You might see that the Dropbox Community team have been busy working on some major updates to the Community itself! So, here is some info on what’s changed, what’s staying the same and what you can expect from the Dropbox Community overall.

Forum Discussion

effinsyv's avatar
effinsyv
Helpful | Level 5
2 years ago

Sync Desktop and Documents through Dropbox (not backup) Somona

Hi,

 

I'm in the process of making Dropbox work again on Sonoma (Currently running 14.1.2) with DB V.187.4.5691. I had some issues with the Sonoma update that I think I am finally past, but am still dealing with one item. Hopefully the community can help.

 

How do I get my desktop/documents and downloads folders to sync through Dropbox? I can get them backed up with the DB backup app (which works). I frequently need to access my desktop files from mobile (iOS or iPadOS) and going to the backup is a pain through the browser.

 

Can you still sync them so you can view in the DB app?

 

Note: I have NOT upgraded my rebuilt Dropbox folder on the File Provider update yet and I'm using DB V356.2 on iOS.

  • Megan's avatar
    Megan
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

    Hi effinsyv, let's jump right into this! 

     

    Other than using Dropbox Backup, and accessing these files using our website, what you can try as an alternative is to duplicate the content.

     

    You can create a new folder inside the root of your Dropbox account, so that you can keep your content visible when you open the app. 

     

    Unfortunately though, this duplicate wouldn't automatically update and sync with the changes you make inside your actual Backup folder, unless you keep updating it, and re-duplicating it frequently. 

     

    If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to let me know! 

    • effinsyv's avatar
      effinsyv
      Helpful | Level 5

      Hi Megan,

      Does the File Provider update add any functionality that would help with this? 

      I used to have a symbolic link to my desktop in previous versions so DB would automatically back them up. Is there any way to do this still?

      • Jay's avatar
        Jay
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff

        Hi effinsyv, the file provider update wouldn't make any difference to the backup feature. 

         

        Symbolic links were disabled a while ago, so it wouldn't be possible to have it sync your desktop, or any other folder outside of the Dropbox folder.

About Create, upload, and share

Find help to solve issues with creating, uploading, and sharing files and folders in Dropbox. Get support and advice from the Dropbox Community.

Need more support

If you need more help you can view your support options (expected response time for an email or ticket is 24 hours), or contact us on X or Facebook.

For more info on available support options for your Dropbox plan, see this article.

If you found the answer to your question in this Community thread, please 'like' the post to say thanks and to let us know it was useful!