Dropbox is a great way to share files in the cloud. Drag files to a special Dropbox folder on your computer and they are instantly available on other Macs, Windows PCs, iPhone, iPad and Android devices. It’s also great for sharing files with others – simply email a link to a file or folder and forget about sending large attachments. Dropbox is free for up to 2 GB of files. Upgrade to Pro and get 1 TB (1,000 GB) for $10/month or $100/year. Learn more about Dropbox here.
Where do I start? We love Dropbox so much we preinstall it on most of the computers we configure.
- Invited to a shared folder? Start with the first section below, Accepting a shared folder invitation.
- Need to access your Dropbox from a web browser? Start with Signing into Dropbox (web), then Accessing files in your Dropbox (web).?
- Want to use Dropbox on your Mac? See Using Dropbox on your Mac.
- Got an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch? Learn how to use the Dropbox iOS app.
- Mac startup drive full? Want to download certain items or remove Dropbox from your Mac? Manage selective sync.
Accepting a shared folder invitation
If someone invited you to Dropbox (because they want to share files with you), follow these steps.
- Click the link in the Dropbox email you received.
- If you don’t have a Dropbox account, fill out the form to create one.
- Click the Sharing button on the left – it looks like a rainbow.
- Accept the shared folder invitation.
- If you use this computer frequently, see Downloading and installing Dropbox (Mac) below.
Signing into Dropbox (web)
- Sign into Dropbox on the web.
- Look in the top right of the window to see if you’re automatically logged in. If so, you're done!
- Have a Dropbox account? Type your email address and password and sign in. Now you're ready to use Dropbox on the web - see Accessing files in your Dropbox (web). Or continue on for Downloading and installing Dropbox (Mac).
- No Dropbox account? Click Create an account and fill out the form. Dropbox may begin downloading software. See Downloading and installing Dropbox (Mac).
Accessing files in your Dropbox (web)
You can quickly access your Dropbox on any through a web browser.
- Sign into Dropbox on the web (see above).
- Click Files.
- To download a file, click its icon in the list. The file is saved to your downloads folder or desktop.
- To download a folder and its contents, point to a folder and click the blue down arrow to the right. Click Download folder.
- To upload a file or folder, open the folder in Dropbox where you want to store your files. Then click the Finder and drag files to the Dropbox web page.
There’s so much you can do with Dropbox. It’s an easy way to share files between your Mac, iPhone and iPad. Or collaborate on projects and share items in your Dropbox with colleagues. Need further assistance? Check out the Dropbox Help Center.
