choose the "Make available offline" option?

It does nothing. 

 

Sync status shows everything up to date.

Screenshot 2023-01-26 at 10.25.15.jpg

 

Kind regards,

Jay
Dropbox Staff

Hi @Julian G.2, could you attach a screenshot showing the main folders in your account as they appear in Finder, after you right click them to make them available offline, while hiding any personal info?


Jay
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, give it a Like below to let us know.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Need help with something else? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Find Tips & Tricks Discover more ways to use Dropbox here!
:arrows_counterclockwise: Interested in Community Groups? Click here to join!

Julian G.2
Helpful | Level 6

Hi Jay, you mean this?

Screenshot 2023-01-26 at 14.55.45.jpg

 

Jay
Dropbox Staff

Yes, it seems they're all local except for the Win folder, which contains some local and some online-only files.


Jay
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


Heart Did this post help you? If so, give it a Like below to let us know.
:arrows_counterclockwise: Need help with something else? Ask me a question!
:pushpin: Find Tips & Tricks Discover more ways to use Dropbox here!
:arrows_counterclockwise: Interested in Community Groups? Click here to join!

Need more support?