In case anyone's unaware... if you're a Mac user storing your Dropbox on an external drive, you'll shortly lose that ability.

https://talk.tidbits.com/t/dropbox-drops-support-for-storing-files-on-an-external-drive-and-onedrive-retains-it/20797/16

https://help.dropbox.com/installs/macos-support-for-expected-changes

Just confirmed this with DB support (see below).  Gutted - been with Dropbox for years and our entire video team flow is based around it 😕

>Hi there, I read today that you are scrapping the ability to store the Dropbox folder on external disks, on OSX. I'd like to ask more about this please.

> Hello Jon, and thank you for contacting Dropbox Support. My name is Joseph, and I will be more than happy to look into your request, right away.  

That is correct Jon, as part of the Dropbox for macOS update, the Dropbox folder must be located in ~/Library/CloudStorage.

>This is a showstopper for us, and will mean we have to move to another service. We have a large distributed team using DB for video work, no way it'll fit within internal drives.
Is there a workaround?

> I totally understand and I apologize for the inconvenience. Unfortunately, there is no workaround on this as changing the location of your Dropbox folder is no longer supported by macOS.

>This change doesn't seem to have hit us yet - we're running a variety of machines inc Ventura
What will trigger its enforcement? Can we stay on an earlier OS or Dropbox version?

>The updates happening automatically every time the Dropbox app is restarting, for example if your device never restarts it should maintain the older version but we can't guarantee full functionality on older versions of the application.

>So what will happen - if we have a Dropbox folder on an 8TB drive and a tiny internal drive - will it try to clone stuff across and eat up the space? What's the mechanism?

>That's right, it will try to move the content on your internal drive until it has no space and gives you an error.

>Is Smartsync still supported? I.e. will it move stuff to being online only if it won't fit?

>It is, however it is now known as online-only.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the change is being driven by Apple itself, not by Dropbox, which may mean that all alternative services face a similar limitation. If you continue to use Macs running Ventura or later, you may need to find another way to work or acquire machines with more internal storage (which a cynic might suspect as a reason for Apple to make the change).

Unfortunately, it sounds like the change is being driven by Apple itself, not by Dropbox, which may mean that all alternative services face a similar limitation. If you continue to use Macs running Ventura or later, you may need to find another way to work or acquire machines with more internal storage (which a cynic might suspect as a reason for Apple to make the change).

\n
• This beta is only available to US-based users
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• You must be on macOS 15 beta
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• You must have an external drive that is APFS formatted and encrypted
\n

\n
• This beta is only available to US-based users
\n
• You must be on macOS 15 beta
\n
• You must have an external drive that is APFS formatted and encrypted
\n

This is a disaster for our my small business. We have 5 Mac Mini's with tiny 250gb hard drives, which run Dropbox on external SSDs (formatted to the AFPS system). I literally setup a new Mac Mini this weekend this way.

Now I am reading that Dropbox just won't work on them at all? So Dropbox has to use what little space is available in the 250gb internal drives??

If this is true...we will have no choice but to leave Dropbox and migrate to something else.

This is a disaster for our my small business. We have 5 Mac Mini's with tiny 250gb hard drives, which run Dropbox on external SSDs (formatted to the AFPS system). I literally setup a new Mac Mini this weekend this way.

Now I am reading that Dropbox just won't work on them at all? So Dropbox has to use what little space is available in the 250gb internal drives??

If this is true...we will have no choice but to leave Dropbox and migrate to something else.

So for older systems on older OS's this will or will not happen? ie my main rig is on Catalina and I wasn't planning on upgrading it anytime soon. Will I need to find another solution for our 20TB dropbox?? holy moly this is a disaster. 

So for older systems on older OS's this will or will not happen? ie my main rig is on Catalina and I wasn't planning on upgrading it anytime soon. Will I need to find another solution for our 20TB dropbox?? holy moly this is a disaster. 

This is bad bad news, and may make Dropbox unusable for me, as well. 

Anyone have any thoughts about sticking an alias in that new required location, that points to an external drive?

This is bad bad news, and may make Dropbox unusable for me, as well. 

Anyone have any thoughts about sticking an alias in that new required location, that points to an external drive?

Doesn't work. Only the alias file itself gets synced.
Same thing for a symlink.

Doesn't work. Only the alias file itself gets synced.
Same thing for a symlink.

Would love to know the answer to this -- if anybody knows and can chime in it would be much appreciated. If one runs a version of OS pre Ventura, will this prevent the external hard drive sync being dropped?

Would love to know the answer to this -- if anybody knows and can chime in it would be much appreciated. If one runs a version of OS pre Ventura, will this prevent the external hard drive sync being dropped?

I just switched to Pionner's Rekordbox professional plan that includes Dropbox unlimited.

I have a large music library, 3.5 tb, that is stored on an external ssd. This change is a no no as there is no way to store that in my internal ssd.

I will have to initiate a refund as this option no longer serves my needs.

Bye bye Dropbox,

I just switched to Pionner's Rekordbox professional plan that includes Dropbox unlimited.

I have a large music library, 3.5 tb, that is stored on an external ssd. This change is a no no as there is no way to store that in my internal ssd.

I will have to initiate a refund as this option no longer serves my needs.

Bye bye Dropbox,

Could you kindly provide a link with information on how to make One Drive work as an alternative? Would love to find an alternative service but unable to find anything as of yet

Could you kindly provide a link with information on how to make One Drive work as an alternative? Would love to find an alternative service but unable to find anything as of yet

Dropbox, you need to do better than this.  It's a failure on your part not to have communicated this better.  It will cost your customers time, money, and energy to salvage their workflows.  Rolling out an update like this should have been at least a 90 day progression, NOT a next time you restart all your frickin' files will either be offline or crash your 1TB OS HD.  COME ON DB! Make this right and get a workaround.

Dropbox, you need to do better than this.  It's a failure on your part not to have communicated this better.  It will cost your customers time, money, and energy to salvage their workflows.  Rolling out an update like this should have been at least a 90 day progression, NOT a next time you restart all your frickin' files will either be offline or crash your 1TB OS HD.  COME ON DB! Make this right and get a workaround.

From a Reddit user: \"It is linked to your home user folder location. If you move your home folder to an external drive, dropbox goes with it. And for that matter, so do google drive, one drive, box etc.\"

This may be a solution - will require testing.

From a Reddit user: \"It is linked to your home user folder location. If you move your home folder to an external drive, dropbox goes with it. And for that matter, so do google drive, one drive, box etc.\"

This may be a solution - will require testing.

Further exchange with Dropbox support:

Further exchange with Dropbox support:

As per the suggested workaround of moving the Home directory on your Mac to the external hard drive, what would be the cons of such a move?

By using Dropbox our data is by default backed up in the cloud. So we are not worried about an external hard drive failing. We are more concerned about potential permissions issues and performance. 

My understanding is that the Home directory just stores files and content, as opposed to Applications - which would still run off the internal hard drive.

As per the suggested workaround of moving the Home directory on your Mac to the external hard drive, what would be the cons of such a move?

By using Dropbox our data is by default backed up in the cloud. So we are not worried about an external hard drive failing. We are more concerned about potential permissions issues and performance. 

My understanding is that the Home directory just stores files and content, as opposed to Applications - which would still run off the internal hard drive.

You can install the entire Mac OS on an external SSD drive.  Why not do that and then run apps, like Dropbox, off of it too?  

You can install the entire Mac OS on an external SSD drive.  Why not do that and then run apps, like Dropbox, off of it too?  

It's not a real option to only run off an external drive when you need Dropbox use.  Sorry, that's just kinda crazy.  

dropbox you really need to answer with your future plans for this.  I'm about to come due for renewal later this month and would love to either move on or keep dropbox forever because you HAVE COMMITTED TO HAVING AN OPTION WHICH ALWAYS WORKS for external storage.  

In the meantime it's working fine on the older non file-provider version, but I REALLY NEED TO KNOW if Dropbox is committed to a longer-term answer.  

It's not a real option to only run off an external drive when you need Dropbox use.  Sorry, that's just kinda crazy.  

 you really need to answer with your future plans for this.  I'm about to come due for renewal later this month and would love to either move on or keep dropbox forever because you HAVE COMMITTED TO HAVING AN OPTION WHICH ALWAYS WORKS for external storage.  

In the meantime it's working fine on the older non file-provider version, but I REALLY NEED TO KNOW if Dropbox is committed to a longer-term answer.  

David, Of course Dropbox could support external drives as they did before today OR other cloud storage solutions continue to do (sync.com, icedrive, pCloud).  Lets be clear that this is a design choice by Dropbox.

David, Of course Dropbox could support external drives as they did before today OR other cloud storage solutions continue to do (sync.com, icedrive, pCloud).  Lets be clear that this is a design choice by Dropbox.

\"Lets be clear that this is a design choice by Dropbox.\"

I'm not so sure.  This previous thread about this (which someone sent me earlier today) implies Apple is slowly forcing all the streaming companies to do this - OneDrive already made the change a year back, and now has a workaround.

Looks like an Apple thing not a Dropbox thing. (Note the mention of Ventura is a red-herring, this affects Monterey too).

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Apps-and-Installations/MacOS-13-0-Ventura-and-Dropbox-follows-OneDrive-in-forcing-the/td-p/631423 

\"Lets be clear that this is a design choice by Dropbox.\"

I'm not so sure.  This previous thread about this (which someone sent me earlier today) implies Apple is slowly forcing all the streaming companies to do this - OneDrive already made the change a year back, and now has a workaround.

Looks like an Apple thing not a Dropbox thing. (Note the mention of Ventura is a red-herring, this affects Monterey too).

https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Apps-and-Installations/MacOS-13-0-Ventura-and-Dropbox-follows-OneDrive-in-forcing-the/td-p/631423 

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davidgaw wrote:
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Unfortunately, it sounds like the change is being driven by Apple itself, not by Dropbox, which may mean that all alternative services face a similar limitation. If you continue to use Macs running Ventura or later, you may need to find another way to work or acquire machines with more internal storage (which a cynic might suspect as a reason for Apple to make the change).

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It totally is - and its annoying that Dropbox isnt saying this as much as I expected. The API changes that are coming will impact all cloud providers at some point.

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 wrote:
\n

Unfortunately, it sounds like the change is being driven by Apple itself, not by Dropbox, which may mean that all alternative services face a similar limitation. If you continue to use Macs running Ventura or later, you may need to find another way to work or acquire machines with more internal storage (which a cynic might suspect as a reason for Apple to make the change).

\n

---

It totally is - and its annoying that Dropbox isnt saying this as much as I expected. The API changes that are coming will impact all cloud providers at some point.

Mark 

It's not like Dropbox and Apple don't know each other lol, actually they're headquartered in the same city and probably share a lot of former employees.

Dropbox it's YOUR JOB to keep up to date with Apple's API, not the other way around.

It's not like Dropbox and Apple don't know each other lol, actually they're headquartered in the same city and probably share a lot of former employees.

Dropbox it's YOUR JOB to keep up to date with Apple's API, not the other way around.

shinbeth but they are keeping up with the API - hence the changes that are in this thread. 

 but they are keeping up with the API - hence the changes that are in this thread. 

NNNO MAC - WINDOWS 10

NNNO MAC - WINDOWS 10

This is what Apple has done since the 80's.  Forced obsolesce.  Typically new OS that cannot run on old hardware, thus forcing a hardware upgrade.  But now, in the era of cloud computing, they too will find another way to get us to buy another Mac.  My 1TB drive on my iMac Pro (which cost over $5K) is packed.  I use an external SSD for my Scratch Disk, but was hoping to run DB off of it.  Looks like I better come up with a new plan.  BTW, my Mac is still plenty fast, yet I can't upgrade the internal harddrive.

This is what Apple has done since the 80's.  Forced obsolesce.  Typically new OS that cannot run on old hardware, thus forcing a hardware upgrade.  But now, in the era of cloud computing, they too will find another way to get us to buy another Mac.  My 1TB drive on my iMac Pro (which cost over $5K) is packed.  I use an external SSD for my Scratch Disk, but was hoping to run DB off of it.  Looks like I better come up with a new plan.  BTW, my Mac is still plenty fast, yet I can't upgrade the internal harddrive.