How to join a shared folder

When you’re invited to a shared Dropbox file or folder, you will receive a notification on dropbox.com, in the Dropbox apps, and by email.
 

If you’re invited to a shared folder, you can join that folder to access its contents. The shared folder also syncs with other members’ Dropbox accounts. The person who shared the folder with you may have given you either editor or viewer permissions.
 

If you're a member of a Dropbox team, some personal folders that are shared with you by other teammates will automatically be added to your Dropbox account. A folder will only be automatically added if the following criteria are met:

• You and the person who shared the folder are on the same team
• You and the folder owner are on the same team
• The folder contains less than 10,000 files
• The folder is smaller than 100 MB
• The folder is shared with less than 100 people

Not using Dropbox yet? See how Dropbox helps you effortlessly share folders.

How to join a shared folder on Dropbox

When you’re invited to a shared folder, you can access it by joining the folder.

How to join a shared folder through the Sharing tab

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Home in the left navigation bar.
3. Click Shared in the left sidebar.
4. Find the shared folder you want to access. 
5. Hover over the folder you’d like to join and select Join folder.

How to join a shared folder from your notifications on dropbox.com

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click the notification icon (bell) in the bottom-left corner.
3. Click Join folder under the shared folder you want to access.

How to request access to a shared folder on Dropbox

If you click a shared folder invite and you're directed to request access, the folder owner may not yet have given you access. For example, someone who received a shared folder invite may have forwarded that invite to you.

How to request to join a folder

1. Click the invitation link that you received.
2. Click Request access.
   • If you have more than one Dropbox account, select which account you'd like to join with.

Your request will be sent to the folder owner, and you'll be notified if the owner accepts your request.

How to add a shared file to your account

When you receive a shared file, you can open it through the email invite or your notifications on dropbox.com by clicking the bell icon in the bottom-left corner. You can also preview the file on dropbox.com. 

Like previews, shared files don’t take up space in your account unless you save a copy of the file to your Dropbox account.

How to see all of the files you were invited to

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Home in the left navigation bar.
3. Click Shared in the left sidebar.
4. Choose the Files tab. 
   • From here, you can see all of the files you were invited to. 
5. Click a file to preview it.

If a file was shared with you through a link, it won’t appear on the Shared page.