How to join a Dropbox team

You may receive an invitation from a Dropbox team admin or a prompt from Dropbox suggesting that you join a team.

Joining a team is optional, and it can change how your existing account and files are managed.

Before you join a Dropbox team

If you join using your existing Dropbox account, your account transfers to the team and your existing files may become accessible to your team’s admin. The other option is to create a new Dropbox account with a separate email and password, described below.

Before you continue to join a Dropbox team, review the following:

• Your existing files:
  • You can choose to transfer your existing files to the team account, or keep them separate by creating a new personal Dropbox account for those files.
  • You’ll get the option to keep your personal Dropbox account separate. After clicking Join Team from your invite email, you’ll be asked Do you have files the [Team Name] admin shouldn’t access?:
    • Select Yes to use a new email address and create a password.
    • Select No to keep your existing Dropbox account, which will join the team.
• Admin access:
  • If you transfer your existing files to the team, your admin can access, view, share, and delete those files.
• Leaving the team:
  • You can’t leave an active Dropbox team without help from an admin. Learn more about leaving a Dropbox team.
  • Your admin can also choose to delete your team account.
• Your existing subscription:
  • Certain individual subscriptions will end upon joining a team. 
  • Refund eligibility depends on how you purchased your subscription.

Not sure whether to join?

To learn more about your options and what happens to your existing files and account when you join a team, see Why am I being prompted to join a Dropbox team account?

How to accept an invitation from a team admin

If a Dropbox team admin has invited you by email, follow these steps to join their team:

1. Open the invitation email. 
   • The subject line will be similar to “You’re invited to join the [Dropbox Team Name] team on Dropbox.”
2. Click the invitation link.
3. Log in to dropbox.com with your existing Dropbox account, or create a new account.
   • You may need to verify your email address before continuing.
4. Click Join team.
5. Follow the prompts to transfer your existing account to the team, or create a new Dropbox account for your existing files.

If you don’t want to join with your existing account

• Instead of transferring your existing account, you can ask the team admin to cancel the invitation and resend it to a different email address associated with the account you want to use.
• You can also ask the admin whether it’s possible to access the required files or folders without joining the team.

How to respond to a prompt to join a Dropbox team

Dropbox may prompt you to request to join a team when you open a file or folder shared by a team admin. This can happen when Dropbox detects that you frequently collaborate with that team.

You can either:

• Request to join the team, or
• Continue to the shared content without joining.

To request to join the team

1. Click the link to the shared file or folder.
2. Log in to dropbox.com with your existing Dropbox account, or create a new account.
   • You may need to verify your email address before continuing.
3. Click Send request to join the Dropbox team account.
4. Click Got it to confirm that your request was sent.

To open the shared file or folder without joining

If you only want to access the content that was shared with you:

1. Open the link to the file or folder.
2. When the prompt appears, click Open file.

You’ll continue using your existing Dropbox account independently of the team. Your access will be limited to the shared content available to you, and your account will retain its existing storage allowance.

What happens to your existing Dropbox subscription?

If you join a Dropbox team by transferring an eligible Dropbox Plus or Professional account to a Dropbox Standard, Advanced, or Enterprise team, your individual subscription will end immediately.

• Any remaining eligible credit will be refunded to the original payment method.
  • You can check your account payments page to review the refund.
• If the automatic refund can’t be processed, Dropbox will notify you by email.

If you purchased your subscription through the Apple App Store or Google Play:

• You aren’t eligible for a refund through the Dropbox team-joining process.
• You must cancel the subscription separately through the relevant store.

Learn more about canceling your Dropbox subscription on a mobile device.

What if I don’t want to join the team?

You don’t have to accept a team invitation or request to join a team.

If you decline or bypass the invitation:

• Your Dropbox account remains independent of the team.
• You continue using your existing storage allowance.
• You can collaborate on files or folders specifically shared with you, if you’ve been granted the appropriate permissions.

If you need access to more team content, ask the team admin to share the relevant files or folders with you.

What if I joined a Dropbox team by mistake?

Contact an admin and explain that you joined unintentionally. Ask about converting your team account to an individual account and what will happen to your files.

Learn about leaving a Dropbox team and the available account options.

Can multiple Dropbox teams work together?

Yes! If you’re interested in multi-team membership, learn about Dropbox workspaces.