How to use Dropbox Transfer

Dropbox Transfer is a simple way to send files you don’t need to collaborate on. For example, you might use Dropbox Transfer to send a finished product or contract to a client. 

Dropbox Transfer gives transfer owners more control than sharing a folder because:

• Transfer owners can see the number of times a transfer was viewed or downloaded
• Files shared via a transfer won’t appear in the recipient’s Dropbox folder
• Transfers automatically expire after 7 days
• Recipients can’t edit files within a transfer

When you send a transfer, the recipient will get a link with your name, a list of file names and sizes, and the expiration date of the transfer. Recipients can share the transfer link. A Dropbox account is not required to access or download a transfer.

Note: The size limit of your transfer depends on the plan you have.

• Basic (free): 100MB
• Plus: 2GB
• Professional: 100GB
• Business Standard: 2GB
• Business Advanced, Enterprise, or Education: 100GB

Note: Adding passwords to transfer links is only available to users on a Dropbox Professional, Business Advanced, Enterprise, or Education plan.

How to create a transfer

To create a transfer on dropbox.com:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Transfer.
3. Click Create transfer.
4. You can add files to your transfer one of three ways:
   • Click the plus icon
   • Drag and drop files from your computer
   • Click Add from Dropbox
5. Click Next.
6. Choose your expiration date using the dropdown menu.
   • Transfers are automatically set to expire after 7 days, but Professional, Business Advanced, Enterprise, and Education users have the option to set the transfer to expire in 7, 30, 60, or 90 days
7. Click Next.
8. Click Copy link or Send via email.

To create a transfer from the Dropbox folder on your computer:

1. Open the Dropbox folder on your computer.
2. Right-click the file or folder you’d like to add to the transfer.
3. Click Send with Transfer…
   • To set the expiration date, click the gear icon
   • Dropbox Professional, Business Advanced, Enterprise, and Education: To set a password for your transfer, click the gear icon
   • To add more files, click the plus icon
4. Click Next.
5. Click Copy link or Email transfer to share your transfer link.

Note: You’ll only see Views and Downloads for transfers sent via email.

Dropbox Professional users can create a transfer using an iOS device. To do so:

1. Open the Dropbox app on your iOS device.
2. Tap Create (plus icon).
3. Tap Transfer Files.
4. Tap Add from Dropbox, then select files to add to your transfer.
   • Note: You can’t add folders to a transfer on iOS at this time
5. Tap Set expiration to choose an expiration date.
   • Transfers are automatically set to expire after 7 days, but Professional, Business Advanced, Enterprise, and Education users have the option to set the transfer to expire in 7, 30, 60, or 90 days
   • Dropbox Professional, Business Advanced, Enterprise, and Education: Tap Add password to add a password for your transfer.
6. Tap Continue.
7. Tap Copy link to share your transfer link.

How to customize a transfer

If you are on a Dropbox Professional, Business Advanced, Enterprise, or Education plan, you can change the background of your transfer or add a custom logo. The background and logo you choose will appear on all your transfers, unless you change them again.

To customize your transfers:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Transfer.
3. Click Customize design.
4. Click the dropdown menu next to Choose background or Choose logo to add a background color, background image, or logo.
5. Click Save.

How to delete a transfer

Deleting a transfer removes that transfer from your account and anyone with the link will be unable to view the files. To delete a transfer:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Transfer.
3. Click the ... (ellipsis) icon next to the transfer you want to delete.
4. Click Delete.

Deleted transfers cannot be recovered.

How to see the number of times a transfer was viewed or downloaded

Transfer owners will receive an email notifying them when someone has downloaded their transfer. To see the number of times a transfer was viewed or downloaded:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Transfer.
3. See Visits and Downloads next to each transfer.

How to change the expiration date of a transfer

Expired transfers are no longer accessible to anyone with the link and can’t be resent. To change the expiration date after a transfer has been sent:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Transfer.
3. Click the transfer you want to change.
4. Under Settings, click the arrow below Expiration and choose your desired expiration date.
5. Click Save.

Note: Professional, Business Advanced, Enterprise, and Education users can set an expiration date for up to a year.

How to view expired transfers

If you are the transfer owner and would like to view an expired transfer:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Transfer.
3. Click the Expired tab.

Note: Basic users can't view expired transfers.

How to download files from a transfer

To download files from a transfer to your computer:

1. Open the Dropbox Transfer link.
2. Click the Download button.

The files will be downloaded to your browser’s default download location in a .zip file titled Transfer.

To save files from a transfer to your Dropbox account:

1. Open the Dropbox Transfer link.
2. Click the Save to Dropbox.

The files will be saved to a new folder inside your Dropbox Transfer files folder.

How to manage transfers for your Dropbox Business team

To disable your team's ability to create file transfers:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console.
3. Click Settings.
4. Click Sharing.
5. Next to Sharing files using Dropbox Transfer, toggle to Off.

Existing transfer links will no longer be accessible.

Note: Only team admins can manage this setting—user management and support admins can’t disable transfers.

To view your team’s transfer activity:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console.
3. Click Activity.
4. Filter by the activity you’d like to view.

Note: When a team member is removed from a team, the transfers they created while on the team will be deleted and no longer accessible.