Some common fixes for the Dropbox Android app

Why won't my files open?

If you can't open files saved in your Dropbox on the Android app, it could be because the file is corrupted. Try viewing the file in a third-party application to find out if there's an issue with the actual file:

1. Open the Dropbox app and navigate to the file.
2. Tap on the arrow to the right of the file.
3. Scroll up and select Export.
4. Choose an approriate app to open your file in (for example, if you're exporting a photo file, choose a photo viewing app).

If you cannot view the file in another app, your file may be corrupted. If this is the case, you will not be able to view the file in the Dropbox app.

What if I can't open, preview, upload, or download a file on the Dropbox Android app?

The Dropbox Android app requires an internet connection to open, preview, and upload or download files. If you can't complete one of these actions, verify that you have a strong WiFi or data connection and try reloading your file.

If you are connected to internet and still having issues, try signing out and signing back in:

1. Tap the menu icon (horizontal lines) in the top left and then Settings.
2. Tap Sign out from Dropbox.

Note: In December 2021, we deleted the albums feature from the Android app. This change didn’t remove photos or videos you’ve uploaded to the app. You can still find your uploaded photos and videos in the Photos tab or at dropbox.com/photos.  

Is my download or upload failing due to file size?

You may encounter issues downloading large files from the Dropbox app on your mobile device. Unfortunately our mobile clients do not have a "resume download" feature, so large files (usually those larger than 100MB) may not download properly. This is especially true over a mobile connection, where connectivity can be intermittent.

If an upload is failing on your mobile device, you can try uploading the file via the Dropbox desktop application on your computer. The Dropbox desktop application can handle files and folders of any size and any amount of files and folders. If you do not have Dropbox installed on your computer, you can download the application and sign into your Dropbox account.

How do I cancel an upload?

1. Navigate to the file.
2. Tap on the arrow to the right of the filename.
3. Select Cancel.
4. Repeat with any other files you'd like to stop uploading.

I seem to have a caching issue—what should I do?

Caching issues can be cleared by reinstalling the Dropbox Android app, but you can also manually clear your cache:

1. Open the Dropbox app.
2. Tap the menu icon (horizontal lines) in the top left and then Settings.
3. Scroll down to the Advanced features section and tap Clear Cache.

How do I clear my search history?

1. Open the Dropbox app.
2. Tap the menu icon (horizontal lines) in the top left and then Settings.
3. Tap Clear recent search history.