FAQs about modified dates for files and folders

Updated Mar 22, 2024

This article describes a feature available to all Dropbox users on dropbox.com.

The modified date of a file or folder represents the last time that file or folder was updated. If you’re having trouble with the modified dates of your files or folders, check out these frequently-asked questions.

How do I view the modified date of a file or folder?

Log in to dropbox.com.
Click the name of the file you’d like to see information about.
- If you’ve opened the preview in Full screen, click File.
Click File info.
A window will appear showing you when the file was last modified.

Note: You can also organize files by their modification date. To do so, click Modified at the top of the list of files. If you don’t see Modified, hover over the Name heading, then click the down arrow and click Modified. Click Modified again to toggle between oldest and most recent modifications.

Open the Dropbox folder in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
Right-click on the file or folder and select Properties for Windows or Get Info for Mac.

Note: The Dropbox mobile app displays the modified dates of files but not of folders.

iOS:

Open the Dropbox app.
Tap Files.
Tap "..." (ellipsis) next to the filename.
The modified date appears under the filename.

Android:

Open the Dropbox app.
Tap the menu button at the top left (marked by three horizontal lines).
Tap Files.
The modified date appears under the filename.

How do I organise files by their modification date?

You can organize files by their modification date. To do so:

Log in to dropbox.com.
Click Modified at the top of the list of files. It will become bold.
- If you don’t see Modified, hover over the Name heading. Then, click the down arrow and click Modified.
Click the arrow directly to the right of Modified to switch between viewing files by oldest and most recent modification date.

Which changes affect the modified date of a file?

A file’s modified date will update on all devices and dropbox.com if you edit the file in your Dropbox account or another user edits the file in a shared folder.

In some cases, like the ones listed below, a file’s modified date will change only on the device it’s edited on and won’t be synced to other devices.

If you download a file from dropbox.com to a device, the file’s modified date on that device will change to the time it was downloaded but won’t sync with other devices.
If you manually change a file’s modified date on the Dropbox desktop app without editing the file’s content, the file’s modified date on that device will change to the time you set but won’t sync with other devices.

Note: A file’s modified date won't change if you change the online-only/available offline status of the file.

Will Dropbox preserve the modified date of a file or folder if I upload or download it to my account?

To preserve the modified date of a file, upload or download the file using the Dropbox desktop app.

Note: A file’s modified date won't be preserved if the file is uploaded or downloaded using dropbox.com or a mobile device.

Why is the modified date of my folder different across devices?

The following actions could result in conflicting modified dates:

You download the folder from dropbox.com to a device. The folder’s modified date on that device will change to the time it was downloaded (or edited) but won’t sync with other devices.
You change the online-only/available offline status of the folder on a device. The folder’s modified date on that device will change to the time of the update, but won’t sync with other devices.
You manually change the folder’s modified date on the Dropbox desktop app without making edits to the folder. The folder’s modified date on that computer will change to the time you set but won’t sync with other devices.