Pause and resume file sync and uploads

If you’d like to stop syncing Dropbox files, you can stop or start sync (we call this Pause or Resume) at any time.

Pause syncing

1. Click the Dropbox icon in your taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
2. In the bottom of the window that appears, there’s a white bar with text that says either Up to date, Syncing [your file name], or Syncing [x] files. Hover over that text.
3. When you hover over that text, it will change to Pause syncing. Click Pause syncing.
4. Click the duration you’d like to pause syncing for. You’ll see a message that says Syncing paused and the time that syncing will resume.

The Dropbox icon in the your taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac) will change if the app is paused.

Resume syncing

1. Click the Dropbox icon in your your taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac).
2. Hover over Syncing paused in the white bar at the bottom of the window that appears.
3. Click Resume syncing.

Not using Dropbox yet? See how Dropbox makes syncing files easy.

What happens when I pause the Dropbox desktop app?

While syncing is paused, any changes you make to the files on your computer won’t sync to dropbox.com, the Dropbox mobile app, or any other devices. Similarly, any changes you make to files on dropbox.com, the Dropbox mobile app, or any other devices won’t sync to your computer.

Note: You may still get notifications about updates made to your files from other devices while syncing is paused.