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Forum Discussion

HrdcorECW1637's avatar
HrdcorECW1637
New member | Level 2
11 months ago

Dropbox for macOS syncs when the app is closed - what can I do?

*I'm copying and pasting my final reply to Dropbox support, who told me to come here - Dropbox syncs on Mac even when the app isn't open.*   Dropbox should only sync WHEN THE APP IS OPEN. You hav...
Desktop
Mac
Sync
the_name_youll_be_known_as's avatar
the_name_youll_be_known_as
Explorer | Level 3
10 months ago

I have an iCloud account on my Mac, and using iCloud Drive with the "Desktop & Documents Folders" option active.

I noticed that files in the Dropbox folder are syncing to my other devices, even when the Dropbox application is not running.

 

I presume that this is because the Apple File Provider API is doing the sync to my other devices, and this API does not need Dropbox to do that.

Correct?

 

So, if I do not have the Desktop & Documents Folders" active, does Dropbox stop syncing when it is not running? Or do I have to stop iCloud Drive entirely? Or does it always sync, even without iCloud drive? Does it sync to Dropbox.com using the same API? How does this work? 

 

Thanks for any insights you can give. Not really a problem, but it really bugs me 🙂

  • Hannah's avatar
    Hannah
    Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
    10 months ago

    Hey the_name_youll_be_known_as, indeed, what you're seeing is expected with the File Provider API.

     

    You can see Emma's response here for more info.

    • the_name_youll_be_known_as's avatar
      the_name_youll_be_known_as
      Explorer | Level 3
      10 months ago

      Hey Hannah,

      Thank you for your quick answer.

      As the Apple File Provider is doing the sync, even when Dropbox is not running, I presume it is syncing only between iCloud configured macOS and iOS devices and not to the Dropbox server.

      Is this correct?

       

      If Dropbox is running, does it sync to the dropbox.com servers AND the iCloud servers?

      Does it transfer the data twice?

      I am somewhat concerned about my Internet bandwidth and most of all the cost (data roaming in the EU is still VERY expensive and limited).

      • Hannah's avatar
        Hannah
        Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
        10 months ago

        Hey the_name_youll_be_known_as, happy Monday!

         

        Dropbox isn't really connected to iCloud; they are basically two different services, which shouldn't even interfere with each other. 

         

        If you make changes to your Dropbox files using the local Dropbox folder on your computer, for example, Dropbox will sync these changes to our servers and any other devices you have linked to your Dropbox account, like a phone you've installed the Dropbox app on.

         

        I hope this helps clarify things a bit, but if you have more questions, I'd be happy to help!

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