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Microsoft 365 can't save edits on files from Dropbox - Android

I can't edit excel files stored on Dropbox from my Android device. instead of saving the edits, a new file gets created every time I save the edited file.

this is what happens:

1) I open Dropbox app and navigate to a folder with Excel file ABC.xlsx in it

2) I click (touch!) the file, then it gets opened in Dropbox in preview mode

3) I click the pencil icon at the bottom of Dropbox and it opens a menu with the title "Open with...". I click on Microsoft 365 (Office)

4) The file is opened in Microsoft 365 and I can edit it. I do some editing then click on the save icon (floppy drive icon)

5) a new page opens with the title "Save a copy". Dropbox is not directly listed in places I can save the file in. I have to click on Browse then choose Dropbox and navigate to the folder where the original file is stored.

6) I save it with the same original name ABC.xlsx. (technically I'm asking the app to overwrite the original file)

7) instead of overwriting the file, a new file named ABC_19RandomNumbers.xlsx is created. all my edits are save in this new file. the original ABC.xlsx is intact

after that, I get 3 notifications from Dropbox

a) Changes saved. (1 file saved)

b) Upload failed: ABC_19RandomNumbers.xlsx (tap for details)

c) Upload complete (1 file added)

Specs: Android 10, Microsoft 365 (Office) 16.0.16130.20188 (Feb 22, 2023), Dropbox 318.2.2 (Feb 28, 2023)

I have a Microsoft 365 Personal subscription and Dropbox basic free plan

Thanks in advance for your help!

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Mobile

Microsoft Office

Third Party Integrations

Edit

Android

New Ideation Status

Closed - Inactive

Accepted answers

kankon

Hey Hannah, thanks for your reply.

I downloaded a standalone Microsoft Excel app and it solved my problem! using this app I can now save edits of files stored in my Dropbox.

I didn't have the Excel app before, as I was using Microsoft 365 app which can handle all Microsoft files (Excel, word, powerpoint...).

if you want to continue debugging the problem with the Microsoft 365 app, I'll be more than happy to help. I opened an Excel file stored locally on my phone via the Microsoft 365 app, edited and saved it. it didn't save the changes directly but asked me to save a copy and, unlike files in Dropbox, I successfully overwrote the existing file without new file being created.

Clearing Dropbox cache didn't solve the issue.

Most probably it's a bug with the Microsoft 365 app.

All comments

Hannah

Hey @kankon, thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Are you having this issue when opening Office files only through the Dropbox app?

If you open an Office file that's saved to your device directly through the Excel app, for example, are you seeing a different behavior?

And if you clear the Dropbox app's cache from the settings, does that help?

Let me know and we'll go from there.

kankon

Hey Hannah, thanks for your reply.

I downloaded a standalone Microsoft Excel app and it solved my problem! using this app I can now save edits of files stored in my Dropbox.

I didn't have the Excel app before, as I was using Microsoft 365 app which can handle all Microsoft files (Excel, word, powerpoint...).

Clearing Dropbox cache didn't solve the issue.

Most probably it's a bug with the Microsoft 365 app.

Nancy

Hi @kankon! I hope you’re doing well, and thanks for your feedback.

You mentioned in your first post that you received an error message at some point when uploading the updated file (“Upload failed: ABC_19RandomNumbers.xlsx (tap for details)”).

If you’re also receiving this error message when uploading other files to your Dropbox account, let me know and we can have a look into this.

kankon

Hi @Nancy , I'm happy to let you know that the problem have been resolved with the Microsoft 365 (office) app as well 🙂

Some context:

After I installed the standalone Excel app, there was an option to link the app with cloud storage providers. from the list of providers, I choose Dropbox and it was linked successfully and I was able to edit and save Excel files stored in Dropbox.

After your post, I decided to check Microsoft 365 (office) behavior with other files. When I opened the Microsoft 365 (office) app, the app automatically re-linked itself to Dropbox. so now when I hit 'open' or 'save as' icons, Dropbox is directly listed in places I can open files from / save files in.

Previously, the app only allowed OneDrive to be directly listed in the 'open'/'save as' page. To access Dropbox I had to touch 'Browse' and choose Dropbox from many other possible location such as local storage, Google drive, Dropbox...etc.

After the re-link, when I tried to edit and save an Excel file from Dropbox, it still doesn't save the file directly and ask me to 'save as' the file. But now, when I ask it to overwrite the file, the app successfully overwrites it. no ABC_19randomnumbers.xlsx file is being created now.

It's clearly a Microsoft bug

eli10

שלום

יש לי בעייה עם קבצי דרופבוקס אינן תואמים את האופיס

Rich

תצטרך לתאר את הבעיה לפני שמישהו יידע איך הכי טוב לעזור לך.