How to change the owner of a shared folder

By default, you’re the owner of any shared folders you create, unless you create a folder inside someone else’s shared folder. However, you can transfer ownership to someone else by changing the parent folder's sharing permissions.

Transferring ownership of the folder will not transfer the ownership of the shared links. View-only shared links are tied to the person who originally created the link. One of the remaining members will need to create a new link to share individual files in the folder.

Note: View-only shared links for web-based files (online-only files like Paper docs or Google Sheets) will remain active.

Learn more about a shared folder owner’s permissions.

Not using Dropbox yet? See how Dropbox helps you effortlessly share files and folders.

Change the owner of a shared folder

To change the owner of a shared folder:

On dropbox.com:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com.
2. Hover over the folder you’d like to transfer ownership for and click the “…” (ellipsis).
   • Note: You can only transfer ownership of a parent folder. If you want to transfer ownership of a folder inside another folder, you must do so at the parent folder level.
3. Click Share.
4. Click Share with Dropbox. 
5. Click [x] people have access.
6. Click the dropdown arrow next to the person you’d like to make the owner.
7. Select Make owner.

On the Dropbox desktop app:

1. Open the Dropbox folder in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
   
2. Right-click or control-click the correct folder and select Share….
3. Click the dropdown arrow next to the person you’d like to make the owner.
4. Select Make owner.

On the Dropbox mobile app:

1. Open the Dropbox mobile app.
   
2. Tap the “⁝” (vertical ellipsis on Android) or “…” (ellipsis on iPhone/iPad) next to the correct folder.
3. Tap Share.
4. Tap Folder settings.
5. Tap the area below [x] members.
6. Tap the name of the person you’d like to make the owner.
7. Tap Make owner.

Note: If you’re changing the owner of a parent folder with subfolders, the parent folder and all subfolders inside of it will be transferred to the new owner. Read more FAQs about shared folders.

Transfer a folder with no owner

If the owner of a shared folder leaves your team without transferring ownership first, the shared folder will be without an owner. 

If you can contact the original owner and they still have access to the folder, ask them to transfer ownership to you.

If you don’t know who the original owner was or you can’t contact them, you can copy the files into a new folder and re-invite members.

Learn how to find the owner of a shared folder.