From time to time, Dropbox deletes inactive accounts. If there's no activity on your Dropbox account for an extended period of time, Dropbox will notify you—or the account owner—in an email.
To keep an account active, sign in and we'll know you want to keep it. Or, if you no longer want your account, you can close it.
If you actively use Dropbox but received an email about an inactive account, contact us.
What does inactive mean?
Dropbox determines inactive accounts by looking at sign-ins, file shares, and file activity (adding, editing, or deleting) on any of our platforms (Dropbox or Paper) over the last 12 months. If you have signed in on one of our platforms, or had any file activity on them at any point within the previous 12 months, then your account is considered active.
Keep your account
- What if I received an email about my account, but have been actively using Dropbox?
- I want to keep my account active—what do I need to do?
- I want to continue using my Dropbox account, but I forgot my password. What do I do?
Close your account
- I no longer want my account—do I need to do anything?
- Can I close my account now?
- I want to save my files before closing my account.
- What happens when my account is closed?
Other questions
- I tried to sign in, but got a message that my account doesn't exist. Why?
- I have another question about account closure.
What if I received an email about my account, but have been actively using Dropbox?
If you recently used your Dropbox account, but still received an account-closure email, it's likely that we contacted you about a separate, unused Dropbox (possibly one that you forgot you created). Many of our users have multiple Dropbox accounts, and even the addition or removal of a period ('.') from the email address can indicate a separate account.
I want to keep my account active—what do I need to do?
You can keep your account active by:
- Signing in to the Dropbox app on your computer, the Dropbox mobile app, or dropbox.com
- Using any Dropbox app on your account
- Viewing, adding, editing, or removing files or folders
- Sharing files and folders
I want to continue using my Dropbox account, but I forgot my password. What do I do?
You can reset your password if you’ve forgotten it.
I no longer want my account. Do I need to do anything?
If you no longer want your Dropbox Basic (free) account, you can simply leave it alone. Your account will be automatically deactivated—and your files deleted—90 days after you reach 12 months of inactivity.
Can I close my account now?
If you wish to close your account, you can do so by visiting our account deletion page. You can also read further instructions on closing a Basic (free), Plus, Family, Professional, or Dropbox Business account.
I want to save my files before closing my account
If you installed the Dropbox app on your computer, all your files will remain on your computer once your account closes (unless you used Selective Sync). If not, you can install Dropbox on your computer and sync your files any time before your account closes.
Alternatively, you can sign in to dropbox.com or the Dropbox mobile app and drag your files onto your hard drive or mobile device.
Note: Signing in again will reset the 12-month clock. Once you’ve gotten the files you need you can manually close your account.
What happens when my account closes?
Once your account is closed, any remaining files in your account will be subject to deletion, and you will no longer be able to sign into the account on dropbox.com or any of the devices on which you have installed the Dropbox app. Remember, you'll have 90 days after receiving the first email to sign in to your account before it is closed, and we'll send you multiple reminders along the way.
I tried to sign in, but got a message that my account doesn't exist
The Account doesn't exist message is usually caused by a mistyped or incorrect email address. In other words, the actual email address on your account is different than the one you typed in. If you see this message, first try signing in again. Be sure to check the email address and its spelling.
If this doesn't work, or if you received an email notification from us about an inactive account, it's possible that your account may have already been deactivated. If this is the case, feel free to contact us to learn if your account can be recovered.
I have another question about account closure
If you have another question about account closure, or about the email notification you received, you can contact us. To do so, simply reply to the original account-closure email you received. However, please note that most questions can be answered by reading the sections in this article.
