
This process is just a precaution to ensure that a copy of your files are safe on your computer while your files are re-syncing. How long does Dropbox Smart Sync take?Īs explained by Dropbox, “setting files to be online only will free up space on your hard drive within minutes (as long as your computer is online and able to sync to Dropbox). … Tap the drop-down menu next to any file or folder, then hit the Make available offline option. The apps for Android and iOS don’t save and sync files to your device like the desktop apps for Windows and macOS do. On your phone, Dropbox doesn’t work the same way as it does on your computer.

…Īre Dropbox files stored locally on my computer?

Plus, while many cloud storage services leave chunky files on your computer, Dropbox has a nifty option on both Windows and Mac called Smart Sync that lets you leave all those files online, helping you free up that much-needed hard drive space. Right-click that folder and select Smart Sync > Local from the menu: Find the folder that you would like to change.Click the folder icon in the upper right:.Click the Dropbox tray icon ( ) to open the Dropbox menu.The convenience of being able to see and access these files without storing them on your hard drive is immense. Furthermore, Smart Sync is perfect for you if a lot of users share files with you. When should you use Smart Sync? Consider Smart Sync when you have a large amount of files stored in your Dropbox.

Online-only files take up minimal space on your hard drive: only saving the file name, location and last updated date.

File and Folder names will appear in your local Dropbox folder. 15 How much does Dropbox Smart Sync cost? What is Dropbox Smart Sync Local vs online?ĭropbox Smart Sync allows you to select files or folders to be stored locally on your device or in the cloud (online-only).
