Can we stream files with local apps on the computer, without syncing the files first?

[loungebob]

I've been looking everywhere and could not quite find the answer but I think it's currently not possible.

I want to stream files from my Dropbox account through the Windows desktop client to apps on my PC. Mainly videos and audio files but I dont see why streaming needs to be limited to those.

Currently, the client downloads the complete file first to have a local copy. I cant even start to describe how stupid and inefficient that is.

If I want to know if the 80GB 4 hour long file with the ambiguous name is the movie from the last event from to weeks ago, I need to download it first, wait for it to be finished downloading just to realize a few seconds in, that it is not the correct video.

Not only inefficient and a waste of time and money but also of bandwidth.

We've been in the streaming age for more than 10 years now and you turn a blind eye to it? I'm used to just click a video or audio file and it starts playing instantly. I can skip forward and backward instantly. And when I'm done, so is the file. No local copy, no cached file. Streaming!

Also, how is there seriously no "cancel" button in the desktop client? I have to wait for a large download to finish even though I dont need it anymore?

[Hannah]

Hey @loungebob, thanks for your post.

Indeed, it's not currently possible to stream files locally without syncing the files to the computer first.

We appreciate your feedback, though, and I'll make sure to pass your comments on to our team.

If you have any questions, let me know.

[loungebob]

thank you for forwarding this to the appropriate people.