Can we scan a document through the mobile app?

[Daniel J.17]

I got an email today informing me of various features "Did you know Dropbox can do that?"

and one of them, document scanner, was interesting. When I look for this feature, it doesn't appear to exist at all. Frustrating and confusing. I go to look the help page: https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/mobile/document-scanning  and it talks about document scanning feature on iPhone.  Well, I don't have an iPhone.

It would be sweet if Dropbox could make sure not to broadcast features that do not exist for my platform and making me think I have access to them.

Is this a planned feature for Android that's coming soon? I would like to have it.

[Darryl G.3]

If it's iPhone only, it seems odd that it's also not available for iPad. Where is the plus button to initiate document scanning? I don't see it on my iPad.

[Daniel J.17]

@darryl:  you need to click the + button to add new document, and select scan document. At least from what I can tell from the email I got earlier today

https://www.dropbox.com/productivity?oref=e&_tk=email&oqa=sb403a#capture

[Darryl G.3]

Well, that's the thing. There is no "+" button. I see buttons for "Recent", "Files", "Photos", "Offline", and "Settings" but nothing else. (Yes, I'm running the latest version of the app on a new iPad mini.)

 It seems to me that someone at Dropbox jumped the gun by sending that email before the feature was properly rolled out.

[Daniel J.17]

The + button is just the regular button for adding new documents of any kind. I see that, that's always been there. Just click files, and there should be a + button at the bottom

[Darryl G.3]

Thanks for the answer, Daniel, but there is no "+" button in the iPad mini I'm looking at. When I click "Files", I see my files, but no "+".

[Darryl G.3]

I got hold of an iPhone to try this and verified that the feature is only available on iPhone. It's clear and obvious on the iPhone how to use the feature.

 As mentioned earlier, It seems to me that someone at Dropbox jumped the gun by sending that email before the feature was properly rolled out.

They are loudly touting this new feature but not making it clear that it only works on iPhone. That's just causing frustration for existing users. I guess Dropbox is more interested in pulling in new users through deceptive advertising than they are with ensuring their existing paying customers are happy.

Two thumbs down to the marketing smegs at Dropbox: thanks for wasting my time and getting me PO'd.

(But by the same token, thank you Daniel for taking the time to try to help! People like you make the Internet a better place.)

[Daniel J.17]

Do any admins read this at all?

[Jim S.52]

I agree with the above.  If a feature doesn't work with android phones, then don't send the emails out to people who have androids. Does anyone know if/when it might be available to android?  Dropbox needs to get into the 21st century.

[Steven S.32]

These days, they should really be releasing features for Android and Apple at the same time. Someone at Dropbox might want to check and see how many Android users there are compared to Apple. Most of the phones are also very similar now.

Also, according to someone at Dropbox chat, it looks like you need to be on Dropbox business to use the scanning feature. Another downfall. I guess my $ 10.00 a month doesn't get me the cool stuff.

[Darryl G.3]

No, you don't need to be on DP business to use the scanning feature. You just need to have an iPhone. I can understand  releasing features for Android and Apple at different times, but not releasing  releasing features for iPhone and iPad at the same time is not cool. Also, broadly advertising the feature as though it was a universally available feature (not being clear and transparent that it's only available for one very specific device) is not cool. It causes many users to waste their time trying to figure out why it's not working. Not cool at all. This is the ugly side marketing, and Dropbox should know better. 

Poor show, Dropbox. FAIL