Dropbox keeps asking me to install Word even though it’s already installed.

[ben_galaxy]

All of a sudden Dropbox tells me to install Word when I try to open my Word document in Dropbox for iPad. I already have Word installed! The only options I have are to tap “Install” (which takes me to the App Store, where Word has already been installed) or “Not Now”, in which case it just takes me back to the main menu. How do I get Dropbox to understand that Word is already installed?

[Megan]

Hi @Patrais & @Zekeriya, I hope you're doing well!

Just to note, I’ve merged your post to this thread as it is relevant to the topic and I wanted to keep a similar point of contact for this. 

Could you please try the troubleshooting steps mentioned throughout this thread, and keep me updated as to what happens next?

Let me know what you find - Thanks!

[Patrais]

I have downloaded the Microsoft 365 app, and now Dropbox lets me open the documents through this app, not the others. It is ok, but now I cannot have an Excel and a Word open at the same time since the app is the same…

[MarianneR]

Not entirely resolved for me either...iOS on iPad is backlevel 15.1. I don't see  how to clear the cache but I did power off and back on several times.  I also had clicked on something to protect a file which I thought would make it such that I had to enter a password to see that file on a mobile device but it didn't do that, instead it locked the file on my mobile devices.  I also couldn't figure out how to un-do that, so I copied the contents of the file, pasted it into a new file, and deleted the old one.  As you've gathered by now, I need training / more dropbox skills but I'm a huge fan and will figure it out. (P.S. I have Dropbox Plus)

[Patrais]

It worked, but not anymore… Again, Dropbox asks to download the Word app. I deleted it and downloaded again, but still asks for it and doesn’t go to Microsoft 365 anymore, just asks for an app which is already there.

[MarianneR]

as you'll see in this thread, some of us are getting some (but not necessarily complete) relief by logging out of dropbox and then logging back in.  

[Patrais]

I have already done. It didn’t work for me.

[JohnKMcHenry]

As of a few days ago, I started having the issue others have had on iPhone & iPad where Dropbox doesn’t recognize that Microsoft Office apps are installed.

I first went into Excel and removed dropbox as a storage option, and then added it again - that didn’t work.

I then removed and re-installed Dropbox and it worked for a day and then stopped again.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Regards,

Karl

[Anne waddington]

Hi, my husband and I have been following this thread with fascination because we were having the same problem. Something must have changed in dropbox because we have a solution that is working for now, at least. In the iPad, instead of using the Dropbox app to access your Dropbox files, try using the Files app on the iPad, which will allow you to sign into other services other than iCloud. I can’t explain how you do that here but it’s easy to Google it and find out how you install dropbox into the Files app on your iPad. From within the Files app, you navigate to the word file, and hopefully the Excel file if you have one and it will open.

[ben_galaxy]

Hi Megan,

Here are some screenshots as you requested. I uninstalled the Dropbox app completely and reinstalled it. As before it worked as expected for awhile (2-3 days/10-12 openings of my document) and then reverted back to asking me to install Word. Here are the screens that pop up.

Thanks for the assistance!

Initial prompt:

Tapping 'Install' opens App Store where you can see Word is already installed:

Tapping 'Done' closes App Store and displays this page. The blue square just keeps spinning, never "completes":

P.S. I removed the "Accepted as Solution" mark from the earlier post, since it turned out to only be temporary.

[Jay]

Hi @JohnKMcHenry, are you running the latest version of the Excel app? Have you tried uninstalling it, rebooting the device, and reinstalling it?