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Forum Discussion
AirDrop broken on MacOS Ventura
I'm using MacOS Ventura and I can't receive files via AirDrop anymore.
My Downloads folder is inside my Dropbox as I'm using Dropbox Backup, so it is all inside the Cloud Library now. The Spotligh...
You'll need to access the preferences in the desktop app, click the Backup tab, and then Manage Backup. From there you can remove the Downloads folder from the backup.
Walter
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffHey LJ123, thanks for the nudge here and happy Monday!
Would it be alright if I send you an email to look further into this internally?
Yes please do. Thank you!
Airdrop is also broken for me, I think this happened recently as well. Running Dropbox 162.4.5419 and Mac OS Monterey 12.4. I'm also using Dropbox backup so my downloads folder is in my dropbox and it's got an alias. Behavior is exactly as OP described - everything seems to be going fine but the file is nowhere to be found. I also tried search /private/var/folders for temp files that may be lingering prior to move, but can't find anything.
Unfortunately I just lost some files permanently because I airdropped them then deleted them from my phone assuming they landed safely on my mac.
The problem is caused because the Dropbox update moves your main folders (Documents, Desktop, and Downloads) somewhere else on your hard drive with the latest Dropbox update if you are using the backup features on your machine. You have to go in and disable your machine backup in the Dropbox client and it will supposedly put the folders back where they're supposed to be (be sure to keep the files on your Mac and not only in Dropbox when you disable backup - otherwise all your stuff is going to get deleted off your computer).
Then, for whatever reason, the Downloads folder will not get put back properly when you disable the backups, so AirDrop still won't work. You'll have to go into Finder and there will be two Downloads folders in the Left Pane of your Finder window. One of them is the real one and one isn't - the real one will have your files in it and the bad one won't. So you'll have to remove the bad one from the Left Pane and set the real one back up in your Favorites in the left pane. Then you'll need to remove the bad Downloads folder from your Dock bar and replace it with the real one on your Dock bar.
Once I did all that, AirDrop started working again. So bottom line - yes, Dropbox broke it and so far they're not admitting it and have no idea how to fix it - but this is what got my Mac working properly again. I'll never use Dropbox's backup features again, and I'm going to downgrade my subscription as I have no use for the amount of storage space I'm paying for now since I know that if I re-enable backup it will bork my machine again.
Dropbox needs to check its ego in thinking that it's a good idea for them to re-arrange people's hard drives for the heck of it.
