How to manage your Dropbox desktop app preferences

How to make Dropbox start automatically

You can set up Dropbox to open automatically whenever you start your computer. To do this:

1. Open your Dropbox desktop app preferences (see above).
2. Click the General tab.
3. Turn on Open Dropbox upon startup.

Dropbox must be running on your computer to sync changes between the files on your computer and your Dropbox account.

How to change the Dropbox language

You can choose a different language from your computer’s default operating system language. To do this:

1. Open your Dropbox desktop app preferences (see above).
2. Click the General tab.
3. Select your preferred language from the Language menu.

How to manage your Dropbox accounts

The Account tab lets you manage the Dropbox accounts connected to your desktop app.

You can:

• Sign in to, or out of your Dropbox accounts.
• See which Dropbox plan you’re using.
• View your available storage space.
• Manage two linked Dropbox accounts.
• Switch between linked accounts when both are signed in.

How to manage backups and photo uploads

The Backups tab lets you manage computer backups, external drive backup notifications, and camera uploads.

Manage computer backups

Under This PC or This Mac, you can set up or manage your computer backups.

Manage external drive backup notifications

Choose whether you want to receive notifications about setting up backups when you connect a new external drive.

Enable camera uploads

Under Photos, you can enable camera uploads to automatically upload photos and videos from your phone, camera, memory card, or other supported devices when you connect them to your computer.

Manage photo-import devices

Devices set up for importing photos appear under Devices.

Automatically save screenshots to Dropbox

The Screenshots tab lets you turn on a feature that automatically saves screenshots to your Dropbox account, and copies a link to your clipboard so you can share them.

How to change Dropbox’s network and bandwidth settings

The Network tab lets you control how Dropbox uses your internet connection.

Manage Dropbox bandwidth

Use the Bandwidth settings to control how much bandwidth Dropbox uses.

Connect Dropbox through a proxy

If your network uses a proxy server, you can configure Dropbox to connect through it using the Proxies settings.

Enable LAN Sync

LAN Sync lets Dropbox use your local network when syncing files between computers on the same network.

If your computer is connected to a local area network, enabling LAN Sync can speed up syncing for files stored on that network. LAN Sync can override your bandwidth settings.

How to manage Dropbox notifications

The Notifications tab lets you choose which Dropbox notifications you receive.

Choose which notifications you receive

Under Notify me about, select the types of notifications you want to receive.

Temporarily snooze notifications

Use Snooze notifications to temporarily pause Dropbox notifications for a specific period of time.

How to manage Dropbox sync and storage

The Sync tab lets you control how Dropbox files are stored on your computer and which folders are synced. You can also manage local storage by making files online-only.

Choose how new files are stored.

Under Storage of new files, choose whether newly added Dropbox files are:

• Online-only: Files take up minimal hard drive space and require an internet connection to open.
• Available offline: Files are stored on your computer and can be opened without an internet connection.

Choose which Dropbox folder sync to your computer

Use Select folders to sync to choose which Dropbox folders are stored on your computer.

How to change your Dropbox folder location

On Windows computers, you can use the Dropbox desktop app preferences to move your Dropbox folder to a different location on your computer. To do this:

1. Open your Dropbox desktop app.
2. Navigate to Preferences.
3. Click the Sync tab.
4. Find Dropbox folder location.
5. Follow the instructions to move your Dropbox folder.

On Mac computers using the updated Dropbox experience, you can no longer move the Dropbox folder.

How to find your Dropbox desktop app version

You can find the version of Dropbox installed on your computer in the About Dropbox section.

1. Open your Dropbox desktop app.
2. Navigate to Preferences.
3. Click the General tab.
4. Find About Dropbox.

You may need your Dropbox version if you contact Dropbox Support, or check whether you’re using the latest version of Dropbox.

How to manage your Dropbox badge

The Dropbox badge can appear when you open Microsoft Office files.

To change when the badge appears:

1. Open your Dropbox desktop app.
2. Navigate to Preferences.
3. Click the General tab.
4. Under Dropbox badge, choose whether to:
   • Show the badge whenever you open a Microsoft Office file.
   • Show the badge only when other people are viewing the file.
   • Never show the badge.

How to manage your account-wide Dropbox settings

The Dropbox desktop app preferences covered in this article are device-specific. If you want to change settings that apply to your Dropbox account across devices:

1. Log in to Dropbox.com 
2. Click your avatar in the bottom-left corner.
3. Click Settings.

Account-wide settings include, but aren’t limited to:

• Profile information
• Password and security
• Notifications
• Connected apps
• Plan and billing information
• Other account preferences

For more information, see How to manage Dropbox account settings.