Cloud icon with arrow on some folders/files on my Mac. How can I download my content locally?

Hey there @boroman, welcome to our Community and happy Monday!

It sounds like you updated to new version of the desktop app for Mac OS and you're referring to online only files/folders.

Note that a cloud icon with a down arrow means your file or folder is synced and online-only until it is opened.

“Synced” means that any changes you make to this file or folder are reflected everywhere you access your files in Dropbox. “Online-only” means that you’ll need to be connected to the internet to initially open this file or folder. Once opened, this file or folder will become available in the desktop app to be opened at any time.

Also note that you can adjust your syncing settings through the app's preferences under the Sync tab, if needed.

I hope this helps!

All comments

Hey there @boroman, welcome to our Community and happy Monday!

It sounds like you updated to new version of the desktop app for Mac OS and you're referring to online only files/folders.

Note that a cloud icon with a down arrow means your file or folder is synced and online-only until it is opened.

Also note that you can adjust your syncing settings through the app's preferences under the Sync tab, if needed.

I hope this helps!

boroman

Hi Walter and many thanks for replying

I have never changed my preferences - but I went to check it and yes, everything is as it was before, all folders "synced" but still, some of them reamin with the cloud/arrow symbol. what should I do?

You can simply right-click on them and mark them to be available offline @boroman

Let me know if you have any other questions!

boroman

The question is - why they radnomly appear with the cloud on my iMac and Macbook (different files/folders)? I, of course will click everything to be downloaded now and no cloud icon is present, but I bet tomorrow when I open the computer some other folders will have same issue. This wasn't happening before the update, ever... I wish I can go back to the simple dropbox use as always 😞

anding

Me too. In my MacBook when I upload a file from my iPhone, I see the file on MacBook "online" (cloud with arrow down). If I want to see the file offline I must open it.

I don't know why

alexhamburg

...seems solved: https://www.dropboxforum.com/t5/View-download-and-export/Mac-gt-New-files-with-cloud-icon-How-to-set-it-up-to-sync-files/td-p/649004. Right click, mark as offline, done. Still confused why you can´t do this in the settings tab

Hi, same here and this is really frustrating. After updating to Dropbox v168.4.4802 where the move to

/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox happened, offline files are not working properly. And manually doing this every time is not a permanent workaround! Can someone from the team please help out, thanks!

Bildschirmfoto 2023-02-27 um 10.43.37.png

TheOldman

It's a mess. I upgraded to beta and I have files showing:

Cloud with arrow
Cloud (solid)
Cloud (dotted)
Green (checked) icon in combinations with all previous three types of cloud

I f the file is in solid cloud, I can't open it...! even though I just created it on my Powerbook... I can't figure out what's going on, I had to log into my DropBOX in my browser to be able to send the file to someone. It's a mess, I wish I could go back to my previos standard DropBOX settings... you guys need to hurry up and fix these issues...!

Screen Shot 2023-03-22 at 5.50.24 p.m..png

Hi @TheOldman, welcome to our Community!

You mentioned that the files with the solid cloud can't be opened. Do you get any specific errors when you try to open them?

Feel free to have a look at this helpful Help Center article, in regards to the new syncing icons for macOS. Also, could you clarify the app's precise syncing status at the moment?

Keep me posted, and we'll take it from there!

Marita Brewster

I'm having the same issue as described in this topic. I'm now looking at getting rid of Dropbox altogether. I notice the same issue is occurring with two Google Drive accounts that I work with. So I wonder if it's something to do with my recent upgrade to Ventura. It's an absolute pain and I really need it fixed. Any help gratefully appreciated.

Nancy

Hi @Marita Brewster, I hope you’re doing well.

Can you let me know if you’ve also installed the latest Dropbox update for macOS? What’s the app version that you’re currently running?

If you right click on your files, do you see the "Make available offline" option?

boroman

The question is: why we now need to fight with these, and last few years everything was fine? It's the issue/bug on Dropbox side, not client side. Guys! Please fix it...

Hello, I am having the same issues as many people before me – and it is VERY annoying, to the point that I am looking for alternative solutions.

I want all the files on my Computer to be synched on my Dropbox and vice versa. On two macs, I keep noticing that synching is NOT reliable and that I have to sync manually files and folders.

I cannot believe that Dropbox has gone from a no-brainer to so much hassle!

Hey there @latelio, sorry to hear you're having issues with syncing.

Could you please let us know the app's status and version as shown on the menu bar of both computers?

Any additional information about the issue you noticed would be very welcome!

Hello,

I'm working on a Mac (latest OS) with Dropbox v173.4.6706, which is the latest version as well, I think.

I would like to get back the old behaviour: Whenever I change a document on my Mac and save it, I'd like it to be synched to the Dropbox – and then synched back to my other Computers.

I do not need partial synching or offline documents, just straightforward synching.

Every day, I have to sync manually a lot of folders and documents manually (they appear with a cloud and arrow icon), which is so annoying that I'm seriously thinking of looking for another solution.

Hey @latelio, have you tried to right click on these files/folders and make them available offline?

If not, can you give this one a go?

Yes, I did so, and it helped for some files and folders. But others do not become available.

I've opened hundreds (if not thousands) in order to force the change of status. But there are many thousands of files left, in MANY locations. And there are a lot I can't or don't want to open to force synching.

Thanks for your trying to help me, but basically, Dropbox has got so unreliable that it's almost laughable.

Hi @latelio, when you say that some of the files and folders don't become available, does it give you any errors when you try?

What is the exact behavior of the app then?

Hello Megan,

Yes, there are some occasional messages telling me that something couldn't be completed – but it doesn't tell me which file or folder the message is about.

I've spent A LOT of time to get everything (re-)synchronised, as Dropbox will sync for some time, then tell me that everything is synched (which obviously isn't true), then maybe go on – or not, or only after a restart.

In my opinion, the program doesn't have a clue what has to be synchronized or not. And sometimes, it doesn't even sync if I tell it to do so with files or folders being marked as red – and when changing the icon from "cloud-with-an-arrow" to "cloud". The index (if there is any) seems to be seriously corrupted. And this is a pain in the synchronisation. I REALLY do hope you get this fixed!

Hi @latelio, your comments on our website have been quite helpful, and I will do everything I can to ensure that your voice is heard.

Now, as for the behavior you mentioned initially about changing files/folders and the message that "something couldn't be completed", could you maybe try to re-create it and send us along some screenshots, in order for us to have a visual too?

Hello Megan, I've been able to come back to what I wanted on my main machine: Everything gets synchronised automatically. But I never imagined that therefore, I had to tell all top-level folders to be accessible offline. This so weird that I don't trust Dropbox anymore: you have betrayed my core trust.

On another machine, automatic synchronising ist still not working properly: sometimes, I have to manually trigger the download/synchronisation of changed files.

And synchronisation never completes. How do I find out what files it gets stuck on?

Hannah

We do appreciate your feedback on this, @latelio, and I'm glad you were able to make your folders available offline; if you want your entire Dropbox to be available offline, you can do the same thing with the Dropbox folder itself as well.

As for your other machine, what's the current sync status on that one? You can hover over your Dropbox icon for that info.

Does syncing seem stuck on a particular number of files?

RallyXS

I'm so glad I'm not the only one having this issue, I thought I was going mad. Green circle as I've told Dropbox to save an offline copy, but a cloud next to it and can't open the file no matter what I do.

The comments from Dropbox staff here, literally giving the basics, eg "click for an offline copy" as though people haven't done that, are an insult to people's intelligence. Just acknowledge the program since the latest update is messed up.

I'm off to find an alternative to Dropbox, anyone got any recommendations?

Hannah

Hey @RallyXS, indeed, in some cases a folder can have both a green circle with a white checkmark and a cloud icon beside it.

This means that the folder contains at least one online-only file, but any newly added files will become available offline by default.

Is this not the behavior you see on your end?

RallyXS

Hi,

No, I have files with those 2 icons, as well as folders. I've been in touch with support, and it's to do with iCloud, but even turning iCloud off I have the same issue and can't access files.

Hey @RallyXS, what happens when you quit Dropbox, and try to access the file then?

Do you see any errors?

vavelar

Yes, I have the same experience. A single file, with both the green checkbox and cloud with down arrow. Even after I right mouse click and "Make available offline" the cloud arrow stays. Not sure why the picture is fuzzy, but you get the gist.

Behavior is as other have stated. I can't access the file offline until I open it, and THEN the cloud goes away. This is not a practical solution to do with the 50,000 files.

This is NOT working anywhere close to the way it was before Dropbox moved to the new location on Mac.

Question is, what is Dropbox doing about it and when can we expect a fix.

Jay

Hi @vavelar, could you try contacting the support team directly for them to investigate this in more detail?

jvelasco

Walter.-

The main problem is that syncing the files by opening them is not a realistic option. I am not connected to the internet all the time. Most of the time I need the files I am traveling and have no internet access. This is the reason I have all the files synced all the time. With this new setting I can not see the files when I need them.

There is no option to sync all the files all the time. You state: "Also note that you can adjust your syncing settings through the app's preferences under the Sync tab, if needed." Can you please specifically explain what are the steps to take to stop this syncing issue? I have tried to change the settings, but there is no such option.

This new update is a real problem!