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Dropbox not searchable in MacOS Ventura 13.1

Since the recent Dropbox update, I can no longer search for files in Dropbox on my Mac. I have been using Dropbox for over 10 years and have never had this problem before. It's making life extremely difficult and making me think about moving entirely to Google Drive, although I don't really like Google that much. But at least it's free, whereas I am now paying Dropbox for a less functional service than I had previously.

Does anyone know how to get this function back?

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Hannah

Hey @vmkirin and @bri_guy, I actually moved our thread to this one, since it's about the same issue.

You might want to take a look at the solution on this thread, to see if that works for you as well.

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vmkirin

In my case, my system does not see DropBox files at all. Finder does not see DropBox. I have to open the Dropbox folder directly from the top bar icon, and when I tried to save a quick link in the sidebar of Finder, the files inside were not viewable from that quick link.

bri_guy

My issue is with searching the Dropbox folder in Finder, as previously stated - I'm sure this is connected to Spotlight somehow, but I'm not trying to search directly via the Spotlight (CMD-Spacebar) interface.

I have definitely opened the Dropbox folder in Finder many times since the update so I don't think that's the issue.

Hannah

Hey @vmkirin and @bri_guy, I actually moved our thread to this one, since it's about the same issue.

You might want to take a look at the solution on this thread, to see if that works for you as well.

bri_guy

This solution worked for me, thanks.

reno08

Hi,

I'm on macOS Ventura 13.0 and Dropbox v160.3.4650 (apparently a beta ? Is Ventura / Apple Silicon supported in mainline Dropbox these days ?)

In Spotlight (cmd+space) :

Searching for a file in the Dropbox folder *by name* works, but not *by content* (PDF files that should be indexed without a problem)

In Finder search : neither by name nor by content works in the Dropbox folder.

In the Dropbox app search : by name works, by content works for *some* (possibly older ?) files but not all.

Elsewhere on the same volume is fine.
I have tried adding then removing the Dropbox folder to the Spotlight privacy exceptions list, that didn't help.

Any clues ?

Thanks

cinnil

I'm not with dropbox, but from what I've understood after talking to support for awhile. The update of the location was forced down by the new MacOS, so they had to update the location to be compliant. Unfortunately, it breaks searching in dropbox and there doesn't seem to be a clear fix yet.

Personally, I updated to MacOs 13.1 lately and it has fixed the spotlight previewing items held in dropbox to some extent.

However, the following are still issues:

1. still can not open files to their location in finder like before.

2. a search in finder will not display dropbox items or their contents even though they will show up in a spotlight search

stefanedginton

Hi,

I have used Dropbox on Mac for many years.

I tag many of my files in Finder for easy search and can search within specific folders for files that contain the tag.

However, since the latest Dropbox update where it moved all the Files to the "Locations" sidebar in Finder, this search functionality within the Dropbox folders no longer works. If I search "This Mac" I can find the tagged folders but if I want to search a specific folder that is in Dropbox it won't work.

Would appreciate any tips or tricks to resolve this, thanks!

cseow

Hi David:

Thanks for your post. The solution "kind of" works.

It works in that the folder is now searchable using Finder's search window (and Spotlight too),

BUT

I cannot seem to limit the search to ONLY DropBox (the "Search: This Mac" is selected and "DropBox" cannot be selected in the search bar in the Finder Window when attempting to do a multi-criteria search.) Hence it does not seem possible to filter the search by locations within DropBox - which is quite critical for me.

The only way I can search *only* within DropBox is to use the DropBox app (in the menubar), but that method does not allow for a multi-criteria search like one can do from within the Finder window.

Have you encountered this issue, or did the process you outline fix that problem for you completely (i.e. you did not encounter the problem that I did.)

cseow

I tried the re-indexing process described by @davidarden and (in my case) it DID allow me to search by tags...
BUT
I was however unable to limit my search to any location within DropBox.

The issue for me seems to be more that Finder cannot search within DropBox ONLY, and therefore I cannot narrow my criteria by location of the file. The other search filter criteria such as tags, file types, (I have not tried them all) seem to work - at least for those I tried.

Hope this helps.

Megan

Hi @cseow, thanks for the added info!

Could you also provide a couple of screenshots of the behavior you described above, in order for me to have a visual of this?

sawin1

Today I had the opposite issue. I searched something within a Finder window, limited to a location outside of Dropbox (i.e. the Downloads folder) and it showed up results, that were moved to the Dropbox folder before.

Needless to say, it should have not shown those results anymore...

Screenshot 2023-01-03 at 22.16.55.png

cseow

@Megan here are screenshots of two finder windows - identical search; the first one is where I clicked on the "This Mac" (boxed in red) and the second is when I clicked on "DropBox" - second image - boxed in red.

Hope this clarifies.

j4jure

I'm having the same issue. Ever since the Dropbox update on my mac search is useless for Dropbox files. This really takes away from the "fully integrated" feel that Drobox had prior. Please let me know, if you come up with a fix.

Sugarb

Same exact issue here, unable to search within folders in DropBox, but can find files in Dropbox when I expand the search to the entire filesystem.

Sugarb

Edit: nevermind, actually deleting and then remaking the index worked

ptetta

I am having the same problem with the search feature for dropbox files but in Mac OS Ventura 13.1

Search feature works everywhere EXCEPT dropbox on the desktop version. I can still search when I use the online version, but I don't use that much, so it's pretty frustrating not to be able to search from my desktop anymore. Happened as soon as I updated to the new OS. Everything has worked fine and dandy for years and years running Dropbox on my mac.

Megan

Hi @ptetta, happy February 1st!

Are you referring to Spotlight? Which version of the Dropbox app you have installed to the device?

Any screenshots you want to share, that demonstrate what you mentioned, and what you see when you try to search for a file, are welcome.

Let me know more, and we'll take it from there!

Mona_Protea

I have the same problem. It started after a recent update of Dropbox. There was a question if I wanted to protect my files and I accepted, because protected soundsbetter than unprotected. Then Dropbox somehow moved all files. The Dropbox icon was moved further down in the Finder menu at the same time.

Since then searches don't include files on Dropbox and that is where 99% of my files are.

I have MacOS Ventura 13.1 and Dropbox v 166.4.2920

Please help solve this!

Megan

Hi @Mona_Protea, thanks for posting here!

Could you send me a couple of screenshots demonstrating what you see on your end, when trying to search for files?

Keep me posted, and we'll take it form there.

Dave in SD

I've had the same issue after mistakenly updating this morning. Once the update completed I was no longer able to find any dropbox file when searching using the Mac's finder search bar. This negates 95% of the advantage of using dropbox over other options for me, its integration with Apple was a big plus. An additional irony is that this update was to be more compatible with Apple! I am running MacOS Ventura 13.1. I had intended to attach a screen shot of the "results" of a search when I copied and pasted part of a file name into the search bar but I don't see an easy way to do this.

Any help will be appreciated and is urgently needed.

Cheers,

Dave in SD

Megan

Hi @Dave in SD, thanks for posting here!

When you try to respond back to me, you should have a little camera-like icon. If you click on this, you should be given the ability to attach your screenshots.

Can you try this?

Thanks a bunch!

Mona_Protea

Hi Skärmavbild 2023-02-03 kl. 07.38.55.png

Dave in SD

Megan,

Attached you should find 2 screen shots, the first is an image of the folder with the text I will be searching for highlighted, the second is the result of a search using that text string.

I updated Dropbox on 2/2/23 to its latest version and I am running MacOS Ventura 13.1.

Any help will be appreciated as this update has greatly degraded the value of having dropbox integrated in to my mac.

Cheers,

Dave SearchResult Screen shot.png

ptetta

Hi Megan - I have two screen shots but don't see where/how to attache them to this message. I also don't know the version number for Dropbox, but I updated to the newest version about two weeks ago and that was when the problem started. The first screen shows a search in "This Mac" for a document with a name that contains "Budget." When I search that way, I get 1,258 results returned. The second shows the same search, but using my primary Dropbox folder. When I search that way, I get 0 results returns. This is using Finder, which is how I have always searched in Dropbox -- for more than 10 years now. This search function has been the primary advantage of Dropbox over Google Drive, which is what most of my clients use and would prefer for me to use. I have always insisted on Dropbox because it has always made it so much easier search for document. If that functionality has gone away, I have lost my main reason for not shifting to Google Drive. Can you help?

ptetta

I just tried dragging and dropping my screenshot files. Hopefully, they are readable on your end.

2023 Screen Shot - Dropbox Not Searchable.jpg

2023 Screen Shot - This Mac Searchable.jpg

DHK

Actually I'm on Ventura 13.2 with an M1 iMac, and have updated to have Dropbox under Library/CloudStorage with all files and folders available offline.

Finder search cannot find dropbox files when using Dropbox as the search start. If I search "This Mac" they are all found. Spotlight search finds them all as well. I disconnected my computer from Dropbox, erased the folder and other associated files in Library, and then reconnected and downloaded everything. This did not help.

Jay

Hi everyone, are you experiencing the same behavior as listed in this article when searching on the new Mac OS version of the Dropbox desktop application?

DHK

@Jay Your article said: "Searching through Finder will only find online-only files or folders that have been previously accessed on your device running Dropbox for macOS."

Not for me: Searching through finder will find a file I have previously opened in "This Mac", but NOT in Dropbox folder searchs.

Mona_Protea

Hi,

Please give a solution ASAP to this problem that is very bothersome.

Calore01

Hi,

I've the same issue, drop box files are not accessible via spotlight search like they where before the update.

How can i roll-back the update.

I'm using v166.4.2920

OS: Ventura 13.0

Thank you for your help dropbox community