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How can I make sure my Dropbox files don't take up space from my devices?
My god... is it just SO difficult to contact Dropbox by email?
How the hell do I contact them by a simple email? I don't use Facebook, Twitter or anything like that. I want to pay them money....
Many thanks to Colin for using his magic.
I've just checked playing MP3s both through Dropbox and FileBrowser (3rd-party app) and both are working fine.Thank you to the moderators too, for helping.
Hannah
Dropbox Staff
Dropbox StaffPerfect, thanks for checking, Steven!
Now that we've confirmed that the trial has been cancelled, let us know if there's anything else we can help you with.
I've been away for a few day so have been unable to continue with my original question.
I established that FileBrowser - through the help of the developers - does not work playing my MP3s stored on Dropbox.
I've tried OutPlayer too (as this seemed to have been one recommended online by various sites). That doesn't work either as I can see none of my songs listed on their app.
Can I ask, therefore, what is potentially the best MP3 player that I can try out (free to begin with as I don't want to be wasting my money), for use with Dropbox? All of my songs / tunes are stored as MP3 files.
Thanks in advance.
* PS I have just tried to play an MP3 file from with Dropbox itself. They won't play. This is the error notice that I get:
- Megan
Hey stevecjames!
Do you get the same error when trying to open your .mp3 files using your browser?
If you download the file locally on the device, does it preview?
Hello. Thank you for your reply.
a) I can download tracks from Dropbox and then play them back from my laptop (I don't know what you mean by "preview")
b) I can play tracks from within a browser directly from Dropbox (please see attached image below)
c) Nothing plays when I use a third-party iOS application.
- Megan
Would you mind clarifying your mobile's OS, and the Dropbox version you're using there stevecjames?
Do you get the same error for all of your .mp3 files?
Yes, of course. It is : iOS 18 (the new one) on an iPhone 14.
Yes... it's the same error for every mp3 file.The Dropbox iOS version I am using on the iPhone is the latest one. It was updated yesterday :
- Megan
Hm, odd stevecjames.
The .mp3 files should preview when you use the iOS mobile app.
Could you try clearing the app's cache through its settings, and let me know if you notice the same behavior?
I shall do that if you can tell me how to do clear them ( forgive me if there is now a delay of several hours as I really do have to go to bed. Goodnight ) :
- Walter
Hey stevecjames - to clear your cache, you can follow these steps:
On iOS:
- Open the Dropbox iOS app.
- Tap the account icon (person) in the bottom right.
- Tap the gear icon in the top right.
- Scroll down and tap Clear cache.
- Tap Clear cache again.
Once you’ve cleared the cache, log out of the Dropbox app, restart your device, then log back in.
Thank you for the very clear instructions, Walter.
I followed your instructions exactly... it made no difference. I still cannot play any MP3s on Dropbox. I tried both from with Dropbox to play music files, and also third-party apps, but still no difference. As you can see from the last (black) image, the MP3s are showing that they cannot be played back from within Dropbox as the music files are greyed out (and missing their little 'play triangles' on their left-hand side) :- Nancy
stevecjames, apologies if you’ve mentioned that and I’ve missed it, but are you able to preview/play your .mp3 files properly if you go to www.dropbox.com and not the mobile app?
It's fine if I play something from Dropbox using the laptop at home, say.
But this defeats the whole purpose of why I wanted to use Dropbox when I subscribed two-weeks' ago to the 2TB version, and why I cancelled the subscription the moment that I found out that Dropbox no longer plays my music from a mobile device, like my iPhone (it used to play it, years' ago). I'd never use Dropbox at home, of course, as I have everything I need on the NAS or elsewhere.
Regards.I've noticed that other users have had the same problem(s) with Dropbox not playing their stored music files. This is but one page of quite a few that I've found on the 'Net :
https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/View-download-and-export/My-MP3-files-are-not-playable-any-more/td-p/513742I'm wondering how they solved the problem... or if they just gave it all up as a bad job?
Hello... has Dropbox Support abandoned me in my hour of need?
I notice how Dropbox.com score a "bad" on Trustpilot (the word "bad' is Trustpilot's description of the company - and not mine).
I certainly hope that Dropbox Support can sort out this problem, as I really don't want to have to leave a bad report about Dropbox's services... unless I am forced into that situation, of course.
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.dropbox.com- Hannah
Hey Steve, we appreciate your feedback here.
Can you also let us know how large (in size) are the MP3 files you're trying to play through the Dropbox app itself?
And are you getting the same error when you try to play all of them or with some of them?
Hello Hannah
Thank you for coming back to me.
Please do not feel as though I am criticising Dropbox unduly, here. I am now over half way through the 2TB Trial period that I originally signed up for and so would really like to get these problems sorted out quickly as it's really a service that I should love to use from now on.I uploaded 46 MP3 trial files for playing back from both the Dropbox app and other third-party iOS apps. None of them, so far, work. I cannot play anything back from Dropbox using either Dropbox's own app or anyone else's.
I am enclosing two images here : the first one shows the larger of the 46 uploaded files; the second shows the smaller.
I hope this helps solving the problem. Many thanks.- Hannah
Thanks for the update, Steve, I completely understand where you're coming from.
Regarding the 3rd party apps, unless it's an official Dropbox integration, there's not much we can offer on our end; you might want to look into it with the 3rd party app's manufacturer.
Or perhaps another user that's using this integration may have some helpful info for you, which is why the thread will remain open.
However, if the files don't play in Dropbox itself, this is something we can definitely assist you with.
If you haven't already, can you also uninstall the Dropbox app, restart your device and then reinstall it, to see if that helps?
Hello again, Hannah
If you read the previous few messages on this thread then you can see exactly what the problem is. I don't wish to repeat all that I've said previously, other than MP3 files are NOT playing from within Dropbox. I have sent you images in this forum to that effect. I really don't see what else I can do at my end...
As far as reinstalling the Dropbox app, that's already been done... surely once is enough? Any more downloading and reinstalling of the Dropbox app would suggest that there is a big problem with how the app has been coded.
It's really not that I'm using any sort of 'exotic' phone to play back my files on Dropbox. It's a bog-standard Apple iPhone 14 that I bought from new eighteen-months' ago. iOS 18 was installed on it only a few days' ago, when again my iPhone restarted.
I'm going to say no more other than that I shall leave it a couple more days and then shut up , and then use another Cloud company. But as I said in my forum message to you earlier today (five hours' ago, according to your forum page), if other users were having problems in the year 2021, and these were reported to you at that time - and Dropbox did nothing about it - then my expectations in hoping that this ongoing problem will at any time be solved, is just pie in the sky.
- Megan
Hey stevecjames, can I send you an email in order for us to have a closer look into this?
We might need to escalate your case to the relevant departments too.
Please. Feel free...
You do have my e-mail address, I think? I don't wish to advertise it here in public.
Thanks.- Megan
Yes, no need to worry about the email stevecjames.
I just created a new ticket. You can check your Community-linked email address and reply to me from there.
Thanks!
What? What do you mean? I've replied to you already via e-mail...
Can I just say that this is now getting over-complicated. If this is Dropbox's way of deterring customers from writing to them, asking Dropbox Support for help, then I'm out. I don't have time to waste on such trivial matters as this.
As I've stated before (about Trustpilot), I feel that I should warn you that I will write up my full report on your company over the weekend. And I can state that it won't be a good review.I've never, ever wasted so much time on a company whose 'Support' seems to have no idea what's going on and how to try support their clients when they contact them for assistance.
- Megan
On my earlier message here in the Community, I informed you that I created a new email for you stevecjames.
I chose to switch over to email, in order for me to have a closer visibility with the tools that I don't have here.
Plus, we might need to escalate your case to the appropriate team. I understand your frustration, however keep in mind that I'm trying to get to the bottom of this.
I thank you, Megan.
However, I do not know what you mean when you say this : "On my earlier message here in the Community, I informed you that I created a new email for you @stevecjames. "
Regards.- Walter
She means that she has already reached out to the email address that's linked to your profile here, on our Community stevecjames
Have you taken a look at your email's inbox for her message?
You might also want to take a look at the spam/junk folder as well, while at it.
As I've already said... I replied to this message at 18h43, 27.09.2024 (please see below).
And please... if you're going to talk in jargon, then please make it jargon that I can understand and not, what is, in effect, conversational language between computer-literate and -proficient employees of Dropbox.
And also... please do read this forum first before you ask me questions which have already been asked - and answered.
Regards
I tried connecting with an Android tablet and playing an MP3 (and not with my own iPhone). Again it failed :
