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I can't set new files to be available offline by default in my macOS Sonoma preferences.

This seems to have come up earlier, but there seems to be no solution. In macOS Sonoma, running the latest Dropbox, the Preferences app will not let me select "Available offline" for new files. This is absolutely essential for me, and I have more than enough disk space for it.

What can be done to fix this? Any help gratefully received.

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Nancy

Thanks for posting on our forum, @emendelson!

As a first step, can you send me a screenshot of what you see exactly under your app’s preferences?

Please make sure that the current location of your Dropbox folder is also visible.

Let me know when you’re ready.

emendelson

Hello Nancy,

Thank you for the reply. I hope this is the screen shot that you asked for:

[removed per Community Guidelines]

Thank you,

Edward

Nancy

Hey Edward! Unfortunately, we can’t click any links on the forum due to security reasons. Can you attach your screenshot here by clicking on the following button instead?

emendelson

Megan

Hey @emendelson, I'm not entirely sure if you meant for this message to be empty, but it seems that if you tried to attach a screenshot, it failed to attach.

emendelson

Hello Megan - I see a screen shot a couple of inches above your message! It's a screen that shows a macOS dialog with "Preferences" at the upper left. If it's not visible there, I'm completely baffled!

Megan

Hey @emendelson, odd indeed!

I just checked from a different device, and everything is back on track. Are you able to click on the setting at all, or is it unclickable?

Have you tried uninstalling and then re-installing the app?

emendelson

Hi Megan,

The "Available offline" button is unclickable, and yes, I uninstalled and reinstalled the app - and in fact I used the Find Any File app to delete every file with "Dropbox" in its name from everywhere on my disk. I had to do the same thing a few years ago, so I've had some experience with this.

Thanks for any help you can give. I'm still on Sonoma, by the way, as I know better than to upgrade to a new macOS version until after the first point release.

Megan

Thanks for the heads up @emendelson!

Out of curiosity: if you try to right click on a file/folder inside your Dropbox folder, do you have the option to make files online-only or available offline?

Also, would you mind clarifying the exact Dropbox version you're currently using? You mentioned that you're using our latest version, and your screenshot also shows that, but I just want to make sure you're not using a Beta version too.

emendelson

Hello Megan,

Yes, if I right-click on a file in the Dropbox folder, I have the options to make it available offline or online-only. And my Dropbox version is v.208.4.5824. I don't think it's a beta.

Thank you again.

Walter

Hey @emendelson - thanks for clarifying that for us.

Just to check another thing, have you granted Dropbox full disk access?

emendelson

Yes, I just now gave it full disk access and restarted the app, as prompted. I still can't click on "Available offline."

Hannah

Hey @emendelson, I hope you don't mind me jumping in here as well!

Can you also please check if the "Dropbox system extension" is enabled on this page in your account settings?

abuislam5

I’m facing the same issue in macOS Sonoma with Dropbox—unable to set new files to be 'Available offline' by default. This functionality is crucial for my workflow. Has anyone found a workaround or any updates from Dropbox on this?

Hannah

Hey @abuislam5, sorry to hear that.

Have you tried any of the troubleshooting steps on this thread?

Please also send us a screenshot of the setting from your preferences, so we can have a visual.

emendelson

Hi Hannah,

That solved the problem. "Dropbox System Extension" was NOT enabled in my personal settings. I enabled it, quit the Dropbox app, reopened it, and was able to select "Available ofline."

Thank you!!! There really should be some prominent notice about this somewhere - maybe in the app itself, because, as you see from this thread, I'm not the only person with this problem.

Meanwhile, thank you again!

Hannah

Thanks for the update here, @emendelson, I'm happy to see that helped resolve your issue!

I'll make sure to pass your feedback along to our team and if you need anything else, don't hesitate to let us know.