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The Dropbox desktop app doesn't show all of the content that I can see online. Why?

margaret104

I have a Macbook with 1TB and Dropbox with 3TB storage.

Until recently I have used the webpage to access all my files but now have the dropbox desktop app installed.

The desktop app shows only a few folders - how do I ensure it displays 100% of what's online?

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margaret104

I should add to this …

I dont really want any data on my HDD as I cant do a full sync anyway. Selective sync doesn't work for me.

So I really just want to use online data, but would like to see all data in the app, rather than the online page.

Thank you in advance!!

Margaret

Jay

Hi @margaret104, thanks for messaging today!

Have you tried having your Dropbox folder marked as online-only in Finder, meaning that you can see the file and folder structure, but the files won't take up any space on your machine?

When you require access to a file, you can open the file and it'll download to your machine to allow you to view it.

If you need any further assistance, please let me know!

margaret104

Jay, thank you so much for your quick reply!

I've set the App to Online only … does it take a while for a refresh?

Screenshot 2026-09-15 at 10.58.42 am.png

I've also checked my Account preferences and have unselected all folders taking up HDD space.

Previously the 2 folders above were checked.

Screenshot 2026-09-15 at 10.57.29 am.png

thank you again :)

Megan

Hey there, @margaret104. Let me jump in here too.

You mentioned using the app's preferences to remove said folders. Did you use the steps for selective sync? If not, don't hesitate to correct me.

Have you tried selecting any of these folders to see if they sync locally to the device? In your selective sync settings, your folders should be selected in order for them to be visible inside your Dropbox folder. Once done, you can make your content online-only using these steps.

Provided that's the case, could you please share the exact Dropbox desktop app version you're using, and its current syncing status? You can find this information by hovering your mouse over the Dropbox icon in your menu bar, next to your Wi-Fi icon.

margaret104

Hi there,

To clarify … originally I used selective sync for these folders only, but I don't want to have any data on my HDD anymore. I don't want to use selective sync - I want data only online.

I went into the preferences to remove the folders from selective sync as per the link in Jay's reply.

The desktop app shows both the above folders with the download symbol … so are you saying I need to sync from online to my HDD first or vice versa?

The desktop app was downloaded only 2 days ago … 270.4.3246 Backup and sync are paused.

thank you

Margaret

Megan

Hey there, @margaret104!

I'd appreciate it if you could open your app's preferences—specifically your current selective sync settings—and send me a screenshot so I can take a look.

While you're at it, could you also send a screenshot of the folders with the download symbol inside your Dropbox folder? Are you talking about this symbol? Please check "Sync and storage" within your app's preferences as well to see if there are any sync issues reported there.

By the way, you also mentioned that you have some folders you can only find when accessing your account online, correct?

margaret104

Hiya … is this the screenshot you need?

As for the last comment, yes there are many folders I can only see from the web interface … this screenshot was in my reply above to Jay … do you have access to see that ?

Thank you
Margaret

Megan

Hey Margaret!

Allow me to clarify. Based on your latest screenshot, it looks like you're using selective sync for 2 TB of your data, including example folders: "Active PHOTOS" and "All RAW files" in the screenshot you shared previously.

As expected since you've removed these folders via selective sync, they won't appear locally inside your Dropbox folder. If you'd like to sync them to your computer again, you can follow these steps. You can do one folder at a time to avoid overloading your device. Can you give it a go, and let me know?

To prevent them from taking up local hard drive space once they are synced to the device, you can make them online-only using these steps. Also, keep in mind that your currently available offline files and folders are taking up 167.72 GB of your hard drive space.

One final note: you mentioned earlier that the Dropbox desktop app is paused. Once you apply these settings, you'll need to unpause the app for the changes to sync.

If you have any questions, I'm here.

margaret104

Hi Megan,

At first I was still confused but then the lightbulb switched on ... the Desktop app is NOT a representation of what is online - it's a representation of what has been sync'd! Now your replies make more sense :)

In any case, the 2 folders which were showing in my dropbox app were Active Photos and Active Data. They have now been sync'd and disappeared from the Dropbox app. This is my view now … can you confirm that this view is right for what I want/needed?

And finally I guess the Desktop app can be deleted as it won't do what I was hoping it would ... and that is to provide a Finder-like interface to my data.

thank you again

Margaret

Megan

Hey Margaret!

I'd be happy to explain how syncing works in Dropbox to ensure we're aligned.

When you install the Dropbox desktop app, it creates a local Dropbox folder on your device. This folder acts as a two-way mirror for your online Dropbox content, allowing you to add, edit, or remove files. Any changes made online sync to your local folder, and vice versa. If you choose to sync everything as available offline, that means that your content will be using the Mac's hard drive space.

When setting up your folder, you have two options for saving hard drive space:

Online-only files: You can view and seamlessly open all of your Dropbox content from your computer without them taking up local hard drive space. Files take up no space until you click to open them.
Selective sync: This allows you to choose which specific folders sync to your computer. Unselected folders are completely hidden from the local device to save space.

Based on the screenshots you've shared before, the folders listed under "Hidden from device with selective sync" are unchecked in your selective sync settings. That is why they were removed from your Mac.

To sync your Dropbox content locally, please follow these steps:

Click the Dropbox icon in your menu bar.
Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the bottom-left corner.
Click Preferences.
Click the Sync tab.
Under Selective Sync, click Select folders or Modify.
Check the folders you’d like synced to the device.
- You can uncheck sub-folders, by selecting the top level folder first.
Click Update.

I personally suggest that you sync your content in smaller batches to avoid throttling your internet connection or the application. After that allow the desktop app time to finish syncing all the changes. Once a folder has been synced locally inside your Dropbox folder you can then use our online-only feature. That way the folders and your entire Dropbox structure will be visible in your Mac, but it'll take up 0 hard drive space.

Let me know of any updates!