How to share photos from Dropbox

[Karina]

How to Share Pictures using Dropbox  

Hey Community Friends! :camera:

Karina here, and I’m happy to be sharing with you the different ways you can share your pictures using Dropbox (on the web & your mobile devices), on various Social Media platforms (ie. Facebook Messenger & Instagram), as well as how you can display your images on websites as a workaround to how Public Links were once displayed on websites, and through Dropbox Paper.

Let’s start off with the basic and most common way to share your photos: 

[Karina · Accepted solution]

Part 1: Share a Link & Host your Photos Online

With shared links, Dropbox and non-Dropbox users can access any photos you send them through the simple click of a link. It’s the simplest way for individuals to view, comment on, and download a copy of the photo you’ve shared with them. 

To create a shared link using dropbox.com, simply follow the steps below:

1. Sign into your account on the web at www.dropbox.com
2. Hover your mouse over the photo of choice, and click on the “Share” button (located on the right side of your page).
3. Then, click on “Create a link” and from there, click on “Copy link”
   
   
   
   
4. Once you click on “Copy link” a URL will have been generated and copied on your clipboard. From there, you can take that link and paste it anywhere 
   
   
   

Anyone who clicks on that link, will have access to the photo (or folder of photos) you’ve shared.

Now, for those of you with websites, or those of you that work on platforms where you’d like to host/ display images, here’s all you need to do: convert your shared link into a ‘raw=1’ link!

1. Create a shared link to the image in question (by following the steps mentioned above). 

2. Paste the link you’ve created, and convert it into a “raw=1” link, by changing the text from ‘?dl=0’ to ‘?raw=1’ at the end of the link. 

For example:

• This: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5bs4a7c2gs38wm0.png?dl=0

• Becomes: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5bs4a7c2gs38wm0.png?raw=1

3. Finally, simply copy the new ‘raw=1’ link and use that for the image -  it should then render correctly.

All the best, 
Karina

[Karina]

Part 2: Export & Share your Photos using the Mobile Apps

Since we’re living in such a digital age where people all around the world look for quick and easy ways to share photos with each other while on the go, I though I’d include how you can share links to photos with others through your mobile device + how you can share your photos to apps like Facebook Messenger (which is an app users frequently ask about). 

:mobile_phone: iOS:

1. Open up the Dropbox app on your phone and locate the photo of your choice.
   
2. Click on the downwards arrow to the right of your screen:down_arrow:(or if you're on grid view the "..." symbol under your photo.
3. Tap on the “Share” option.
4. If the person you’re sharing with has a Dropbox account, you can type in their email address + share. Otherwise, click on “Create a link”.
5. From there, different apps will appear, and you can choose whether you’d like to share this link as a text message, an email, or any of your favorite social media apps. 

In the Dropbox app, you should have an option to Export your photos. Here are the steps on how to do so:

1. Open up the Dropbox app, locate and open the picture you’d like to export.
2. Click on the ellipsis (…) on the top-right of your screen + select “Export” from the drop-down menu. 
3. You’ll see a list of available apps to export too, and scrolling towards the right will allow you to see more apps. For additional apps, click on the ellipsis icon called “More”.
4. Click on the app of your choice and your link will be generated. Once exported, you can share the photo.

Instagram

5. If you want to post a Dropbox photo on Instagram: Export your photo and “Save Image”. 

• (A copy of that photo will now be saved to your Phone’s Camera Roll in an album called “Dropbox”) Once saved, you can open up the Instagram app → Locate the photo saved in your “Dropbox” album on your iPhone’s Camera Roll, and you’re all set to post.
  

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:mobile_phone: Android:

1. Open up the Dropbox app on your phone and locate the photo of your choice.
2. Click on the photo, and once it opens, click on the downwards arrow at the top-right of your screen :down_arrow:
3. Tap on the “Share” option.
4. If the person you’re sharing with has a Dropbox account, you can type in their email address + share. Otherwise, click on “Create a link”.
5. If you “Create a link”, various apps will appear that you can paste your link to. Click on the app of your choice to automatically generate your link.

In the Dropbox app, you should have an option to Export your photos. Here are the steps on how to do so:

1. Open the Dropbox app and navigate to the photo you want to export.
2. Select the photo and click on the downwards arrow at the top-right of your screen:down_arrow: 
3. Select 'Export' and you’ll have the ability to choose the location on your device, or app you'd like to save a copy or export your photo to.
   

Instagram

4. If you want to post a Dropbox photo on Instagram: Export your photo and “Save to device”. 

• You can even choose where in your device you’d like to save a copy of the photo. 

• Once saved, it will be located in your Phone’s Gallery, where you can open up Instagram → Locate the photo & post.

[Karina]

Part 3: Sharing Photos using Dropbox Paper

Another fun way to share your photos with others is by using Dropbox Paper. By adding images in your Paper docs, you have the ability to:

• Arrange your photos in any order you want (by simply dragging-and-dropping the photos between each other). This gives you a gallery view of all photos, as they re-size themselves to fit well next to each other. You can even create an collage or inspo-board on Paper!

 

• Click on an image to view a larger preview of it (and save a copy to your computer by right-clicking and “Saving image as”)
  
  
• With individual pictures, you can also choose whether you’d like them to be large + centered on your Paper doc, off to the side (left or right) + made smaller, or replaced. Do do this, click on your photo and choose your option from the settings that appear: 
  

• With the settings that appear, you also have the option to comment on the picture, or add a comment to a specific area. Hovering your mouse over those settings, allows you to see which icon represents each setting. For example:

• Add captions to your pictures
• This option appears below your photo when you click on it, allowing you to caption each one of your photos differently. 
   
  

• Example: If you’re sharing your travel photos, you can include each photos location, or date taken, in their caption.

• Image Lightbox: When clicking on an image in Paper, the settings appear. If you click again, you are introduced to the Image Lightbox. This is a section which allows you to view an image in its full size, and navigate your way through all photos in the Paper doc, by scrolling towards to left or right, using the left + right keys on your keyboard, or clicking on the left + right arrows on your screen. In this section, you also have the ability to view and reply to comments posted on each specific photo.

How to add a Photo in your Paper doc?

Dropbox on the Web:

• Click on the [ + ] icon that appears towards the left of your screen, and the below settings will appear: 

Dropbox Paper Mobile App :mobile_phone:

• iOS: Click on the Camera icon or Photo icon in the settings that appear when you’re editing a Paper doc on your iPhone or iPad. 
  

• Android: Click on the Camera icon or Photo icon in the settings that appear when you’re editing a Paper doc on your Android device (the last two options in the row of Settings). 

[Karina]

How to Share your Paper doc:

There are two ways to share your Paper docs with others:

• As a Shared Link
• To specific users, with an email invite

To share your Paper doc as a shared link, all you need to do is click on the blue “Share” button, and copy the link created, to send out to others. 

Otherwise, to share and invite specific users with their email address, after clicking the “Share” button, you can: 

1. Type in the email address of the user you want to invite to your doc
2. Choose the permissions access you'd like them to have (Can Edit or Can Comment)
3. Add an optional personal message, and click the “Send” button.

iOS:

To share your Paper doc on an iOS device, open up the Paper app → Select the document of your choice and open it up → click on the Ellipsis (…) at the top-right of your screen → click on Share doc → and finally, type in the email address of the invitee → Once you’re done, click “Send”.

Android:

To share your Paper doc using an Android device, open up the Paper app → Select the document of your choice and open it up → click on the Ellipsis (…) at the top-right of your screen (to share a link to your doc) → or click on the People icon with the plus sign 👥
→ and type in the email address of the invitee → Once you’re done, hit the send button.