Folder showing a Share Icon

[JOfE]

Why do some folders in Dropbox.com show a sharing icon when the folder is not shared? I am refering to the sharing icon visible on dropbox.com not on the computer version. See the screenshot. 

[Здравко]

Hi @JOfE,

🤔 Hm... That's really strange. Is there any chance you have received that directory by somebody as a shared folder and after that the owner has got out of share without transfer ownership to you? 🧐 In such a case you would been the only person referring particular directory without being owner, so it's shared still, but you are already the only referring to. 🤷

This is the only I can think of.

[JOfE]

I'm stumped also. I have many folders like this in my dropbox account. I have never shared them. I am not sharing them now. These appear on dropbox.com so I can't assume this is a problem with Apple or Windows.

I'm not a programmer for a billion dollar tech company but I think the icon should read 'blank' when I folder is not shared- whether I was the original owner of the folder or not. 

[Здравко]

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@JOfE wrote:

... I have never shared them. ... 

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Hi @JOfE,

Are you sure you "have never shared them"? 🧐 🙂 I'm sure in just opposite.

At some moment you have shared the folders, in focus, to some people. Later the share recipient(s) remove their-self from the sharing. Finally as a result (most probably a bug) the folder(s) remain "shared" while they are NOT actually. 🤷 That's it.

It could be easily reproduced:

The weird thing here is you cannot unshare a folder non shared actually, but still labeled as a such. In my reproductions is a difference. Such a folder appear everywhere as a shared, not just on Dropbox site, like in your case. On my mobile, for example:

On mobile I can cancel sharing (ellipsis menu). It's really strange why the same can't be done on the Dropbox web site. 🤷

The only other workaround, I can think of, is following the steps (folder name "Test" is used as an example) below:

1. Rename folder "Test" to something like "Test.tmp".
2. Create new folder "Test".
3. Move entire content of "Test.tmp" into "Test".
4. Remove "Test.tmp".

Now, there is a same folder "Test" without any "share" label. 😉 If you are disturbed by the "labeling", can repeat the same for all incorrectly labeled folders. The share status get removed only when you unshare file/folder yourself, not by other parties (the actual bug). You can wait for the bug be fixed, but I wont encourage you cause Dropbox will ignore it (I'm pretty sure). The choice is yours.

Hope this helps to some extent.

[Mark]

One thing to just check @JOfE is that you've not accidentally shared them with yourself.... when you go to www.dropbox.com/home and find the folder that will tell you how many are in the share and let you remove things etc. 

One thing to note is that if you stop a folder being shared you lose all file version history of it - so if you remove it even if its only shared to you it will start 'from scratch'.

[Здравко]

@Mark, those folders aren't listed in Shared!

[Mark]

I know @Здравко 

But I've also found examples on mine of folders that are not - hence why I said to go the other way 🙂 

[JOfE]

I recreated the problem also. Its seems to be a very fundamental (albeit cosmetic) bug in dropbox's own website. You would think dropbox would be more conscientious about so simple a thing. 

The problem is that my list of shared folders in the Admin Controls is full of shared folders that are not truly shared. It as hard to maintain what is shared and not in my business account.

[Daphne · Accepted solution]

Hey @JOfE!

Could you just check for me, if you select one of these folders and choose the "Share" option, and then click the gear icon in the top right corner, do you see an option to "Unshare folder" in the bottom left of the window?

[JOfE]

I do. So strange. There was an "unshare folder" option on the bottom left. It unshared the folder (from no one) and the icon returned to blank.

@Daphneyou just saved me a LOT of time! Thank you!!