Google/Dropbox integration changing?

[Alan Septoff]

Hello:

A colleague of mine at another organization received this message from Dropbox:

We’re writing to let you know that Google files stored in Dropbox will move to Google Drive on 7/20/2023. This change will ensure that your team can use the most up-to-date Google features and they remain organized with the rest of your Dropbox content.

What’s changing?
Shortcuts to your team’s Google files will be added to Dropbox so they remain accessible. This move will impact your Google storage and free up Dropbox storage.

What do you need to do?
Ensure your team confirms their preferences in order to move Google files to Google Drive.

While I have not received that message, we are increasingly using dropbox to create google docs/sheets.  Does anyone know what this change means in terms of:

• user experience
• sharing/privilege setting
• the mechanics of moving?

Regarding the latter, it seems like they might require you to install the Google Drive App on your computer in order to create shortcuts?

All in all I'm concerned that the integration might become far less useful.

Thanks for any insight you might have,

Alan

[Hannah]

Hey @Alan Septoff, thanks for posting your question to our Community.

Having questions about this change is understandable, so I would highly recommend taking a look at this article from our help center.

It has all the relevant info about the change and your options, but if you still have questions, you can always let us know.

Cheers!

[Alan Septoff]

I want to see how this works in practice ASAP -- but I haven't received an email from dropbox about it (only a colleague has) and the options mentioned in the help page you linked doesn't provide conversion options for me. Specifically the below:

How to move your files to Google Drive

To move your files, you can click the button in your email or the banner that pops up on dropbox.com. To do so: 

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
   • A menu will appear to move or convert your Google Files.

[Hannah]

Thanks for getting back to us here, Alan.

At the moment, there's nothing we can do to speed this up, really.

You'll need to wait until you receive this email as well, as this is being rolled out.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Alan Septoff]

Why is it being rolled out? 

It seems like a feature deprecation.

[Alan Septoff]

One more question Hannah -- is there any example instance where we can test these things out even as we're waiting for it to rollout to our instance?

[T Blumer]

With the change that will happen in August I have a particular question which I did not find answered so far: We have many .xlsx-files stored in dropbox and are used to edit them directly in dropbox but within the google layout/menu bar (while opening the document you are asked whether edit in Microsoft or Google – we prefer to edit in Google as we think it is easier with its reduced menu etc). Will this still be possible after the announced change?

[Nancy]

Thanks for posting here, @T Blumer!

We're currently looking into this with the team, and we'll let you know as soon as we have more updates.

[Megan]

Hey @T Blumer, sorry to jump in here! 

You’ll no longer be able to open Microsoft Office files in Google Drive. To continue editing, an additional Microsoft Office license may be needed. You can also manually convert these files to Google Drive formats. 

Let me know if you need more info. Thanks!

[T Blumer]

Hi Megan

It would not worry me to continue working with Microsoft 365 as most files are in xlsx. What's rather disturbing are the following experiences we now were making:

1. We are working online in Dropbox/Chrome.

2. Opening the xlsx files (usually respectively once opened with Google) now with Microsoft (in Browser), lots of formatting is lost (fonts, pictures in cells etc), files seem to be corrupted.

3. Creating a new xlsx file the above mentioned problem does not occur.

4. How can we save those hundreds of xlsx files that have been treated with Google? I hope there is a workaround otherwise this would be a disaster ...