Some common fixes for the Dropbox Android app

This article contains troubleshooting steps for issues you may encounter on 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 appropriate 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're connected to internet and are still having issues, try signing out and signing back in:

1. Tap Account at the bottom of the screen.
2. Tap Settings.
3. Tap Sign out from Dropbox.

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 100 MB) 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 don't have Dropbox installed on your computer, you can download the application and log 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 Account at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap Settings.
4. 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 Account at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap Settings.
4. Tap Clear recent search history.
   

What if I can’t update to the latest version of the Dropbox Android app?

Some Android users have reported issues updating or auto-updating to new versions of the Dropbox Android app from Google Play.

The Dropbox engineering team is working with Google to help resolve the issue. In the meantime, you should be able to solve the problem by following these steps:

1. Press the Home button on your Android mobile device, or the button at the bottom of the device, second from the right, with a picture of a house on it.
2. Tap the App menu, or the icon with the grid of small squares at the bottom of the screen.
3. Choose Settings from the list of apps.
4. Go to Applications > Manage Applications.
5. Select the All tab.
6. Find the Google Play app in the list of applications.
7. Press Clear Data.
8. Confirm that you are removing all locally stored data from your device (don't worry, this won't affect the apps on your device or your Dropbox).

Google Play should rebuild what it needs when you run it again. Once it does, you will be able to update to the latest version of the Dropbox Android app normally.

How do I resolve overlay issues on the Dropbox Android app?

Overlay issues are usually caused by other applications installed on your Android device. 

To resolve this issue, try disabling the app that's causing the overlay. This will allow you to link your app to Dropbox successfully by pressing the Allow button. You can then re-enable the overlay app.

What if I can’t log in to the Dropbox Android app?

If you're having problems logging in to the Dropbox Android app, or downloading and uploading files once you've logged in, installing the latest version of the app may resolve these problems.