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Automatically downloading files using the app, how to do this?

Hi foks,

I've been using Dropbox for about ten years to transfer many small documents easily between my home and work computers, both Macs.

After the recent update I've noticed that I have to manually download documents.

Does anyone know how to change back so that they download automatically?

Here's a screenshot of the little clouds I have to click to download the documents.

Thanks!

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Accepted answers

Mark

Hi @PlanetHave

That is a feature of 'Smart Sync'.

So to disable you need to go in to Preferences, go in to Sync and then 'New files default 'Available Offline'.

However, you will need to right click on all the ones with the little cloud and set that to 'Make appear offline'.

All comments

Mark

Hi @PlanetHave

That is a feature of 'Smart Sync'.

So to disable you need to go in to Preferences, go in to Sync and then 'New files default 'Available Offline'.

However, you will need to right click on all the ones with the little cloud and set that to 'Make appear offline'.

PlanetHave

Many thanks!

RealDeel

This setting has been removed on the Mac version of the app after the recent update.

I agree with the original comment that after years of automatically making all files available offline it seems strange to remove this option. I'm now in a position where I'm stuck on bad wifi, waiting for almost 7000 files to sync, instead of them syncing at my home where the wifi is much better. This way when I'm working in locations with no wifi, poor wifi, or only a hotspot with data restrictions I'm not waiting for files to download. It is counter intuitive for people that are used to working with your system this way are expected to now remember every time they add a file they need to go make it "offline" available.

Dropbox needs to consider that people have been using it as a sharing and transfer service for years, not simply storage in the cloud. I got Google for that.

Please fix.