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Charged storage for shared content

Hello,
I keep getting messages to upgrade my drop box because it’s full. My drop box account does not have any files stored in it, everything is shared from someone else’s premium Dropbox account. Why is it taking up space in my personal Dropbox and trying to charge me for the shared space and the person who is hosting the content for the same amount of space being used? They pay for the storage of their files and shared it with me why should I have to as well if they pay for it. It’s not being saved twice it’s being saved in their account?

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Accepted answers

Nancy

Hi all, I hope you’re doing well.

In general, shared folders/files take up space from your Dropbox account, as they’re being added to it and they act like normal/personal files. So, just like your personal files, they’ll also take up storage from it.

You can also check this Help Center article for more details, if you want.

If another user wishes to share files with you, and you don't wish to add them to your own Dropbox account, they can share a link with you instead.

Hope this clarifies things a bit!

All comments

Mark

Hi @XMoDiiFy

That is how Dropbox works. Shared folders use up the space of everybody in the share.

Dance2this

I have the same issue….it doesn’t make sense that if they pay for an account and I’m just looking at it that it uses all my space up 🤨

Nancy

Hi all, I hope you’re doing well.

You can also check this Help Center article for more details, if you want.

If another user wishes to share files with you, and you don't wish to add them to your own Dropbox account, they can share a link with you instead.

Hope this clarifies things a bit!

pelambung

Same here. I don't need the TB, I don't even need 500GB, 50GB would do. However, I have people sharing their files with me all the time, and most don't just share the link

lohphat

Those files by the owner exist in a single account. Sharing doesn't duplicate the files taking up more physical storage.

Charging each share recipients quota for files shared by the owner is just a cash-grab.

We're now moving our clients to Google Drive instead.

Rich

@lohphat wrote:
Those files by the owner exist in a single account. Sharing doesn't duplicate the files taking up more physical storage.

You actually get your own COPY of the shared folder in your account, taking up space, so you need to have enough space in your account to hold the files. You're aren't editing the files directly from the owner's account. You're editing them in your own account and the changes sync with the original.

lohphat

So my point stands, the copies are identical, edits are synced. So there's no need to duplicate files not being edited. Only changed files not synced need to be copied, not the entire share.

Again, an operational cash grab.