The desktop app freezes on macOS with a 'Reconnecting to the internet' error on Mac OS 26.5.2

Dropbox Desktop app on macos 248.4.3576 stopped syncing with error message "Reconnecting to the Internet. This may take a moment".
I tried:
- restarting the mac
- removing all apps that may interfere - tailscale, VPN, firewall, etc.
- connecting via LAN or via WiFi
- reinstalling Dropbox

Nothing worked so far. Google Drive and other apps are syncing without any issues.

Any ideas how to fix this?

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, @andrei_t.

Can you try installing the offline version of the app, to see if it helps?

Let me know how it goes.

I've been using the offline version of the app for macos desktop, the same one you linked in your message. I believe I mentioned it in the post.

Oh, I don't see it in your original post, Andrei, sorry, but thanks for the update here.

Can you check if you're able to access your files on the Dropbox website as normal?

If so, I'd next suggest that you perform an advanced reinstall of the Dropbox app, to see if that helps at all.

Megan

Hey there, @andrei_t!

Can you please let me know the app's exact syncing status as shown in your menu bar?

Also, could you try signing out and then back into the app? Maybe that will do the trick. Finally, can you please check if Private Relay is currently enabled on your device?

@Megan thanks! Private Relay removal worked!

Jay

Hi @andrei_t, thanks for the update on this matter, and that it helped with your situation.

This should help other users who are experiencing the same behavior in the future.

I am sorry, but I need to bump up this issue once again. I was confirming that the issue was resolved too soon. Private relay removal did not actually work, and I am still facing the same issue. Dropbox icon on my mac is faded out, with the status "Reconnecting to the Internet. This may take a moment". Google Drive sync works fine, internet works fine.
I removed all VPN that I've used, removed Tailscale, removed private relay, completely uninstalled Dropbox and reinstalled it again. So far - no luck. The Dropbox shows 56 unsynced files and 64Mb unsynced. The new files that I modify on other mac still appear in the Dropbox, but they are not synced locally.

Please let me know if there are any other ideas how to fix this, besides the ones that are mentioned above.

Nancy

i did advanced uninstall earlier, before removing the Tailscale.

I decided to try advanced reinstall once again now, and luckily it worked! thanks. I will see if the issue will repeat after a few days, because earlier - it also started to work, and then stopped with the same error message.

Megan

Hey @andrei_t!

Thanks for the heads up! Keep an eye out, and let us know if anything pops up. 🤗

We'll be one post away!

asbrown72

Hey @asbrown72, sorry to hear that.

Just to make sure we've covered everything, can you confirm you've followed all the steps provided on this thread about the same issue?

Keep me posted!

onewil

This is happening to me as well, current Mac OS (26.5.2), newest versions of everything, 258.4.3749 of Dropbox. Constantly stuck in Reconnecting regardless of reboot, quit, wifi, location, etc.

Sorry to hear that, @onewil. Have you checked my previous reply? There's a hyperlink to another similar thread with a solution and some other troubleshooting steps.

Can you try them and let me know if they help?

It's happening to me too. And likewise started sometime last week. I've tried the Advanced Reinstall, as well as a rebooting the router etc. No dice. I gave up and contacted support today and after reporting all the steps, it's apparently being escalated. I'm waiting to be contacted by the specialist.

This is on Dropbox 258.4.3749 and macOS 15.7.7

I tried disabling Private Relay as well, and then Force Quitting all DB processes via Activity Monitor, but it's still not connecting.

Jay

Hi @NJSS1975, thanks for the info.

I think it would be best to contact the support team since they have more tools and steps available to troubleshoot this matter for you.

You can submit a ticket to the team via this link while logged into your Dropbox account.

I have the same issue and have taken the same steps, including the advanced reinstall. It's been 48 hours since Support promised that I'd be contacted by a specialist.

NOTHING.

And what's really great is that all my previously synced files and now inaccessible because Dropbox can't index to see that they are actually there.

I have the same issues and tried all the same steps, including Advanced Reinstall. It's been 48 hours since Support said I would be contacted by a Specialist. Any day now, right guys?

Hey @NJSS1975, thanks for the nudge here.

I located your ticket, which is indeed with our specialists, so you'll be getting a reply really soon.

For anyone else having this issue, I wanted to let you know that the team is aware of it and are currently working on a solution.

In the meantime, can you try adding a test file to your local Dropbox folder and check if it syncs to your account on dropbox.com?

Thanks.

JRP M.

This is directly the impact of macOS TAHOE update 26.5.2

DROPBOX needs to get up to speed to fix and advise on this issue.

JRP M.

I fixed this by removing DROPBOX from System Perferences / Privacy & Security / Full Disk Access and then re-added it.

Thanks for the update on this, @JRP M. and thanks for letting us know what solved it for you!

Can anyone else confirm that the steps above helped them as well?

Please let us know!

Samir B.4

Beta 262.3.3056 File Provider: "Malformed format ... (null)" errors → constant sync-anchor resets → Finder stalls (macOS 26.5.2)

On macOS 26.5.2 (Tahoe, Apple Silicon), beta build 262.3.3056 causes periodic Finder stalls: moves into the Dropbox folder hang on "Preparing to move…" for up to 30 seconds, and directory listings go stale (completed downloads keep showing as .crdownload until Finder refreshes).

The unified log shows the DropboxFileProvider extension repeatedly erroring:

DropboxFileProvider [ERROR] Malformed format. Object should have class NSString or NSDictionary, but it has (null)

At the same timestamps, fileproviderd reports:

enumerating from change 0 failed: NSError: FP -1002 (NSFileProviderErrorSyncAnchorExpired)

The sync anchor never advances past change 0/1 — every enumeration attempt fails on the malformed object and restarts from scratch, roughly 40–100 events/hour during active use.

Already ruled out: this reproduces on a completely fresh File Provider domain (full advanced reinstall done — recurred within 48 hours) and is not Spotlight-related (recurs with the Dropbox folder excluded from indexing). File sync itself works; the damage is Finder responsiveness. Note I'm on the beta because stable 258.4.3749 has the "Reconnecting to the internet" no-sync bug on 26.5.2.

Happy to provide a sysdiagnose or additional logs.

This discussion was created from comments split from: Beta Build 262.3.3056.