Selective sync overview: Sync or unsync folders from your desktop

Q: What's the difference between selective sync and online-only?

<a href="/content/dropbox/www/en-us/help/sync/make-files-online-only.html" target="_blank">Making your files and folders online-only</a> also helps save hard drive space. These files and folders will still be visible from your computer, but are stored in your Dropbox account online. Based on how you use certain files and folders, they can automatically be set to online-only.

Q: What's the difference between selective sync and ignoring a file?

With selective sync, you can choose which folders you’d like to store on your computer’s hard drive from all of the folders you have stored in your Dropbox account. If you set a file or folder to be ignored by Dropbox, it won’t count toward your storage space. <a href="/content/dropbox/www/en-us/help/sync/ignored-files.html" target="_blank">Learn how to set a Dropbox file or folder to be ignored</a>.

Q: How can I remove a Dropbox folder from my computer without deleting files?

Using selective sync, you can uncheck a folder for it to be removed from your computer hard drive, but it won't delete your files. Your folder and files will be stored on dropbox.com.

Updated May 08, 2025

This feature is available to all Dropbox users, including those on Dropbox Basic.

What is selective sync?

Selective sync is a feature in the Dropbox desktop app that allows you to add or remove Dropbox folders from your hard drive to save space on your computer without deleting the files themselves. You can check or uncheck folders in the Dropbox desktop app to determine whether the files are saved to your hard drive or just stored in your Dropbox account.

Learn how to install the Dropbox desktop app.

Notes:

You can only select folders with selective sync, which include the files and folders nested inside of them. You can’t select individual files to include or remove.
The selective sync preferences you choose are unique to each computer and don’t affect other computers you use with Dropbox.

How does selective sync work?

Selective sync lets you choose which folders you’d like to store on your computer’s hard drive from all of the folders you have stored in your Dropbox account.

If you check a folder, that folder and the files and folders inside it are saved to your hard drive.
If you uncheck a folder, that folder and the files and folders inside it are removed from your hard drive, and are only stored on dropbox.com.

Who can use selective sync?

This feature is available to all Dropbox users, including those on the free Basic plan.

If you’re a member of a Dropbox team account and you’d like to manage selective sync settings on your computer, follow the instructions in the section below. If you’re an admin of a Dropbox team account, learn how to manage your team’s default selective sync settings.

How to use selective sync on Windows, Mac, or Linux

Note: To use selective sync, you’ll need to have the Dropbox desktop app installed on your device.

To manage which of your Dropbox folders are saved to your computer’s hard drive, follow the steps for your operating system below.

Click ☑ (Dropbox) in your taskbar.
Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the top-right corner.
Click Preferences.
Click the Sync tab.
Under Selective Sync (Windows), click Modify.
Check or uncheck the folders you’d like to save or remove on your hard drive.
Click Update.

Click ☑ (Dropbox) in your menu bar.
Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the top-right corner.
Click Preferences.
Click the Sync tab.
Under Select folders to sync to this Mac (Mac), click Modify.
Check or uncheck the folders you’d like to save or remove on your hard drive.
Click Update.

Click ☑ (Dropbox) in the tray.
Click Preferences.
Click Selective sync….
Select folders to add or remove from your hard drive:
- Check the box beside any folders you want to sync.
- Uncheck the box beside any folders you want to unsync.
Click OK.