Dropbox app compressed my photos

[Ruxianwang]

I use Dropbox to store my photos for years and I just discovered that all my files are compressed ! I uploaded a 4M and it turned out to be 800k. I try to download it and it is still 800k. Is Dropbox compressing photos on the app like this ?

[Здравко]

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@Ruxianwang wrote:
... Is Dropbox compressing photos on the app like this ?

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Hi @Ruxianwang,

Hm...🤔 Yes, almost (despite not exactly).

When Dropbox application performs automatic upload of photo, it don't sync it (or compress already saved Camera photo eventually) as you might think. Something else happens though. When you take a shoot, your camera application grab the raw picture and compress it. On other side, Dropbox application does the same!!! In other words, it doesn't read already compressed by Camera application photo, but compress it in parallel (independently). That's why both compressions can have different compression level, quality, etc. So despite both go from the same raw picture, at the end they are completely different files. If you want the same file, Dropbox doesn't do this for you. If the files compression is the same (for some of the photos) it's rather coincidence. To make sure the files are the same, you need to upload photo(s) by hand yourself using Dropbox application upload feature (or Dropbox website) - don't use automatic picture upload.

Hope this clarifies matter.

[Ruxianwang]

Thanks for the explanation, it is just that I have been doing this for years and now suddenly I realized that all my photos are ruined. I do upload photos by hand through the app but somehow it resize everything. I tried the website this morning and the size is the same. But damage has already been done.

[Здравко]

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@Ruxianwang wrote:
... I do upload photos by hand through the app but somehow it resize everything. I tried the website this morning and the size is the same. ...

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No, this is impossible. You are in confusion. Files uploaded in such a way are not modified in any way.

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@Ruxianwang wrote:
... But damage has already been done.

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Ah.. If you try upload by hand pictures, that before has been uploaded automatic by Dropbox application, the files are still not changed - they continue to be Dropbox encoded, not your Camera application encoded. Again, files uploaded by hand are not changed in any way (would been neither damaged nor improved - just the same). If you want to upload Camera files, just upload Camera files, not something else (i.e. reupload Dropbox files what as seems you're doing). 🙋

[Ruxianwang]

I don’t know. I opened the app, chose the + ， then selected photos and upload, and the photo changed size from 4.7 M to 1.1M. I then download the photo to my photo and it is still 1.1M.
I opened the website, uploaded the same photo and it is the same size 4.7M.

I am trying to figure this out all day without any success.

[Здравко]

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@Ruxianwang wrote:
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I opened the website, uploaded the same photo and it is the same size 4.7M.
...

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👍Ok... As seems you have found a way that works for you. 😉

PS: I just tried on my own to add a photo to Dropbox as you described and download the same picture direct from the phone:

As you can see both photos are absolutely the same one. The only difference is the folder they reside in. It's the same when Dropbox application is in use (non automatic upload - i.e. plus + button) and when Dropbox website is in use.

[Ruxianwang]

Here is the photo before and after, and I clicked the upload button on the app. 

[Ruxianwang]

I think I know why but I am still confused. So if I scroll down when viewing a photo , it shows 6.3M, but if I opened it on snapseed it shows 1.7M which is what Dropbox gave me. Why is this ?