Explanation of Dropbox Indexing
Dropbox is elementary. It's but a folder on your computer that syncs everything you put in it up to the deject. Before Dropbox, file sharing and sync was geeky and confusing, then it'south no wonder that it quickly became the de facto cloud storage platform after it launched in 2007.
Keep your Dropbox organized, automatically
But if you've just added files to your /dropbox folder over the past few years, and oasis't dug into Dropbox.com or its mobile apps, you might exist in for a surprise. Behind Dropbox's simplicity are sophisticated tools that permit y'all back up your photos, edit documents online, scroll back fourth dimension, and secure your files from prying eyes.
While information technology's far from the but way to sync your files, the subconscious features put Dropbox a stride ahead of the balance. Here are 14 of the best features you may have never noticed in Dropbox earlier.
View whatsoever file without installing extra software
Dropbox's file preview tool is actually i of its more than handy features. If you want feedback on an Adobe Illustrator file, and the residual of your team doesn't have Illustrator installed, no problem: Dropbox tin preview dozens of file types online, so the simply software you lot need is a browser. Just open Dropbox in your browser, then scan to the file you want to preview.
Y'all can read total PDF documents, flip through PowerPoint presentation slides, preview Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator designs, and picket full-length videos right from Dropbox.com. There's a zoom tool to dig in deeper—especially handy for larger pattern files—and fifty-fifty a print push button to make a hard copy.
Dropbox won't let you preview every file, but normally if Dropbox shows an icon or thumbnail for a file online, y'all can click it to run into a full preview.
Share screenshots quickly
Tired of taking screenshots, dragging them into Dropbox, and then copying the share link?
At that place's a quicker way: all you need to practice is enable Dropbox'south screenshot-sharing characteristic on your Mac or PC. Open your Dropbox app preferences (click the Dropbox icon in your bill of fare bar, click the gear icon, then select Preferences), select the Import tab, and check the Save screenshots using Dropbox box.
Now, just take screenshots every bit normal, and Dropbox will salvage them to /dropbox/screenshots and copy a share link to your clipboard automatically. You tin paste the link into your conversation app, email, or wherever else you want to share information technology.
Add comments to files
Sharing a Dropbox binder is pretty straightforward: you lot can right-click on any binder or file, and either invite someone to join your folder or just share a link to the file. Dropbox's commenting characteristic, which not everyone notices, lets yous discuss your changes to a file.
You tin find this feature on the spider web and mobile version of Dropbox, and in the desktop app (not your system file browser, the bodily Dropbox app). Select any file, or open up information technology in the preview tool to encounter the sidebar with the comments. Type out your comments, and add your colleagues' names with an @ symbol to mention them in a comment. They'll go a notification in Dropbox or their email inbox, and y'all'll see the comments announced in real-fourth dimension as they're added.
It'southward an piece of cake fashion to proceed the conversation nearly your files in the aforementioned place, then zilch gets lost. Plus, every bit you piece of work on the file together in Dropbox, the online preview will update so anybody always sees the latest version.
Utilize selective sync to relieve local infinite
With online previews and Part file editing online, you might discover that yous demand fewer of your Dropbox files actually stored on your computer. If you need some extra space, you can use Dropbox's Selective Sync to shop only your near important files on your reckoner.
Only open your Dropbox preferences, select the Account tab, then click the Change Settings … push button beside the Selective Sync entry. There, you can select the folders and files you want to sync to your computer. Everything else will stay online, where you can however view and comment on it.
It'due south an especially handy trick if you're using Dropbox to support your photos, videos, and other larger files. You lot can upload them to Dropbox, so once they're finished syncing, only remove their folders via Selective Sync.
Back up your entire Desktop and Documents folders
Dropbox used to sync simply the files in your Dropbox folder, merely these days it can also back up your Desktop, Downloads, and Documents folders, if you want to. Open your Dropbox settings, and so caput to the Backups tab and click the Backups selection. Yous'll be asked which folders you want to sync.
Information technology's an easy way to back up files that otherwise aren't synced to Dropbox, and yous can also use it to automate your Desktop folder.
Favorite files to view offline on mobile
When you're on the become (i.e., using a mobile device), you might need access to specific files fifty-fifty when an internet connection is nowhere to be found. Dropbox sync will go on all your important files on your desktop and laptop just fine, but on a mobile device, Dropbox relies on your internet connectedness to download files as yous need them.
Only for must-accept files, Dropbox includes a favorites feature in its mobile apps. Simply find the files yous demand to view offline, tap the three dots beside it, then choose the Brand available offline choice. Dropbox will download the file to your device, and you can view them when your mobile device isn't online.
Note that the free version of Dropbox tin simply mark individual files, not entire folders, for offline access.
Access previous versions
There's a big difference between Save and Save As..., as anyone who's accidentally overwritten an of import document tin tell you.
Dropbox has your back with its Version History feature. Whenever you realize you've messed upwards a file, just correct-click on the file and select Version History. Or, if you deleted a file and desire to bring it dorsum, find its parent binder in Dropbox.com and click the View Deleted Files push button at the top.
Either style, you'll go a list of the older versions of your file, where you can restore the correct version in a click.
For case, if you shared your resume via Dropbox link, merely noticed a typo, you could restore an before version even after hit send; your potential new employer will see the corrected certificate, not the one yous sent at first.
Dropbox saves changes to your files for 30 days for complimentary accounts; Dropbox Professional and Business accounts tin admission 180 days of history.
Remotely delete your files on stolen devices
You wake up on a Saturday morning and realize that you left your telephone in a cab final nighttime (we've all been there). In your panic, yous realize that your phone was logged in to Dropbox—which, besides some embarrassing selfies, has sensitive info that you wouldn't want anyone to get their hands on.
Don't panic. Dropbox still has your back with several features to go along your data safe. Get-go, with whatsoever Dropbox account, you can add a Pin to your Dropbox mobile app. That way, if yous do lose your phone, someone volition need to hack your phone password and your Dropbox PIN before they can become to your files.
If you have a paid Dropbox account, there's another pick: yous can remotely wipe your Dropbox files from any device that's been synced with Dropbox, every bit long equally information technology's yet online. Just open your Dropbox.com business relationship settings, select the Security tab, and click the trash can icon beside the device y'all lost—you will see the option to remotely delete the files later on you do so.
If you're worried about online hackers, you tin add 2-factor verification to your account, so an aggressor would demand to know your password plus the security lawmaking that's sent to your phone to access your account. It might not assistance if your telephone gets lost, but it could protect your files if your password ever gets leaked online.
Find everything you're sharing
E'er wondered if y'all've accidentally shared the wrong file in Dropbox? That'd exist almost as bad every bit losing your phone in a cab, but thankfully Dropbox has a quick way to run across everything you've shared. Just open Dropbox.com, and select the Shared push button in the left sidebar.
Y'all will run across all of your shared folders and files, along with the time they were last modified. Note that this shows both shared folders you've added to your Dropbox and folders that you have admission to but oasis't added. From here, you can meet who can access the folders, and remove or add contributors as you like. The Links screen, in the top bar, will show you every file or folder you've shared individually with a link. You can then see when you shared it, or delete the sharing link and have that embarrassing photograph offline.
Back up all your pictures to Dropbox
Now that you're a flake more confident with your Dropbox security, why not take advantage of your Dropbox storage and use it to back up your pictures?
The Dropbox mobile app tin do that with your telephone pictures, and the desktop app tin can automatically take hold of photos from any camera y'all plug in. Just open your Dropbox settings, select the Import tab, and Dropbox tin automatically import new photos from cameras and SD cards you connect to your reckoner. On mobile, caput to the settings and make sure Photographic camera uploads is enabled.
Customize your Dropbox notifications
If you're sharing and commenting on a lot of files, Dropbox's electronic mail and push notifications can become overwhelming. Don't worry: yous can go things nether command.
First, allow's modify your email notifications. Head to Dropbox.com, then to the Notification settings. From there, you tin can adjust your notifications until they're simply right.
You can also change your desktop notifications. Open the Dropbox settings, then head to Notifications. From there, you can choose which settings exercise and don't show upwardly on your computer.
Wish you could get these notifications somewhere as well your inbox, or push button notifications? The other option is Zapier, an automation tool that gives you the power to create customized notifications most what's happening in Dropbox. It tin can watch specific folders in your Dropbox business relationship, and permit you know via email, a chat app, or any other app you use when anything happens in your Dropbox account. You can even add filters, so you'll merely get notified when, say, y'all add files of a specific type.
Zapier can also connect Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, and other apps to Dropbox, to add together files from other storage apps and more than. Check out Zapier's Dropbox integrations for more great means to automate Dropbox and read more virtually how to customize your Dropbox notifications.
Be the first to get new features
Each time Dropbox rolls out a new feature, they do it in stages, starting with a select grouping of users who get to try an update offset. If you lot're eager to get the latest features, and don't mind occasional glitches, you can add yourself to the group of early on adopters.
To exercise that, open your Dropbox settings page and toggle the Early releases option.
Be sure to follow the Dropbox Forum and Dropbox Blog to stay up-to-date on when the Dropbox team adds new features.
Asking files via Dropbox
Dropbox offers a File Requests characteristic. It's a simple tool to allow you asking files from others, and accept them automatically testify up in your Dropbox folder—the person sending your files doesn't fifty-fifty take to have a Dropbox business relationship.
Only become to the File Requests page in your Dropbox business relationship, and add a subject for the files you desire to collect—family reunion pictures, project files, or anything else. Y'all'll then get a unique link to share and asking files, or tin send the invite via email.
It's a simple way to get files from everyone pulled together in one place, even if all your friends and colleagues aren't using Dropbox. And once you have all the files, yous can easily share the binder with them.
Employ keyboard shortcuts
If you love Dropbox's simplicity, you lot might not actually want any extra hidden features. How about some keyboard shortcuts to speed upwards your work instead?
When y'all're working in your Dropbox files on your computer, yous can use your standard keyboard shortcuts to select, motility, rename, and remove files. Many of those aforementioned keyboard shortcuts will piece of work online in Dropbox.com, besides. Merely press ? while browsing the Dropbox site to see the keyboard shortcuts for your reckoner anytime.
This article was originally published in June 2015 with contributions from Matthew Guay. Justin Pot has since contributed updates.
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Source: https://zapier.com/blog/dropbox-hidden-features/
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