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Dropbox on iPhone hasn't synced in a year. I've tried everything.

Help!!! My Dropbox app on my iPhone has not synced in over a year... I have a Iphone 13 mini, running iOS 18.7.2.

I have tried logging in/out of my Dropbox account, deleting the App and downloading it again from the App Store, clearing my cache, restarted my iPhone, unlinked and linked back to my laptop and NOTHING is working....

For reference I am attaching a screenshot which shows my files sorted by Modified" and it shows that the last file which was modified was over a year ago. I use files in my Dropbox multiple times everyday.

Any thoughts on what I can try? It's really frustrating.

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Megan

Hey @kazuhaga, thanks for the info!

Now let's address everything. 😊 The first thing I need to mention is that your Library folder on your Mac should be hidden by default. Also, while we're working to resolve this please hold back from creating any folders in order to move the Dropbox folder in which you can see your files.

One small clarification: if you access this path Users/kazuhaga/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox can you see your content there, or does it look empty? I'm asking because your screenshot from earlier showed a blank Dropbox back.

Also, it looks like you're using Dropbox on File Provider, hence the folder path /CloudStorage.

Here's my suggestion: please create a test folder online, and give it a random name that doesn't exist locally. If the app's syncing status is up-to-date then you should see the file locally. Feel free to search in Finder for your test folder, and let me know what you find.

If the above doesn't work, and you have trouble locating your online files please try signing out and back into the app.

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Megan

Hey @kazuhaga, let's see what we can find about this together!

As a first step, I'd like to ask if you're using the desktop app to edit these files.

When you visit your account online, are you able to see these edits? Also, is it possible that you're using a different Dropbox account on your devices? You can have a look at these steps, in order to check the email address linked to your desktop, and mobile app to verify it's the same one.

It seems that I didn't get your screenshot, so you might want to re-upload it, in order for me to have a visual too.

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

kazuhaga

Thanks for your help!!! And sorry here is the screenshot again.

I just realized that I am also not seeing edits on my online Dropbox account. I am attaching that screenshot too.

But I double checked and am definitely on the right account.

re: if I am using the Dropbox desktop app, I'm honestly a bit confused by the whole thing. Forgive me, I feel like as soon as I became a parent, I forgot how to use all tech lol....

I do have Dropbox downloaded and installed on my macbook. However, when I click on it, it only opens up a regular Finder window.

On that Finder window, my dropbox folder seems empty... Though when I go to other folders that I open/edit/save my files in, you can clearly see that the file path is under Dropbox. I will attach those screenshots too.

kazuhaga

Here is a screenshot of my "Dropbox" folder on my computer. I can get here by clicking on the shortcut I had for my "Work" folder, then click on the Dropbox icon in the folder path at the bottom of the finder window. Hope that makes sense.

Megan

Hey @kazuhaga, thanks for the info!

I'll try to help, and guide you to the best of my abilities.

As a first step, would you mind clarifying which app version you currently have installed, along with the app's syncing status? You can find both by hovering your mouse over the little Dropbox icon in your menu bar next to your WiFi.

Keep in mind that if you're using our desktop app, that means that you have a local folder Dropbox in your Finder, and this folder is a mirror of your account online and vice versa. This means, if the app is 'up to date' what you see online should sync on your device unless you opted to prevent some folders from syncing locally using selective sync.

You can always open your Dropbox folder by clicking your little Dropbox icon on your menu bar, and then click the little folder icon that sits next to your avatar, or initials.

One more thing I need you to check is the app's preferences, and specifically the "Sync" tab in order to see where your Dropbox folder is located. You need to make sure you're editing the files in this exact path, in order for them to be reflected to your account online.

kazuhaga

Thank you so much.

I am on version 237.4.5655. Status says "up to date."

I think I'm close to figuring out what's going on. When I click on the folder icon, it again opens up a blank folder. When I go to preferences and sync, I see that my dropbox folder location is Users/kazuhaga/Library/CloudStorage/Dropbox. However when I go to the dropbox shortcut on my finder, I see that the file path is Users/kazuhaga/dropbox.

The strange thing is, when I navigate to Users/kazuhaga, I don't see a "Library" folder... I'm not sure how this happened. I wonder if it would work for me to just create a Library folder, then create a CloudStorage folder in that, then move my dropbox folder into that?

Thank you again for your help!!! It's so appreciated.

Megan

Hey @kazuhaga, thanks for the info!

Also, it looks like you're using Dropbox on File Provider, hence the folder path /CloudStorage.

If the above doesn't work, and you have trouble locating your online files please try signing out and back into the app.

kazuhaga

OMG I feel stupid. It turns out, for some reason, my computer had logged into a dropbox account with my backup email - a DX account that had nothing in it! I don't know how it happened, but I was able to log out of that and log back into my correct account, and now everything is synching.

THANK YOU AGAIN for your help! Hopefully once my daughter is older she can help me papa with tech stuff as apparently I am too old to figure it out now lol.

Megan

Phew, glad we managed to get to the bottom of this @kazuhaga!

It happens to the best of us, so no need to worry. If you need something else, please just give me a shout! 🤗

Theresa

Hi there @kazuhaga and welcome-welcome to the Dropbox Community! 😊

I am glad to see your issue is resolved - mobile sync problems can definitely be frustrating, especially when it feels like you’ve tried everything on your iPhone. These hiccups can happen for a number of reasons, so it’s great that things are finally syncing again. Thank you for coming back to share what worked. Updates like yours are incredibly helpful for anyone who might run into the same situation down the line!

By the way, I’m Theresa 👩‍💻, one of the community managers here at Dropbox HQ. Since you’ve been working through this on your mobile device, I’d love to know... what’s your favourite Dropbox feature? I’m always curious what people enjoy most.

Looking forward to hearing more,

T 😺 (Dropbox Community Manager)