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How can I remove a shared folder from my Dropbox account to save up space?

Someone shared a large folder with me (and others) that contains subfolders dating back 15 years for issues of a newsletter. But I have no need for the old stuff - all I need is to download a copy of the latest subfolder he adds each quarter, to use in a larger publication I build. I only have Dropbox's Basic plan (with 3.25GB due to bonuses a long time ago), so the 712MB folder is not a trivial percentage of my space.

Is there a way on my end to change my sharing status from editable to read-only so that it's not counted in my allotment? (He's not particularly techy, so my first choice is to handle this on my own.) Or can I somehow remove myself from just the old subfolders without losing access to the newest one (and future added ones)?

Or if those are not possible, I guess I would ask him to remove me as a collaborator and send me a read-only link instead. (I'm afraid to try to remove myself, because all I see that seems related is worded as "Delete", and that sounds like it would actually delete folders!) But if he sends me a link to the top folder, will I be able to see new subfolders when he adds them later (and download a copy of them), or would I need to ask him for a link to each subfolder when he adds it (or even worse, each file)?

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Rich

Karen E. wrote:
Is there a way on my end to change my sharing status from editable to read-only so that it's not counted in my allotment?

No.

Karen E. wrote:
Or can I somehow remove myself from just the old subfolders without losing access to the newest one (and future added ones)?

No.

Karen E. wrote:
I would ask him to remove me as a collaborator and send me a read-only link instead.

That would be the way to go, or ask him to create a new shared folder with only the content you need access to.

Karen E. wrote:
I'm afraid to try to remove myself, because all I see that seems related is worded as "Delete", and that sounds like it would actually delete folders!

Make sure you're following the steps listed here and you won't have an issue.

Karen E. wrote:
But if he sends me a link to the top folder, will I be able to see new subfolders when he adds them later (and download a copy of them) ...

Yes.

Karen E. wrote:
or would I need to ask him for a link to each subfolder when he adds it (or even worse, each file)?

No.

All comments

Rich

Karen E. wrote:
Is there a way on my end to change my sharing status from editable to read-only so that it's not counted in my allotment?

No.

Karen E. wrote:
Or can I somehow remove myself from just the old subfolders without losing access to the newest one (and future added ones)?

No.

Karen E. wrote:
I would ask him to remove me as a collaborator and send me a read-only link instead.

That would be the way to go, or ask him to create a new shared folder with only the content you need access to.

Karen E. wrote:
I'm afraid to try to remove myself, because all I see that seems related is worded as "Delete", and that sounds like it would actually delete folders!

Make sure you're following the steps listed here and you won't have an issue.

Karen E. wrote:
But if he sends me a link to the top folder, will I be able to see new subfolders when he adds them later (and download a copy of them) ...

Yes.

Karen E. wrote:
or would I need to ask him for a link to each subfolder when he adds it (or even worse, each file)?

No.

Karen E.

Thanks for the really clear reply - I love how you answered each question, instead of just spouting one ambiguous sentence for the whole thing like so many people do these days.

I realized that I could make a link to the folder and save it before removing my membership to the folder, so I did that and tested it using a Firefox container tab that is not logged into Dropbox. Then I left the folder, and the link still works - yay!

Make sure you're following the steps listed here and you won't have an issue.

FYI, even though you reassured me, the temporary leaving method was still too scary. The help page says that to leave temporarily I should click Delete, which is on the same section of the context menu as Rename, Move, and Copy, which really sound like actions that change the actual folder, not just my view of it. So even though the "Manage Permissions -> Remove my access" method is permanent, it's clear that I won't damage anything. That's fine anyway - as long as the link I captured continues to work, I won't need to "belong" to it.

Thanks again.

Theresa

Hi there @Karen E. and welcome back to the Dropbox Community, it's great to have you here. I’m really glad your issue has been resolved and thanks so much for circling back to share that update. It’s always helpful for others who might run into the same issue.

I’m Theresa 👩‍💻, one of the Community Managers here at Dropbox HQ. I love joining conversations like this or starting new ones across the board. Now that everything’s cleared up, I’d love to know ... is there a Dropbox feature you find especially helpful when managing shared content?

T😸 (Dropbox Community Manager)

Karen E.

Theresa, thanks for your interest in the forums - it's nice to know that company folks do participate here, rather than just the users.

Offhand, I don't have an immediate thought about a particular feature of shared content that stands out. But since I have your ear, let me point out that the wording on that context menu could be improved - I didn't try "Delete" because despite even the Dropbox help page saying that all it would do is temporarily disconnect the user from the shared folder, I didn't trust it. Everything about the structure and wording of the context menu would lead me to believe that it would delete the folder itself. I suggest that you share this info with the developers for consideration.