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Dropbox content isn't searchable in Spotlight when using Mac OS Monterey 12.0.1

Dropbox files/folders are not searchable in spotlight on new MacBook Pro with M1 chip - Monterey OS 12.0.1. Have re-indexed spotlight. Have uninstalled and reinstalled Dropbox and rebooted. Have made sure Dropbox has full access in Security and Privacy. Help please?

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davidarden

I have found a solution, everyone! I hope everyone struggling with this will find this post. The problem isn't with dropbox, it's with Mac Spotlight. Which surprised me, as I always thought the finder search was separate from Spotlight, but apparently, on the back end, both are one-in-the-same. I've heard many times that re-indexing spotlight didn't work, but it does! You just have to do it a different way for everything to ACTUALLY 100% reindex.

Tutorial is here on apple's forums: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253479408

Just giving credit where credit is due.

In case that goes away, instructions are also listed below.

Open System Preferences and go to Spotlight's Privacy tab.
Add the entire hard disk INTO the Privacy list.
Maybe wait 30s.
Remove the hard disk FROM the Privacy list.

Spotlight will re-index. After finish re-indexing, the search in folder works for me.

(To see if Spotlight is indexing, use Command+Space to invoke Spotlight, and type in something. Wait a second. You should see a progress bar to show indexing progress)

Of note, I am on Mac OS Monterey 12.6 (21G115). My dropbox version is 158.4.4564. These are both the lastest, as of now, 10.3.2022.

Hopefully this helps! Changed my life - I can work again!

All comments

Hannah

Hey @robinwn, thanks for letting us know about this.

Does this happen only with Dropbox files/folders?

And does it happen with all of them or just specific ones?

Keep me posted.

robinwn

It happens with all files and folders.

Walter

Hey @robinwn, sorry to jump in, but could you send us a screenshot of how it looks like on your end?

Also, is the app showing 'up to date' or is it still syncing in you menu bar?

robinwn

searching for chicken in chicken - no results/keeps "searching"folders/files in dropboxdesktop confirms files up to date

Jay

Hi @robinwn, could you confirm the version of the Dropbox desktop application you're running?

You can do this by hovering your mouse over the Dropbox icon in the system tray or menu bar.

Also, try quitting the Dropbox desktop application and try searching for the files again in Finder.

robinwn

139.4.4896

Jay

Does quitting the app make any difference when searching in Finder?

robinwn

No, quitting did not help. Reinstalling did not help. Rebooting did not help.

Jay

Is this occurring only in the Dropbox folder itself or anywhere in Finder?

robinwn

Only in dropbox. All other searches of computer itself work fine.

robinwn

Only in the dropbox folder.

Jay

Thanks for the info, in order to look into this matter in more detail, would it be possible to reach out to the email associated with your forum profile?

robinwn

Yes, please.

Jay

Thanks, I've gone ahead and contacted you via email. Please could you reply to it as soon as you get a chance!

John M.13

Seems to be an issue with Monterey. I got this in a chat with Dropbox support:

"Thanks for this. I can see that the issue here is that you are on a version of MacOS Monterray, where they have implemented the File Provider API. On these versions, it limits what can be accessed from Dropbox.. So you won't be able to use spotlight search from local folders for teh Dropxbo items., Whereas the global search should still work. However, one other way that you should still be able to search for files in Dropper is through our own search feature. (The one when you click on the Dropbox icon in the menu bar, at the top right near the clock)"

Never heard of "File Provider API". I sure don't understand why Spotlight can't find local files in my local Dropbox folder, but apparently it can't. If I search "This Mac", Spotlight finds all those local Dropbox files. It's a Mac Mystery.

Jeff B.73

Hi John, have you seen any alteration in this? This obviously requires me to drop dropbox, which I will probably do today since I just ran into this issue. Probably 10 years on dropbox but this would be idiotic as an on-going issue. Doesn't sound like it is even on the radar as an issue from what you got in chat. Any updates you care to share?

John M.13

Yes! The problem seems to have mysteriously gone away. Who knows if it was Apple who fixed the problem or, much less likely, Dropbox. Either way, I can now search in my Dropbox folders from Finder.

John M.13

FYI, I'm using a latest-release MacBook Pro and Monterey 12.2.1. Maybe the last update to Monterey fixed the issue. The MBPro shipped with an earlier version of Monterey, and one or two subsequent updates hadn't fixed it. Maybe it was the 12.2.1 update that did it.

akmedia

I'm seeing the behavior reported originally by the OP in macOS Monterey 12.3, but worse: searching from the Spotlight menu does not produce any results either.

Only searching from the Dropbox menu and using Dropbox's own search mechanism produces results.

I'm using the Mac version of Dropbox v145.3.4888 running on macOS Monterey 12.3 and all files in the folders I'm searching are downloaded on my Mac — none of them are cloud-only files.

Jay

Hi @akmedia, thanks for the report. Could you try contacting the
support team for them to investigate this matter in more detail on their end?

John M.13

FYI, the Dropbox folder search problem has not come back, in my case. HOWEVER, I’m using a slightly older release of Dropbox, 144.4.4491. My Monterey release is 12.2.1, on a 2021 MBPro.

I'm reluctant to try the later release of Dropbox, naturally, until this phenomenon is understood and fixed.

John M.13

I’m even MORE reluctant to update Monterey to 12.3! Considering the sequence of events, with the problem appearing in 12.1, disappearing in 12.2, then apparently reappearing in 12.3, it seems evident that the problem is with Monterey, not Dropbox.

akmedia

Hi Jay,
I’ll can either start a chat or send an email to support by late this afternoon or tomorrow morning in order for them to investigate.

I’ll shoot for this afternoon.

mimiV

hello

9i have same issue here, spoke to Apple and they suggested reach out t dropbox, and i landed here.

I am installing new apple Monterey 12.3, any experience with this?

hope it will sort it as DP is very useless if not searchable on finder

Megan

Hey @mimiV, welcome to our Community!

What is the app's syncing status and version as we speak?

Also, feel free to send away any screenshots you might have demonstrating the issue. That'll be helpful for us to have a visual too.

Let me know more.

John M.13

OK. Against my better judgment, I updated MacOS from Monterey 12.2.1 to Monterey 12.3.

Mirabile vistu - I can still search my Dropbox folder from the Finder Search magnifying glass on the folder toolbar. I was really apprehensive, but figured I could always resort to the Dropbox menubar search tool if I had to.

So now, I'm using Monterey 12.3 and Dropbox 144.4.4491, and Finder search is working normally on my MBPro.

I don't know how akmedia got Dropbox v145.3.4888 - I tried to update my copy of the Dropbox app and it will not go beyond 144.4.4491. From what I can tell, that's the lasted stable release of Dropbox. Maybe akmedia mis-typed her/his DB release number?

spinozist

I am now getting this behavior. Any known solutions?

spinozist

This makes me want to lobby against anyone using Dropbox at every opportunity.

Walter

Hi @spinozist, sorry to hear about this.

Could you let us know the app's exact status and version as shown in your menu bar?

If you've already attempted any troubleshooting steps, please keep us in the loop.

spinozist

I chatted with support in Dropbox and they could not help me. I uploaded the relevant screen shots, explained the problem, and they said they couldn't do anything. Very disappointing in a company I've had a relationship with for years.