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Forum Discussion
Dropbox not importing photos over wired connection between iPhone and MacBook
I have this issue every time my wife or I get a new phone. Dropbox upload over cellular or WiFi works fine, but it is slow.
Here is my setup:
iPhone 14Pro: Dropbox Version 316.2 (updated Feb 15, 2023); iOS 16.2
- Dropbox App: Personal tab > Camera Uploads > Off
- iPhone Settings > Dropbox > Photos (set to All Photos)
- iPhone Settings > Dropbox > Camera, Face ID, Background App Refresh and Cellular Data (all are toggled on)
MacBook Pro 2022 settings: Dropbox v167.4.4719; Mac OS 13.1 Ventura
- Dropbox > Preferences > Backups: Enable camera uploads for: Photos and videos (checked)
My phone, plugged in by USB-C-to-Lightning Cable directly to my MacBook Pro, uploads photos after a short delay. My wife's phone does not. This is the process I go through each time I plug it in:
- "Keep your memories safe" dialogue appears
- Select my Personal Dropbox (Dropbox Professional with 3TB storage) because I have a business account as well
- Select "Include videos..."
- Hit "Start import"
- Click on the Dropbox icon in the menu bar; at the bottom it reads "Importing photos..."
- Yes, there are new photos. If I turn on Camera Uploads over WiFi, it starts uploading over 300 files slowly...
I have tried every suggestion from every Dropbox forum post and several from other sites, including:
- turning Camera Uploads off and on (though my goal is to leave wireless uploading off)
- signing out of the Dropbox App on her phone and uninstalling it, restarting the phone, reinstalling the app and trying again
- signing out of the Dropbox App on my Mac, restarting and signing back in, then trying again
I'm happy to offer any other info that helps, and hope that there is a solution that applies only to those of us that prefer a wired Camera Upload experience.
- Jay
Dropbox Staff
Hi ccaravello, thanks for bringing this to our attention.
Just for clarification, when you wife's phone was connected, did you ever see a prompt to upload images?
This will help me to assist further!
Jay,
Thanks for the quick reply. When I connect her phone, the dialogue appears "Keep your memories safe" and allows me to "Choose a Dropbox to save to." I checked the "Include videos..." then hit "Start Import." The phone gives me that Trust prompt to allow it access. On my MacBook, I click the Dropbox icon (from the top menu bar) and, at the bottom of the flyout menu, it says "Importing photos". Now, as I am testing this to give you accurate information, I plugged my wife's phone in and it immediately started syncing! I ran this cycle for an hour the other night, without success. Though my problem seems fixed for now, please reach out with further inquiries that can help resolve it for others.
Thank you!
Chris
- Jay
I'm glad to hear that it seems to be working for now.
Just to clarify, when it said 'choose a Dropbox to save to', do you have a Dropbox Business team linked to a personal account, so you had the choice to upload to either account?
