Dropbox Rewind FAQs

Dropbox Rewind is a tool that lets you take a folder or your entire account back to a specific point in time. It’s most useful when recovering lots of changes at once in instances like major data losses.

Will Dropbox Rewind affect members of my shared folders?

Yes, any changes made during the rewind will be reflected for all shared folder members.

What if I want a few changes back after the rewind?

If you want a few file changes back, you have two options:

• If you want deleted files back, view your Deleted files page and restore what you want to recover
• If you want a different version of a file back, view the version history of that file and restore the correct version

Can I rewind outside of my version history? 

Dropbox Rewind is unable to rewind changes outside of your version history. You can extend your version history with one of our add-ons.

What if I don’t see the correct files or folders?

If you don’t see the correct files or folders after a rewind, your content may be one of the following types of files that Dropbox Rewind is unable to restore:

• Permanently deleted files or folders 
• Files or folders that have View only permission
  • We recommend you contact the file owner to get Can edit permission and then rewind again
• Unshared folders
  • Contact support for help with unshared folders

Why are my files still encrypted? 

Your files may still be encrypted if:

• The restored files haven’t synced to your device from dropbox.com
• You haven’t signed back in on your device after logging out
• You didn’t delete your Dropbox folder before logging back into your device so it’s re-uploading the encrypted files

We recommend you clean your device and rewind again to a point in time before the encryption. Learn more about what to do if your files have been encrypted.

Can I restore files or folders to a new location? 

Dropbox Rewind can only restore files or folders to their existing locations. 

Why is there a number in parenthesis after my filename?

You may see a number, such as “(1)” or “(2)”, in a filename if you:

• Make changes to a file while Dropbox is restoring it
• Add another file with the same filename while Dropbox is restoring it

The version that Dropbox restored will have a number in the filename to preserve your edits. You can compare both versions of the file and delete the one you don't need.

Using Dropbox Rewind with Dropbox Business

Can I rewind a team folder?

By default, only admins can use Dropbox Rewind. If you’re a team member and don’t see the option to rewind a team folder, contact your admin.

Can I rewind more than one team folder at a time?

No. To rewind multiple team folders, you must open each one and rewind it separately.

Will everybody see the changes if I rewind a team folder?

Yes, if you rewind a team folder, all members will see the same files revert to older versions.

Can I rewind all my team folders at once?

No one, including admins, can rewind all of your team folders at once or content that they don’t have access to. If you’re an admin and need to rewind all of your team folders at once or content you don’t have access to, contact Dropbox support.