Top 8 Dropbox Tips and Tricks to Manage Files and Folders Better

Dropbox is one of the popular cloud storage platforms that has a devoted fan base and competes with industry heavyweights like Google and Microsoft. It is lauded for offering one star file and folder management capabilities. In this post, I will share some Dropbox tips and tricks to help you better manage files/folders.

Another part of file and folder management is permissions. They will let you control who can access which files/folder and how. We will discuss these in more detail below.

Let’s start.

1. How to Delete Files in Dropbox

Select the files/folders you want to delete and press the delete key on your keyboard on Windows and macOS to delete them.

In browser case, click on the three-dot menu next to the file/folder you want to delete and select the Delete option. The same goes for mobile apps.

To permanently delete the file, click on the Deleted files option in the right sidebar, select the file/folder you want to delete and click on the Permanently delete option on the right. You have 30 days to restore the deleted file, but that number depends on your plan. You cannot delete files from a shared folder added by someone else.

2. How to Recover Deleted Files on Dropbox

Files/folders deleted in Dropbox are moved to the Deleted files area as we saw above. On the right is a search and filter option to find the file you are trying to recover.

You can search by date, name, email, and folder. Select the files/folders you want to recover and click the Restore button on the right. When you select something it will be visible.

The Pro plan offers up to 180 days to restore or recover deleted files, instead of the usual 30 days you get on the free plan.

3. Restore Deleted, Lost or Edited Files

Dropbox comes with two very important features. One of them is Dropbox Rewind, where you can restore your entire Dropbox account or a specific folder to a previous state or time point. Useful in case of a hack or ransomware attack.

The second feature is Version History, which tracks every change you make to a file. You can use it to restore the file to the way it was before the edits were made. It’s useful when someone else with access to the file makes some changes that you don’t approve of.

4. How to Share Files/Link in Dropbox

Dropbox allows users to share files and folders with others even if they don’t have Dropbox accounts. This is where permissions come into play. Hover over the file or folder you want to share and click the Share button which should now appear.

Depending on the apps you have linked your Dropbox account to, you may see additional options. I see Trello (project management) and Slack (team communication). Click Share with Dropbox.

Enter the name or email ID of the person you want to share it with and choose whether that person can also view or edit documents only. You can add instructions or messages just below.

At the bottom of the pop-up window, you can create a link that you can share via social media or messaging apps. Click Connection settings for Connection sharing settings in Dropbox.

You can specify who can access the file, as well as view or edit it, download (or not download) the file, require a password, and an expiration date. The latter automatically revokes access to the file shared via the link after the time has elapsed. So you don’t have to mess with settings or unshare later.

5. How to Unshare Files/Folders in Dropbox

Hover over the file/folder you want to unshare in Dropbox and click the Share button. You will see a list of all members. Click the permission button next to the member and select Remove to unshare with them.

You will see a popup where you can choose to allow the member to continue using a copy of the folder if you wish. Syncing will stop immediately, meaning that new content will not be shared or synced.

6. How to View Folder/File Size in Dropbox

Click on the three-dot menu icon and select Version History.

Yes, the file size information is hidden there.

In the case of folders, select the Modified column and sort by Size.

Select the folder whose size you want to know, click the menu icon next to it to share in the right sidebar and select Calculate size.

This may not be the most user friendly way, but it works.

7. How to Download Files/Folders in Dropbox

Select the file or folder you want to download, click the menu icon on the right and select Download.

It’s easy.

8. How to Enable Selective Sync in Dropbox

Dropbox syncs everything across all devices. This is the default setting, but not everyone wants this to happen. The reasons could be space or security or something else. Right-click the Dropbox icon in the System Tray and select Preferences under your profile icon.

Click the Selective Sync button under the Sync tab.

You can now select the folders you want to sync selectively in the next popup.

take off your blinders

Dropbox is a very robust cloud storage platform with some useful file and folder management options. You can easily manage different aspects of these files without worrying about losing or compromising anything. While most features are available on the free plan, some are paid and for all the right reasons.

Next: Want to use Dropbox directly from within Gmail? Click the link below to learn how to access Dropbox from Gmail now.