'Can not upload the file' error when attaching from Dropbox to Gmail on Android

[erlend w.]

When I try to add an attachment from dropbox to a mail in gmail, I receive a message in gmail "can not upload the file". This error occurs only on one smartphone with android 12. If I do the same , with the same dropbox and google account, on an other android phone (android 11 )or an android tablet, there is no problem. Both phones have the same app version of gmail

[DrVJMJ]

Exactly!  I can attach documents when I start from the Dropbox app, but when I start with the Gmail app on my Android they will not attach.

[DrVJMJ]

Exactly right! This problem first dropped up in the spring and after a couple of frustrating months reinstalling Dropbox and the Gmail app on my Android phone it seem to go away shortly. But now in the fall of 23 it has reappeared and I can't imagine why. For those of us with a 10-year history using Dropbox and thousands of files the prospect of changing to Google Drive is becoming a very real possibility. Dropbox please get your act together!

[DrVJMJ]

Yes Hannah we have tried reinstalling both the Dropbox app and the Gmail app on our Android phones. Last spring somehow magically the problem went away after weeks of frustration. But now in the fall it has reappeared. After a decade of using Dropbox with tens of thousands of files, I'm considering switching to Google Drive where the attachment with the paper clip work seamlessly.  By the way, as I'm sure you've heard when we start with the Dropbox app on our Android phones and choose share, it attaches to Gmail with no problem. It's only when we start with the Gmail, which of course is the normal place you start, and try to attach with the paper clip from Dropbox on our phones that it fails to attach.  So far the cumbersome work around has been to ask Dropbox to save the file on our phone and then attach it manually from the phone. This is simply unacceptable as our phones will fill up with large files very quickly. Please please please do something about this!

[DrVJMJ]

Hi Richard, your reply to Rita above was in July. It's now mid-November and at least for me the problem continues. Is there any answer to this? I've used Dropbox for over 10 years with tens of thousands of files and have always been able to attach them from the Gmail app to my mail. As I'm sure you know it works fine if you start from Dropbox and choose share. This problem occurred in the spring, then magically disappeared, and now has reappeared. I get the feeling it's related to the latest version of the Android OS but I don't know. Surely in the 6 months that have transpired Dropbox has figured this out?

[DrVJMJ]

Amen and amen!!!!!

[DrVJMJ]

Hi Sam! In July you said your team was looking into it and would let us know. Is there any answer? For me this problem occurred in the spring, then magically disappeared in the summer, and now has reappeared in the last 2 months. What's going on! 

[DrVJMJ]

Okay Richard, You first replied to Rita in July, now I see you replied in August, and we are in November. Is there a solution?

[DrVJMJ]

But Larry what happens when your phone is full after having use this system for 6 months?

[DrVJMJ]

Beware Metro, your phone may soon fill up with all the files that you have attached. Attaching them directly from Dropbox left the file in the Dropbox cloud. This workaround downloads them and clogs up your phone. But maybe you don't have large files or do this very often?

[DrVJMJ]

Beware Kathy because I suspect what's happening is that the file is downloaded from Dropbox to your phone and then attached to your mail. This means your phone may soon clog up with all those downloaded files.