Can't sign in on mobile phone

[Erik B.17]

I can sign in to my account successfully on my desktop.

When I use the same email and password on my Android app, it won't sign in. It just re-issues the sign in page.

What's wrong?

[Walter]

Hi @Erik B.17; thanks for posting on our Community and sorry to hear about this.

Could you please let me know what plan are you on and how many devices you've connected to your account as shown here?

Thanks!

[Erik B.17]

Hi Walter,

Thanks for reponding.

The Dropbox App that I am trying to sign in to is on a Samsung S6. (I can sign in to my account via Chrome.)

I'm on Dropbox Basic. 

I have two desktops named I7 and Trainroom, and two laptops named I7UB and Bubby. 

All run Dropbox, but it's rare that they are all turned on concurrently.  Usually only two; and there were only 2 running when I encountered the problem.

[Walter]

In that case, can you try removing any linked devices that might be putting you over your account's limit and try installing our mobile app on your android device again, Erik?

[Erik B.17]

I now see  that on the Basic plan I can only have 3 devices.  I can manage that but before I do, could you answer a few questions please.

Is a device counted as one of the three if it is turned off?

If I have 4 devices with one turned off, there are only 3 signed in.  The 3 will sync.  If I turn one off then turn the fouth on, I still have only 3 signed in concurrently.  Will the fourth sync? 

Reading the Dropbox rules, I see "...you may only be allowed to be signed into a certain number of devices at a time. "

This suggests "no" and "yes" to the above.

What is correct?

Thanks, Erik

[Walter]

Turning off a device on which you have installed our app and logged into your account isn't the same as unlinking it, Erik. It would still count towards your account's limit. 

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Oh, and happy February by the way!

[Erik B.17]

Hi there, Walter,

I wanted to perform an experiment to see what would happen if I did what I outlined in my previous post..

ie, add a file to one device and progressively turn on the remaining 3.

To my surprise, the file I created on Dev 1 was downloaded to each device, ie, all 4 devices sync'd.

Then, while they were all "on", I added another file on Dev 4 and found it was sync'd to the other 3 devices.

I have been a Dropbox user for a long time; do you think that the Basic/3 device limit was set when Dropbox became mature in the marketplace, and they let me continue with 4 devices?  Because I had 4 initially?

Regards,

Erik

[Walter]

Actually, it was back in March of 2019 that the device limit was introduced to our Basic plan, Erik.

If you're a Basic user and you linked more than three devices prior to that date, all of your previously linked devices remain linked.

Nevertheless, if you'd like to link a new device - or re-link a previously linked device - you must unlink devices until you come below your limit. After this you can link your new devices, up to the limit of three.

I hope this clears things up and please let me know if you have any more questions!