Can't understand the meaning of the Dropbox icon in the finder and it doesn't sync.

[suibom]

My system info

HW: Apple M1 Pro

OS: Ventura 13.5 (22G74)

Dropbox ver: v180.3.4837 & joined beta

Dropbox beta has an incomprehensible behavior when using the file provider feature on macOS.
As shown in the finder screenshot below, I have set "Make available offline" except for a few folders. However, the cloud with arrow icon(next to the dropbox icon) is "not downloaded" and the dropbox status in the menubar is "your files are up to date". 

Doesn't "make available offline" mean that all files are accessible offline on my macbook? But what does "not downloaded" mean?

No matter how long I waited, the "your files are up to date" status didn't change, so I finally clicked on the cloud icon in the finder to actually download the files. After that, the dropbox status didn't change even after hours of waiting in "syncing..." as shown in the screenshot below.

[csmini]

Both icons simultaneously was actually temporary situation. 
After clicking "make available offline" all files in folder tree got the green "available offline" icon right away,  parallel with "offline"-symbol. 
In a while "offline"-symbols disappeared and files started to work as they should in offline use.
So that 'two opposite icons' at same time, was situation after asking folder tree to be in offline use, but before they actually were downloaded.
So two simultaneous icons in file meant it was asked to be downloaded for offline use but it was still only online as it was not yet downloaded.

[James V.1]

Dropbox's support page tells me to

4. Right-click the file or folder and select Make available offline.
5. Wait a few minutes while the file or folder updates. A file or folder is available offline once you see it has a
solid green checkmark next to it. Learn about the different sync icons and what they mean.

And I do. I select "Make available offline" and I definitely get a solid green checkmark but I also get a grey cloud symbol and I know that that file has definitely not been made available and has no intention of doing so. 

these two things are not the same

Dropbox even helpfully tells me it's all good. 

are they?

I am running the latest stable version: V187.4.5691

I am running Sonoma 14.1.1

I am on a paid account. 

I am on an M1 MacBook Pro 

I have 2TB of space free. 

I have nothing blocking dropbox and the bandwidth is set to unlimited. 

Finally, if I try to open a file that has a green check mark and a grey cloud icon next to it it *will* actually download the file from the cloud. Even previewing the file will get dropbox to download it. 

Double click to actually download.

So what's going on? I know Dropbox is going to blame Apple's new API and it's also possible I've done something wrong here but surely, even if they can't do it, they shouldn't be showing the cloud icon next to the green tick. 

[Hannah]

Hey @James V.1, thanks for reaching out to our Community.

I've moved your post to a similar thread, that should give you more info on the situation.

That said, we do appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback on the syncing icons and I'll make sure to pass your comments along to our team.

[James V.1]

Yeah it happens with files as well as folders. 

[daviddaviddavidgardener]

I am having this issue, and contrary to the solution here I am having the issue with individual files. and they refuse to become available offline in bulk unless I click on each one individually. I'm on an M1 mac. please help.

[Walter]

Hey @daviddaviddavidgardener - thanks for the screenshot.

Could you let us know your device's exact OS version, and the version and status of the Dropbox desktop app as shown in your menu bar?

[daviddaviddavidgardener]

yeah im on osx 13.5 and dropbox says "your files are up to date"

[Nancy]

@daviddaviddavidgardener, are these files saved within a folder? If yes, what syncing icon do you see next to the parent folder? 

If you right click on it, do you see the “make online-only” option instead of “make available offline”, or neither of them shows in the menu?

[daviddaviddavidgardener]

The parent folder has the cloud with a down arrow, I see both options to "make available online only" as well as "make available offline" , but clicking make available offline doesn't do anything.

[Nancy]

Thanks for the screenshot! If you open the folder and press Command A to select all files within, do you see the “make available offline” option then? 

If you select it, does anything change?