Can I use Dropbox with Office 365?

[stlcoplxa39]

I recently discovered Microsoft came out with a singular app, so I can delete my Word and Excel apps off of my phone. However, when I open an excel document in Dropbox, then click on the edit button, it asks me to install the excel app. Is there movement to connect Dropbox with office 365, so that Dropbox knows excel documents can be edited by that app instead of excel?

[Megan]

Hi @stlcoplxa39, let's jump right into this! 

What you can do, in order for you to be able to use your Dropbox files, with Office 365, is link your Dropbox account and open the file directly from the Office app. 

You'd need to tap the folder icon inside the Office app in the top right and 'add storage account'. Have you tried that?

Another alternative is to open files directly from the Files app in Office.

Let me know how that works out for you!

[stlcoplxa39]

Thanks for the fast response, Megan!

To clarify, I already have Dropbox linked, so that, when I'm using Office 365 app, I can open files stored on Dropbox. That's of no issue. My question is about, when using Dropbox, there's a button on the bottom of the screen (a square with an arrow pointing northeast) that allows you to edit the file, normally by opening Excel or Word. Without having Excel or Word installed (since 365 can handle all Office file types), is there a way to use the edit button within Dropbox to automatically open 365 to edit it like I would have and have done with Excel and Word in the past? Worst case scenario, I'd just reinstall Word and Excel, but wanted to see if this functionality exists.

Yes, I can open files in 365, but some files are deep in the directories, so I have to go through quite a few screens to get to the file. It would be far easier to have that Dropbox button work to open the file in 365.

[Jay · Accepted solution]

Hi @stlcoplxa39, in order to edit Office files, you would need the separate official apps to be installed on your mobile device, since the editing can't be done inside the Dropbox mobile app, and it might not detect the 365 app itself.

[stlcoplxa39]

Thanks Jay!

I was afraid this was going to be the answer to this first world problem - that there currently isn’t a way to go from Dropbox to 365 like I could do with excel and word. Time to revert back to those apps.

I’d ask that this functionality be considered in future updates to the app. Thanks again!

[Jay]

Thanks, we appreciate the feedback on this matter and take all comments into consideration on how to improve our services.

[TKC2]

Hello,

Do you need the Microsoft Office APP itself to edit Microsoft files when using Dropbox Online?  Or is Office 365 sufficient to open and edit those shared files?  It was unclear if the problem noted in this thread is due to using the mobile app itself.

Thank you.

[Jay]

Hi @TKC2, are you referring to editing files via the Dropbox site, or the mobile app?

[TKC2]

Via Dropbox. When you say mobile app, you mean an actual MS application or are you also including the web based Office 365?  A lot of files are worked on simultaneously and are accessed via dropbox online and then are opened in google sheets.  Since that is going away, will licenses for office 365 be enough to edit an excel document by clicking the dropbox link or will everyone need a desktop MS application to edit? 

[Jay]

You can edit Office files via the Dropbox site using these steps.

If you're on a Dropbox Business team, you'll need a license to use the editing feature on the site.

There are no restrictions on editing in the desktop Microsoft apps.