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novalin's avatar
novalin
Helpful | Level 5
3 years ago

Sharing a file with people without Dropbox accounts

I have a PDF I want to share with people so they can download it, but I don't want them to have to create a Dropbox account (or sign in) to download it.   Is there a way to do this with Dropbox? ...
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  • Megan's avatar
    Megan
    3 years ago

    Hey novalin, thanks for sending me the steps. 

     

    It sounds as if you've shared the file directly, instead of using a shared link. Can you try following these steps and share the link to them via an email or any other means? 

     

    They should be able to view the link without a Dropbox account too. 

Oba Erik's avatar
Oba Erik
New member | Level 2

hello. my dropbox is full. someone shared a file with me but I can't see it. I don't want to add it to a folder. i just want to download it. why can't I? Online i read that a person does not have to have an account to access a shared file in dropbox. Is that not true?

Hannah's avatar
Hannah
Icon for Dropbox Staff rankDropbox Staff
12 months ago

Hey Oba Erik, thanks for reaching out to us!

 

You can definitely access a folder without affecting your Dropbox space.

 

This is possible if the owner of the folder shares a "can-view" link to the folder, instead of an invitation to add the folder to your account.

 

You can see the steps needed to create this link here.

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