Files being removed from Dropbox when copying to WhatsApp

Question

am experiencing an issue when copying files from my Dropbox folder to WhatsApp Desktop on my Mac.

Normally, when I copy and paste a file, the original file should remain in the Dropbox folder. However, in my case, the file is being completely removed from Dropbox after I copy or drag it into WhatsApp. It behaves like a “move” instead of a “copy,” even when I explicitly use copy-and-paste.

This is happening when working from the local Dropbox folder in Finder (not from the Dropbox website). The behavior repeats consistently with multiple files.

I rely on Dropbox for important work files, so I want to make sure this issue is resolved and that files are not unintentionally removed during normal use.

Thank you for your support.

Best regards,

Aladdin

Megan · Answer

Hey there, @AladdinIDpro2026, I hope you're doing well!

I was also thinking the same thing that @Mark mentioned. Can you try following these steps, in order to check if the behavior remains the same once the app is closed?

Thanks a bunch!

abductedsea · Answer

its a bug with whatsapp desktop on mac, it is deleting the file after being sent to whatsapp

Mark · Answer

Dropbox doesnt have the capability to do this - it is after all just a regular folder like any other on your machine. So, something else is at play.

Does it still happen if Dropbox is shut? What about if add files from other directories?