Sharing files created on Android phone

[JungleT]

I've used Dropbox for years now.  Love it on PC and between PC's.  Access to those PC files from my phone has been so useful too.

This week for the first time I wanted to add a Dropbox folder where I can save files that I've made on my phone - (1) to have them backed up in the cloud and (2) to access them easily by PC too.  As a specific example, I want to use a voice recorder app to save short *.mp3 memos.

Using my PC, I created a folder for them in my Dropbox.  On my phone, I set the folder to be available offline.

On the phone, I have two File-Manager type apps, Solid Explorer (SE) which is pretty comprehensive and Google Files (GF) which is more basic.  I looked for folders starting at the root of 'Internal Storage':

- In GF, I can see \Android and \Android\Data folders.  When I open the latter, GF tells me "There's nothing here"

- in SE, I can see the same folders; there's lots of stuff under \Android\Data, including com.dropbox.android; but when I open this SE tells me "No content here'

In my Voice Recorder app Easy Voice Recorder (EVR), I can browse within Internal Storage to set the location to save files.  \Android is listed, but when I open it I get a message "Can't use this folder", and the folder \Android\Data isn't listed.  Nothing under \Android is listed except \Android\Media.  It will let me set, for example, \Music or \Movies or \Documents as the file location but not \Downloads.

Now, I don't know Android except as a user but for my sins long ago, I have a Comp Sci degree.  I cannot see or work out how to have a simple folder, in the way I'm used to on the PC, which is accessible to my Android apps but which is also backed up / mirrored by Dropbox.  What am I missing?  I'm frustrated that Google's OS is so opaque and hard-to-use - these apps seem to have folder-by-folder permissioning the management of which is completely invisible to me... you know, only the guy who's paying for and using the device.

How can I set up a Dropbox-sync'd folder between Phone and PC that's accessible to my Android apps?  Where in the Android file tree can I find the Dropbox folders that I've set to be 'Available Offline'?  How can I give, say, EVR access to more file folders?  They're my effin' folders, right?

[JungleT]

Oh yeah, this thread was an interesting read but didn't answer my questions: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/Apps-and-Installations/Where-are-quot-available-offline-quot-Dropbox...

Please help 🙂

[Walter]

Hey @JungleT, thanks for using Dropbox and welcome to our Community.

I'm afraid there's no direct way to achieve what you had in mind, since the Dropbox mobile app is mostly meant for viewing or sharing your files and it's not actually syncing them locally on your mobile device. 

Currently all files (including offline ones) are available only through the Dropbox application or after being exported to your device or a 3rd party app. 

You can have a look at this discussion for more information if you like too.

I hope this helps! 

[JungleT]

Thanks, Walter.

"... the Dropbox mobile app is mostly meant for viewing or sharing your files..."

Hmm.  Viewing, yup, for sure.  As it stands, you're not achieving sharing, IMO.

I'm going to take time to read the discussion you kindly linked later, when I'm a bit less drunk (it being past midnight here).  Thank-you for giving a clear answer as to what's intended as of today and what's not.

[JungleT]

Well, apparently I couldn't wait.

Andersmusikka is dead right.  It's a real surprise to me that you guys haven't implemented the same common-sense-file-sharing that made your business, on the Android platform that's another core platform for your users.  It's not like there's a shed-load of them, is it?  Wintel, iOS, iPhone, Android.  Aren't you happy the techosystem's so organised for you?

JT

[JungleT · Accepted solution]

That's odd.  In case anyone else with the same need reads the thread, I've downloaded and setup (in ~2 minutes flat) this app Dropsync which does exactly what I want.

https://alternativeto.net/software/dropsync-dropbox-autosync-/about/

In fact it was designed and built for it - as it says here, "Dropsync provides the essential feature, two-way sync, which should be in the official Dropbox for Android since the beginning. For whatever reason it wasn't and still isn't."

Are you guys at DropBox not aware of this app?

[DW1000]

This is a problem Db needs to fix. On my iPhone, I could always send a file to Db. On my new pixel, it's the only linked app not in the list of people or devices with whom to share.