Red box on the Dropbox tray icon

[VasilyD]

Hello everyone!

Why is the red box on my dropbox Windows taskbar icon?

I've read in another thread that it's not a big deal and it's about some notification problem.

But I have all notifications on. When I delete a file from one of dropbox folders the icon doesn't show syncing (which it does properly), just stays with red box. When I restart the program, the icon shows syncing, but then shows the same red box.

It really freaks me out TBO. 

[VasilyD]

Thanks for the link, but clean reinstall according to the instruction didn't work either. The red box appears immediately after I enter my account credentials. Tried to install on another computer instead, everything works fine, no red box, the proper menu by clicking on tray icon etc. Also no problem on my iPad and Android smartphone. So there's obviously some problem on my laptop (maybe some flag in the registry, I don't know). I guess it's time to give up 😞

[djbbartman]

Hi Dropbox People, you need to be more on top of this Red Box issue and provide professionally relevant feedback instead of general gibberish that gets people running around in circles.     I first encountered this issue spring 2020 on Surface Book 1.     I engaged Dropbox Help (DH) for an extended period of time and advice with no solution to the matter.     Finally, reluctantly, at the advice of DH I uninstalled and reinstalled Dropbox.     No difference, still the Red Box, just a whole bunch of time wasted, that's all.     Then one day, fall 2020 I believe, the Red Box suddenly disappeared, and not because of anything I did or didn't do, because I had come to the point of living with it.     Spring 2021 I bought a Surface Book 3.     Summer 2021 the Red Box suddenly appeared on the task bar Dropbox icon again, not because of anything I did or didn't do.     And on my Surface Book 1 too, which I seldom use, the Red Box Was Back, and so far this being mid October now, the Red Box is still there on both computers.     My hunch is it's related to Dropbox version updates.     So please DH, don't advise people that it's maybe related to notifications or to do an uninstall and reinstall and all that other useless stuff, do acknowledge this is Dropbox related - and figure it out and fix it.     Please!     In the mean, I (frustratingly) simply continue to live with it until one day, I'm fairly confident based on past experience, it will suddenly disappear again.

[VasilyD]

Yes, unfortunately there's no real help from Dropbox people. Already switching to other clouds and eventually planning to stop using dropbox completely.

PS very funny - instead of exploring and fixing the bug they continue to give me some stupid badges and ranks lol

[AjanJack]

Hello all!

I have a laptop 1ith 1920x1200 resolution. When I clicked on that Dropbox icon which has the red square on it, I only was getting the Dropbox file explorer window. But then, after two days of frustration, I realized when I clicked on the Dropbox icon, to the extreme right hand side of my screen it looked like there was the edge of some other window appearing. But I couldn't grab and move that window to see it. I my display at 150% size so things are not too tiny, but I changed that to 100% and then I could see that other window (in tiny size), and it was the Dropbox user screen. There was a notification at the top about choosing to turn on automatic backup or not, and when I declined that, the red square on my Dropbox icon disappeared. So the answer is that the Dropbox user screen doesn't resize itself for high resolution screens and when we use 150% or so magnification on our computers so things aren't too tiny, that Dropbox user screen is displaced to the right, nearly (or totally) off of our desktop.

So, reduce you screen magnification, click on the Dropbox icon, answer that query Dropbox is showing about letting it automatically back up folders, and the red square on the icon is gone. So that red square IS Dropbox telling us there is an "important" message for us from Dropbox, but we can't see it with our modern, high resolution screens set up with magnification on.

[Gigahertz]

Hi, In having similar problem and looking for answer too. But one thing i am sure that my free space that i receive as promo when i bought samsung phone will expires to basic.

But i dont know if this a real cause of that icon.(wait till another 3 days to know)

One more, i cant view my used space. I know my total space but i have tried to click everywhere to find my current usage.

[Megan]

Hi @Gigahertz, welcome to our Community! 

You should be able to see more, in regards to your account's space when clicking here. 

As for the red dot on the Dropbox icon have you tried the troubleshooting steps mentioned in this thread? Have you made sure this isn't a notification? 

Let me know! 

[twhedbee]

Exact same experience and sentiments of djbbartman.

[twhedbee]

Re: Ajan Jack's comments.  Brilliant!  OK Dropbox, someone has identified the problem for you.  Now fix it please!!

[Charliewards]

Thanks Ajan Jack!! My display was set to 150% and I lowered it to 100%. What do you know... I could finally right-click on the Dropbox icon and see my notifications. Thanks thanks thanks!