How can I make sure my Dropbox files don't take up space from my devices?

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 ) :

Hey stevecjames - to clear your cache, you can follow these steps:

On iOS:

1. Open the Dropbox iOS app.
2. Tap the account icon (person) in the bottom right.
3. Tap the gear icon in the top right.
4. Scroll down and tap Clear cache.
5. 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) :

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/513742

I'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

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.