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The mobile app isn't uploading or indexing photos in the background.

Hi ... I've noticed that the DropBox IOS Mobile App isn't uploading or indexing photos in the background. To be perfectly honest the App isn't doing anything at all whilst minimised.

The screen shot below shows if the app isn't shutdown fully and is left running in the background the days are not even updating. (Phone switched on plugged in over night).

Instead of displaying "Today" "Today" & Yesterday it should read "Today", Yesterday and the 28th December. Restarting the app corrects the problem.

I do appreciate IOS does dictate to some extent what apps can and can't do in the background especially when using battery power or the battery is low, but it makes no difference if my iPhone 13 is plugged in or not as the Dropbox app doesn't update or upload photos in the background.

I've tried the same test with OneDrive which does what it is meant to do and will update and upload photos in the background, only stopping when the phone is indicating low battery power, or there is a poor Wifi, Cell phone coverage...

Other IOS apps also seem to update ok which would point to a possible fault with your app ... any thoughts, am I missing something? ....

Thanks in Advance..

App Ver 406.2.2
IOS Ver 18.01
Tried deleting/re-installing etc

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Megan

Hey @Dave111, let's jump right into this!

When did you first notice this behavior?

You mentioned that you tried uninstalling, and reinstalling the app. Have you tried clearing the app's cache through its settings, by any chance? If I were you, I'd give it a go. You can follow these steps:

- Navigate to the “Account” tab.
- Tap the gear icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
- Scroll to the bottom of the screen.
-Select "Clear Cache."

Also, keep in mind that camera uploads on iOS devices no longer use location services to keep the Dropbox app active in the background. You can see more about this here.

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

Dave111

Hi @Megan

Thanks for the reply .... I have cleared the cache in the past but also did it again last night just to be certain, but I still have the same results where your app isn't updating photos or the days of the week.
This issue has been going on for a while for me, its just recently I've been travelling and taking a lot of photos which has highlighted the problem.

The link you supplied was interesting, especially the comments from @jboulter ..... (Dropbox Engineer)

"However, I can tell you from what I see we are getting some background time on your device and appear to be properly uploading photos when new ones are available. This background behavior is very sporadic and much of it is likely to happen when you're not using your device. This way, it doesn't drain your battery or slow down your phone when you are using it."

As Jim describes above your app should be updating in the background pending the phone conditions but its not .... Users in the same thread also replied back to Jim saying the app just doesn't work the way he is saying.

As mentioned, non Apple competitor products don't seem to have an issue.... Can we escalate this please .....?

Kind regards

Hannah

Hey @Dave111, thanks for your reply and happy new year!

When the Dropbox app is open in the foreground, do your photos/videos upload as expected?

When it's in the background, do you see any difference when connected to WiFi vs. mobile data?

Dave111

Hi Hannah ... Happy New Year to you and your team!

When the Dropbox app is open in the foreground, do your photos/videos upload as expected?
Yes .... the app works perfectly.

When it's in the background, do you see any difference when connected to WiFi vs. mobile data?
No ... I have a very stable Wifi or 4/5G connections, also it makes no difference if the iPhone is plugged into mains, on battery or leaving it alone minutes / over night the app just doesn't update in the background. ... As previously mentioned other competitor apps are working as expected.

Jay

Hi @Dave111, thanks for the info. In order to look into this matter in more detail, I'd recommend contacting the support team directly for them to investigate further.