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Can you restrict selective sync by device, instead of by user?

Can you restrict selective sync by device, instead of by user?

Admin2020
Explorer | Level 3
Go to solution

Long story short, I need the user of an iMac in our office to have full dropbox access.  I need that same user to have access to only certain folders on an iPad.  On both the iMac and iPad, the user account is the same.  If I selectively sync certain folders to the iPad, any iPad user can simply click the dropbox app, selectively sync all folders, and then have full access to the entire dropbox folder.  This is obviously not acceptable from a security standpoint.

 

Is there a way to restrict which folders sync based on which device dropbox is used on, rather than by which account is logged in?  I'm really surprised I can't find a solution.  This is a security dealbreaker for us and will cause us to move to a different file sharing app if syncing can't be restricted by device.

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

Mark
Super User II
Go to solution

Hi @Admin2020 

 

No there is no way to do this. Simply put because the idea of Dropbox is that its single user per account (its actually against T&C's to use it otherwise and can/does cause accounts to be wiped without notice). So, from a Dropbox point of view there is no security issue because person A on computer is same as on iPad / web - they are just not putting everything locally from a space / structure point of view. 

 

 


 


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4 Replies 4

Mark
Super User II
Go to solution

Hi @Admin2020 

 

No there is no way to do this. Simply put because the idea of Dropbox is that its single user per account (its actually against T&C's to use it otherwise and can/does cause accounts to be wiped without notice). So, from a Dropbox point of view there is no security issue because person A on computer is same as on iPad / web - they are just not putting everything locally from a space / structure point of view. 

 

 


 


:penguin::penguin: - :penguin: - :penguin: - :penguin:


Heart Did this post help you? If so please mark it for some Kudos below. 


:white_check_mark: Did this post fix your issue/answer your question? If so please press the 'Accept as Solution' button to help others find it.


:arrows_counterclockwise: Did this post not resolve your issue? If so please give us some more information so we can try and help - please remember we cannot see over your shoulder so be as descriptive as possible! 


 

Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Go to solution

Hey @Admin2020, thanks for posting your question to our Community.

 

Selective sync is indeed a device specific feature, but it's only available on the Dropbox desktop app.

 

Like Mark mentioned, there's no way to restrict folders on the Dropbox app on a mobile device, like an iPad; you'd have to remove the user's access from the folders altogether.

 

I hope this clarifies things, but let me know if you have any questions.


Hannah
Community Moderator @ Dropbox
dropbox.com/support


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Admin2020
Explorer | Level 3
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Got it.  Yikes!  I guess I understand why Dropbox does it but that leaves a giant hole in security at least with how I need to use my devices!  Thank you for your response clarifying that.  At least now I can stop spending time trying to find a solution and instead find a cloud service with that security option!  Thank you!

Mark
Super User II
Go to solution

The one work around I could think of would be to create an iPad account per device and just share the folders to that device that is needed

 

e.g. ipad1@hahah ipad2@hahaha etc. 

 

And instead of using selective sync to restrict use sharing to do it. 


 


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    Mark Super User II
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    Admin2020 Explorer | Level 3
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    Hannah Dropbox Staff
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