Selective sync overview: unsync folders from your desktop
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 remove specific Dropbox folders from your hard drive so you can save space on your computer. You can remove the Dropbox folders from your computer without deleting files; the folders you remove from your hard drive remain stored in your account on dropbox.com.
Note: You can’t remove individual files with selective sync — only folders, which includes the files and folders inside them.
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.
Note: The selective sync preferences you choose are unique to each computer and don’t affect the other computers you use with Dropbox.
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, use this article. 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.
If you're looking to sync Dropbox on Windows, Mac, or Linux, follow the steps below. To choose which Dropbox folders to store on or remove from your computer’s hard drive:
- Open your Dropbox desktop app preferences.
- Click the Dropbox icon 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 the folders you’d like saved on your hard drive. Uncheck the folders you’d like removed.
- Click Update.
- Open your Dropbox desktop app preferences.
- Click the Dropbox icon in your menu bar in the top right corner of your screen.
- 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 the folders you’d like saved on your hard drive. Uncheck the folders you’d like removed.
- Click Update.
- Click the small Dropbox icon, which is typically at the top or bottom of your screen.
- Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the upper-right corner.
- Click Preferences.
- Click the Sync tab.
- Check the folders you’d like saved on your hard drive. Uncheck the folders you’d like removed.
- Click Update.
FAQs about selective sync
What's the difference between selective sync and online-only?
Making your files and folders online-only 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.
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.
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 will not delete your files. Your folder and files will be stored on dropbox.com.
