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Why is the Dropbox Desktop App no longer available?

The dropbox desktop app had such a great user interface and was a good workflow for our team.. unfortunately as of 17 Jan 2022, it has been dropped.. I wonder why this change was made, and i'm just hoping the application is being improved instead of being killed.

What we enjoyed out of the desktop app was the ability to pin specific files to the main dropbox for quick access, which everyone was able to identify quickly. with the Finder app, it was hard to see pinned items, and with the website, its a redundant process – requiring lots of extra steps – having to open up the website to identify the folder before pinning them. the website does not give as much visual cues as the desktop app previously had.

Please, dropbox, #bringitback!

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Megan

Hey people, how are you all doing?

First of all, thanks a lot for your thoughts and comments. They surely help a lot to understand what you want on your end.

Keep in mind that Dropbox remains focused on helping our customers stay organized and work more efficiently. With this focus, we’re simplifying your desktop experience with improvements to Windows Explorer, macOS Finder, and the taskbar/menu bar.

Support for the desktop window ends on January 17, 2022.

Don’t worry—we're continuing to support a great desktop app experience for you and your content is still safe with us.

Save, view, share, and access all your files with the Dropbox folder in Windows Explorer, macOS Finder, the taskbar/menu bar, on dropbox.com, and with the latest iOS and Android apps.

If you need me, give me a shout.

All comments

Sorce Eastwood

It's a new style of modern business 🤣

Debbie 60

Is this why I can no longer sync photos to my laptop.

tmwrght

Not sure if anyone's mentioned this already, but you could try Slapdash (https://slapdash.com) to pin your favourite files from across Dropbox using Slapdash's 'Spaces' feature, as a replacement for the Dropbox desktop app's pin functionality

sethhasty

i ONE THOUSAND percent feel your pain. I spend most of my day in Illustrator , and the rest working in the Desktop App where I create files/projects for my team and clients.

The last week has been ABSOLUTE TRASH. I have wasted so many hours searching for where my stuff is.. and how can I collab with clients in a concise/beautiful manner we are used to and pay a lot for.

I've been spending the last 4 hours this evening moving all of my files over to different cloud options that I'm testing ... because after years of loyalty and thousands of dollars, Im breaking up with Dropbox.

I feel silly to be this mad about a freaking app, but y'all have killed my workflow and really screwed things up.

Currently testing Box, JumpShare, Sync & giving Google Drive one more shot too.

Paul A.25

I want to set up Selective Sync, and I used tobr able to do it with the Desktop App. How can I do that now?

Please don't insult the user community by telling us about all the great new stuff that Dropbox has when you're taking away something we've been counting on.

sethhasty

you know what stinks?

Im narrowing down what system to migrate to.. and they all have a few perks over Dropbox, they all have a few cons to Dropbox..

But none of them are what Im used to in being a Dropbox user forever.. ugh

JayBe13

Well by the looks of it Dropbox does not care if they lose business. I was chatting on Discord with a few friends about it, one friend said that the company he works for has 60+ people and they are complaining about the "New and Improved Dropbox" changes so they are shopping around for something new. They have contacted Dropbox but have not received an answer from a human, only a bot. I just looked it up and 60 people using Dropbox cost $1,250.00 a month or $12,000.00 a year if they don't care about that then they definitely don't care about us.

Mark

@oliviafair i doubt the app will come back BUT the software is still on the computer - the syncing etc. is still here, just the visual side has changed

tmwrght

You can still control Selective Sync and local files thru the preferences for the Mac desktop integration. As a Mac user I can’t say the same for Windows but would expect it’s probably similar

Paul A.25

What's available on Mac has no relevance whatsoever for non-Mac users. Please forgive the diatribe, but the Mac world is based on a model of appealing aesthetics, monopoly pricing, and aggressive use of intellectual-property laws. It is diametrically opposed to the philosophy of open source.

MCLF

Is this why I can't login to the App on my MacBook and keep getting the "something went wrong" popup? Even though I can login on iOS and Web?

Walter

Hey @MCLF, sorry to jump in, but could you provide a screenshot of the exact error you're getting?

MCLF

Only shows when trying to login via the app on Mac, can login via web and iOS.

Walter

Ah, this must be the deprecated desktop app then (based on your screenshot) @MCLF

Have you tried logging into your account through the app's preferences in your menu bar?

MCLF

Yes it just pushes me back to the same login page.

Walter

In that case, could you try reinstalling our desktop app on the affected computer @MCLF?

Let us know how it goes.

MCLF

Already done twice. I've tried switching wifi, checking VPN and firewall.

Walter

Thanks for the update @MCLF - could you try an advanced reinstall as outlined here as well?

While at it, make sure to also perform these steps, if you haven't already that is.

MCLF

Tried the advanced reinstalled and it seems to be working again now.

Thanks for your help, much appreciated.

Walter

No worries @MCLF - I'm just glad to hear it's sorted now.

See you around the Community and take care!

KimFelton

This is a great suggestion....but....I don't want to pay for another subscription just to get the same benefits I was already receiving from Dropbox. I have a business account, for a law firm. It has been an absolute pain in the ass to navigate through files through the finder on Mac. Opening and working through the browser is also inefficient and doesn't provide the same necessities as the desktop client did. It seems like Dropbox is randomly rolling features in and out without customer feedback. The best SaaS companies are the ones that ask for feedback, and LISTEN to their customer base.

Oh look guys! Walter is still here....except he's not responding to any of the valid concerns here.

I'm currently in the search for a cloud storage option that provides a desktop app similar to the dropbox client, and has many of the same functions as Dropbox. I checked out Box but I'm not crazy about their a la carte price model for getting all the functions, rather than bundling them. If anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears!

Paul A.25

I'm running Kubuntu 21.10. I've managed to work around the loss of the desktop app. Here's how:

1. After installing Dropbox, I issue the command dropbox start -i.

2. Dropbox starts up and begins madly syncing a whole lot of stuff I don't want.

3. Meanwhile, the little. Dropbox icon (bless it) has appeared on my taskbar.

4 I click on that icon and choose Pause Syncing.

5. I go to Preferences/Sync/Selective Sync.

6, I uncheck Select All, then check any single folder (important), then Update. Alternatively, I can just click the folders I want stored locally.

7. I exit by clicking OK as necessary.

The Update empties out my local Dropbox folder except for my selected folders.

matildamarshmallow

But the experience is NOT streamlined now that Dropbox has dropped the desktop app. It only makes keeping organized and reaching files more quickly MORE difficult. By deciding to drop the app, Dropbox has not streamlined anything for their customers—but I guess they have streamlined things for themselves by not having to administer it anymore.

#PleaseBringTheAppBack

sethhasty

I hate being over dramatic about this... as I am apathetic about 99% of things that happen in life, but as a neuro-divergent adult with extreme executive function disorder, adhd, etc... i took me so long to get comfortable with my stack... and then the key "HQ" of my workflow is just taken away... its such a joke.

I cant find anything, the way I worked with clients is upside down and totally screwed... Cancelled my account and still looking for an option.

tmwrght

@Paul A.25 I'm sorry you have issues with the Mac system. Just trying to help others achieve the same Pin functions and Selective Sync that they enjoyed in the desktop app. I share your frustration of the needless removal of features people rely on. Have a great day

foreverflyy photos

efficient for whom?? not my workflow you have destroyed pretty much every reason I used Dropbox for my photography business you killed the desktop app you destroyed the Android app you added hidden restrictions keeping me from even downloading my files to abandon your crummy platform how exactly are you helping efficient workflow I can't download folders to my phone any longer I can't access project files on the go my workflow deals with 1gb+ files in multitudes and you service corrupts them any time I try and download them

Paul A.25

I emphasize: don't panic when Dropbox starts syncing files you don't want. This is bad behavior and a flaw in the program, but you can work around it. It occurs because in order to get that little Dropbox icon on the taskbar, you have to start syncing before you have a chance to do the selection of what is to be synced.

Hint to designers: this doesn't have to happen. When the program is started with dropbox start -i, you should immediately start a selective sync, not a full sync.

JayBe13

Funny how a Apple/Mac user gets help quick and it is not a CANNED script like us PC users. Guess we know what OS Dropbox care more about.

*edit forgot to finish a word.

foreverflyy photos

don't get it twisted I have a Mac too and they are little to no help as well just look at their app being removed or just syncing whatever it wants or if you delete the Dropbox app since it no longer is supported it just DELETES your files from the computer all together...

JohnRBusterBrown

The Dropbox Desktop App works with three other programs that I use - TxDocs, ScanSnap Home, and MyCase. The web app does not work with any of them. This is a problem. Also, it would be nice if Dropbox Professional worked with those three programs and if I could use and pay for the HelloSign unlimited signatures add on to my DropBox package. But without the Desktop App or at least its capabilities and interface with the other programs, I really don't need Dropbox.

Second Question: Can I have two DropBox packages at the same time. I need Professional and either the Personal or the Family package, especially if one package works with the HelloSign addon and my other programs and another does not.