“Sign in as user” FAQs for team members

This article discusses a feature that is only available to Dropbox teams on an Advanced or Enterprise plan.

Learn more about the different types of Dropbox plans for teams. 

If you're a non-admin member of a Dropbox team account, your admin can sign in to your account to view or locate a file, or to restore a missing file that other members of your team are collaborating on.

What exactly can an admin do in my account?

Sign in as user allows admins to:

  • View a team member's folder structure
  • Share files and folders with others
  • View, open, and download files
  • Delete files, or restore deleted files
  • View Paper docs and folders
  • Share docs and folders with other users
  • Move Paper docs and folders
  • Restore archived Paper docs
  • Permanently delete Paper docs

If you need help changing a setting on your account—for example, resetting a password—you should direct your admin to manage this using the admin console.

How do I know when an admin has accessed my account?

If your admin has accessed your Dropbox team account using the Sign in as user feature, you may receive a notification email. However, it is at your admin's discretion whether to send this email. If you have further questions or concerns, please check with your admin.

I linked my personal and work accounts—will my admin have access to both?

No, they won’t. If you’re a team member and you linked your personal and work Dropbox accounts, Sign in as user doesn’t allow your admin to open and access your linked personal account. However, they can view the name and email address of your linked personal account.

Can I prevent my admin from signing in to my team account?

No, team members can't disable this feature. If you have concerns about security or content in your Dropbox account, you should speak with your admin about the policies at your organization.

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