How can a Maui iOS app access files in the iPhone Dropbox app?

[JohnStrudwick]

I have developed a dot maui app and I would like this app to access the files in the dropbox app on the iPhone.

With dropbox installed you can mark files for use offline, and I would like my app to access these.

Can someone tell me how to do this please.

I have searched the web but can't find anything that directly helps

[Jay]

Hi @JohnStrudwick, thanks for posting today!

Currently, it wouldn't be possible to read or access files directly from the Dropbox mobile app.

However, using the Dropbox API, you should be able to access files that way and integrate it into your app.

If you have any further queries, feel free to message back.

[JohnStrudwick]

OK thanks for that. Yes I already use the dropbox API and upload and download files. I run the same app on my PC and iPhone. The PC syncs automatically, but I am having to manually sync to the iPhone which is tedious as there's 30+ GB of files and it would be so nice if I could just mark those files for offline use and have my app access them !!! I am basically writing a shadow dropbox, when it's really already there !

[Jay]

Thanks for the feedback on this matter. The mobile app is essentially a mobile web viewer for the files, so they aren't located directly on the phone, unless they're marked as available offline. 

The phone storage used for those files is hidden from the rest of the system, however, so it can't be accessed directly by other apps. 

[JohnStrudwick]

OK - all understood. So I don't see the point of marking files for use offline if they can't be accessed. I don't see the offline files in the IOS Files App. I haven't checked yet but if I use Excel say on the iPad, I can't save it to dropbox locally - so I am not sure how the offline feature works unless other apps could access these. I can't see the point of it.

Have you thought about allowing the app to store its files in a public area in IOS (as an option) - that would be a leap forward.

[Nancy]

Hey @JohnStrudwick, hope it’s alright to jump in. Making your files offline allows you to access them via the mobile app even when there’s no internet connection on your device (you can also check this Help Center article for more info). So, the offlining feature concerns files that need to be accessed via the Dropbox app directly and not your phone/tablet.

If you’d like to have a file downloaded on your mobile device, then you’d need to export it from Dropbox instead of making it offline.

Let me know if you meant something else though.