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Forum Discussion
Remove "Log in or sign up" Popup when downloading from a shared link
We recently chose Dropbox as the best-looking and most functional drive-sharing tool for our video production company. However, there's an annoying popup prompting clients to log in or sign up when we share links. The "Continue with download only" button is easily missed, especially by older clients, making us look unprofessional. It's frustrating that such a customizable platform has this issue. We hope for a solution soon!
In the last few months I've started experiencing a significant issue when sharing view-only download links with my clients. When they click the "Download" button, a pop-up box now appears, prompting them to log in or sign up. There is an option at the bottom of the box that says "Or continue with download only," but it is in small text and easily overlooked. As a result, I’ve received multiple emails from clients asking why they need to sign in to download the files, something they never had to do before. To resolve this, I have to send them screenshots highlighting the option, which is time-consuming and unprofessional.
Additionally, I had a client insist that this option was not available for them and went back and forth twice before I found out that they had their browser zoomed in slightly and the download button was blocked by Dropbox's cookie notice (image attached).
I have been a loyal Dropbox user for many years, but this new addition to the download process is creating a poor experience for my clients and making me appear unprofessional. While I understand Dropbox might benefit from new sign-ups, this practice feels misleading and unethical. Furthermore, the cookie notice issue, though likely unintentional, is creating an even worse experience for your paid business users.
I really hope Dropbox can come to its senses and remove this pop-up box entirely.
A few users I have noticed post about the same issue which has still not been resolved (I hope you all don't mind me tagging you to try to get more support on a single thread and hopefully get this box removed): COLI TAMINOPROD Sterney Johvial
_Joshua wrote:I have been a loyal Dropbox user for many years, but this new addition to the download process is creating a poor experience for my clients and making me appear unprofessional. While I understand Dropbox might benefit from new sign-ups, this practice feels misleading and unethical. Furthermore, the cookie notice issue, though likely unintentional, is creating an even worse experience for your paid business users.
I really hope Dropbox can come to its senses and remove this pop-up box entirely.
The same exact experience our company/team has been having lately, could not sum it up better.
As a result of this, we have:
-more confused clients unable to download the files they want
-more annoyed users having to explain the download process to clients
-need to deal with many spam requests to join our team dropbox
Please fix this, it certainly feels confusing and misleading.- Megan
Dropbox Staff
Hey guys!
Still no update on this. We'll make sure to update the thread if we have any additional news, however there's no estimated ETA at the moment.
Thanks!
This is pretty greedy on the part of Dropbox - we all sign up and pay good money for Dropbox, and you change the download method that we all have used for years. In no way does this change benefit Drobox's customers. Since you are inserting an add for Dropbox into our communication with clients and others, perhaps Dropbox should pay us for each person that sees this ad?
I just discovered the exact same problem after some back and forth with an annoyed customer, who isn't familiar with printable wall art (which is what I sell) and on top of that, really wasn't happy that I require them to "sign up for Dropbox" to receive their files. I was confused and told them no worries, you don't need an account, just click the shared link and download the files you need. The customer still isn't happy and doesn't want to proceed further - so I went to investigate and stumbled upon this "new" pop-up (seems to be there for a few months obviously, but definitely wasn't there when I initially choose Dropbox as my file sharing system). Additionally, before you even click on anything, there is this banner on the top of the file overview "xyy shared this folder. Want to do more with it? Login | Sign up" which also leaves the impression you can't do anything with the shared folder/files unless you create an account.
Since this issue was brought to Dropboxe's attention by multiple people over the past few months and there still isn't an ETA on a solution is really infuriating to be honest. Why won't you take this issue seriously? It makes us (your customers) look unprofessional in front of our customers, it creates further problems for us like annoyed clients/customers of our own and support we have to give them to make them understand they can still download without an account and so on. At least remove the pop-up for your paying customers, or give them an option in the account settings to turn it off, please!Hey Jay
Thank you for your reply. What you sent me worked, but it's not satisfying at all. Our clients want to preview the files and then choose which ones to download, or download all after having a quick look.
A link with a direct download without pressing anything is even more unprofessional than letting the client press the download button themselves. No one wants an instant download popup.
We would really like to just remove the popup when you press the download button. We are not the only ones; there are several posts from people who wish to have this option. There are already two other sign-in/login buttons on the link you can share.
At least remove it for the paid plans.
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I am trying to share an archive with many files within many subfolders. The viewers need to be able to preview the files before downloading, as there is too much to download it all, as they would only want to see bits and pieces of it. I hope Dropbox can improve this part of their service.
During the last months, I have got so much emails from our customers that they have problems downloading the files. 100% agree with the feedback in this topic. Please take that horrible pop-up box away or do something with it designwise. Really loving Dropbox over competitors but this might be the reason to switch to worse platform.
- Jay
We appreciate the feedback on this matter.
We take all comments into consideration when improving the Dropbox site and services.Hey Dropbox,
Just to add my feedback:
Just went through this with one of my clients. I sent them a link, they emailed me back asking me to send a file where they don't have to sign up for dropbox. I had to reverse engineer what was happening by using the link in a private browser window where I wasn't logged into dropbox.
The problem is the 'Or continue with download' link is very obscure and just a line of underlined type - very secondary to the large blue 'Continue' button. This should at least be a clear blue 'Download' button.
Would look more professional and not waste time on back and forth between myself and client.
They happen to use Digital Pigeon - when they send me stuff I click the download button once and it starts downloading. I'm not taken to a login screen.
Thanks
Please expedite removal of the "join dropbox" pop-up window on transfers. When people I send a transfer link to click a download icon or "download all" button, the download should start immediately — no pop-up whatsoever. Adding one makes your paid subscribers look like they are cheaping out/are unprofessional when if fact they are likely paying Dropbox hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.
Hi Jay, is there any update on when this pop up box will be removed? I have had multiple long time clients ask me why they now have to sign in to download their files. To which I have had to reply with a guide with screenshots on how to download the file.
- Jay
Hi TAMINOPROD, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Could you attach a screenshot showing what you're describing?
Are you sharing a link to a file or folder?
This will help me to assist further!
Hey Jay
Yes of course here's an example Link of how I would like to send my Videos or Images to Clients: [Removed as per Community Guidelines]
And here are two pictures on what happens when you press download and don't have an account:it would be perfect if that popup would not come up and we could just download the files without any account and popup.
- Jay
Thanks for the info. You could try following these steps to force the Dropbox site to immediately download the file, without seeing this preview page.
Would this satisfy your requirements?
This is not a solution. I want my clients to preview the folder, check the contents and download what they need. WITHOUT the Register or Login Popup. That's why I pay for Dropbox. This is a deal breaker for me. Why is this not addressed?
This is still unchanged. As a long time paying Dropbox client this is unacceptable for me. One of the main use cases of Dropbox for me is to deliver files to my clients. Now they get this deceiving popup, making them think they have to register to get the files. I was thinking about upgrading to Business, now this is a reason to change cloud service for me.
