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Android
77 Topics
Syncing dropbox files on Android - third party apps?
Hi everyone, As you may know, Dropbox doesn't sync files on Android any more as of last year or so (see this, for example). They used to be in sdcard>Android>data>com.dropbox.android>files, but the new "available offline" option stores them in the cache of the Db app, which other apps cannot access (you wouldn't be able to locate them with Files, for example), to ensure their safety, I would guess. The only way to use these files on your device apart from through the Db app is to "export" them after they were made "available offline" (so basically to properly download them locally), and it is thus impossible to do what Dropbox is meant to do in the first place : read and write synced files. I personally would like to edit note files on my computer and my phone and to get them synced by Db, but there seems to be no way to reach and edit locally stored (note) files with my note-taking app. The only workaround I found to this problem is using third party app that syncs files with your Dropbox repository, such as Dropsync or FolderSync, which were explicitly meant for that : "New files in your cloud account are automatically downloaded onto your device. [...] This is how Dropbox works on computers but not on Android. Two-way automatic synchronization should be an essential function of the official app. For whatever reason, it is not the case. Dropsync is here to fill the gap." [Dropsync app description] But then I am not too keen on adding more complexity to my workflow, increase the likeliness of some incompatibility or other "technical issues" to emerge in the future and, moreover, to potentially put my professional and personal data into more covetous digital hands than they already are in (free apps that manipulate my data? I sense what the product might be)... So my questions are : has anyone in here ever tried these solutions and did it work as planned? Any (unusual) worries to have regarding privacy with these solutions? And above all (@support people?), is there any way to circumvent the issue without these? Cheers14KViews8likes8Comments
Square box in photos tab in the mobile app on Android
Hi, I am new to the community so please forgive me if I'm in the wrong segment. My queries is when I open the photos section on my Android app a square box appears & stays there. A little segment rotates in the Square & that's it. All my files are there & the what's normally in photos are there to upload. Happening on my 2 android devices. Any assistance would be much appreciated.Solved3.7KViews3likes19CommentsGrid view zoomed in too far
Hi, I am on the android version of the app. When I try to look at my files using grid view, the view is zoomed in too far so that there are only four files on screen at once, whereas before the grid view was zoomed out enough that nine files could fit on screen at once. I cannot figure out how to zoom the grid view out.1.6KViews2likes10Comments
Unsupported file type
Have been using Dropbox on Windows PC and Android cell phone for many years for the same files. Recently attempted to access two Word documents from Dropbox on cell phone, which I have been accessing for many years. Received a message on cell phone, "unsupported file type". However, I have no trouble accessing these two files in Dropbox on PC. What's changed? How can I access? Will influence my decision to renew Dropbox!Solved5.8KViews2likes14Comments
Android app, opening videos doesn't work correctly
I can't watch videos on- or off-line in the Dropbox app for Android. I think this bug/series of bugs started when I updated to Android 12 in October/November of last year. I've just been hoping the bug will be fixed in the next version of the app, but it never was fixed. I'm hoping someone else has experienced the bugs. It's hard to explain exactly what is happening but I will try here. A giant thumbnail will obscure the currently playing video, taking up about half the screen, depending on the resolutions of the currently playing video and the thumbnailed video. This thumbnail seems to always come from the same folder the video is in. I think it only happens when the video/screen is in landscape. When videos do start playing correctly, the UI (seek bar, play/pause, favorite, share, etc) won't go away automatically. When tapping somewhere in the video to hide it, it sometimes will just toggle between two different UI states, instead of hiding it completely. This seems to be random and the only way to fix it has been to clear the app from recents (which I think closes it) and restart it. The seek bar in videos is also always in the middle of my screen instead of at the bottom.Solved5.1KViews2likes40Comments
After update and "migration" no longer can find offline files.
I have quite a few ofline files. Mostly chaptered audio books, in mp3 format. My audio book player needs to know where they are. The built in player is not good for audio books, it lacks many features. It was working yesterday but after the Dropbox update I received they are gone, or moved from the previous location. They have green checks in Dropbox as offline, though it was frustrating to watch my data as it downloaded all these offline files again. Regardless they say they are available offline, but I can't find them in any search. The only thing I was able to do to continue listening to my current audio book was, export the files one by one... 3 clicks for each file, times 45 files in this one book... Not happy about this update to say the least. Can you tell me where the files are, or is there an easier way to export a whole folder?Solved5.5KViews2likes11Comments
Swiping through photos full-screen on an Android phone in the Dropbox mobile app
Hi, I would love to be able to swipe through full-screen photos in the Dropbox folders on my Android phone. At the moment, I have to click to open the photo to full-screen, click to reduce it again, choose another photo, and click to open that. It’s downright embarrassing when I’m showing photos to my friends on my phone that I have the functionality and speed of a 15-year-old phone just because I’m using Dropbox. I would love to be able to show the photo full-screen and then swipe through my Dropbox photos the way I can with photos in my Gallery. I see other users have the same problem. https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/View-download-and-export/mobile-app-photo-viewing/td-p/682754 I’ve tried to solve the issue by setting Dropbox to open photos through a gallery app, but this makes the problem even worse. Using one of these apps (which works perfectly for non-Dropbox photos) is a navigation nightmare when opening Dropbox photos. Again, I see that other users have been struggling with this. https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/View-download-and-export/Can-t-scroll-from-one-photo-to-another-on-the-mobile-app/td-p/746195 Please tell me if you already have a way for me to swipe through photos in my Dropbox folders. If not, please fix it. Thank you1.7KViews1like11CommentsOffline mode not working on Android
Samsung galaxy note 22 / Dropbox plus / App version 366.2.2 Folder and Files are green for offline availability. However, when offline (mobile and WiFi) it says "network error" and file won't open (pdf nor docx). When I am in a network files can be opened. Where is the problem? Many Thanks5.4KViews1like21Comments
