Admins: How to delete a member from a Dropbox team

If someone leaves your organization, you can suspend or delete their account. You can also convert their account to an individual Dropbox account.

Compare your options: Suspend, delete, or convert the account

Before you delete a team member

Deleting a member immediately removes access to their team account. This includes files, folders, and Paper docs.

Before you confirm the deletion:

1. Make sure that deletion is the right action.
   • If you only need to temporarily stop access, consider suspending the account.
2. Create a legal hold, if needed.
   • Legal holds can only be created before deleting a member. 
   • You can’t place legal holds on deleted team members.
3. Choose where the member’s content goes.
   • Decide who you’ll transfer the member’s files to, during deletion or later on.
4. Choose whether to remove files from the member’s devices.
   • Decide whether to delete content from the member’s connected devices the next time those devices come online.
5. Understand license availability.
   • You can reuse the license after deleting the member’s account.

How to delete a Dropbox team member

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials.
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Click Members.
4. Click More next to the member you want to remove.
5. Click Delete.
   • If your team is in locked state, you can’t delete the member using this option. See how to disconnect team members in locked state.
6. Under Transfer this member’s file content to another team member?, choose Transfer now or Transfer later.
   • If you choose Transfer now, enter the recipient’s name or email address.
   • If you choose Transfer later, you can arrange a transfer after deletion, subject to the applicable transfer and version-history limits.
7. Under Delete content from this member’s devices next time they come online?, select Yes or No.
8. Click Continue.
9. Review any activity information or confirmation prompt displayed for an active member.
10. Click Delete account to confirm.

What happens after you delete a team member?

After deletion:

• The member immediately loses access to their team account, including files, folders, and Paper docs.
• Dropbox stops syncing files to their computers and mobile devices.
• The member receives an email notifying them that their account has been deleted.
• Shared links with view or edit access created by the member remain active.
• You can reuse the member’s license and invite someone else to the team.

How file transfer works

You can transfer the deleted member’s files and folders to another team member. The transfer can include existing files and folders, deleted files, ownership of shared folders, and certain app data.

You can transfer a deleted member’s files only once, and the transfer must take place within the applicable version history period. Once that period has expired, the files may no longer be recoverable or transferable.

For the full process and limitations, see How to transfer a deleted team member’s files.

What happens to files on the member’s devices?

During deletion, you can choose whether Dropbox should delete the member’s files from their devices the next time those devices come online. Choose this option according to your organization’s security requirements.

Can I restore a deleted team member?

If you accidentally delete a team member, you may be able to restore their account within seven days. 

Learn how to restore a deleted team member and check restoration eligibility.

Can I delete my own account from the team?

No. If you’re a team admin, you must first make another team member an admin. Then, the new admin can remove you from the team.

Can team members delete their own accounts?

No. Team members should contact their team admin to request removal. 

Learn more about leaving a Dropbox team account.

What if my team is in locked state?

If your team is in locked state, you can’t delete a member through the usual deletion process. Instead, you can disconnect the member. This converts their account to the Dropbox Basic plan.

When you disconnect a member in locked state:

• You can’t transfer their files and folders to another team member as part of the disconnection.
• Eligible files and folders are transferred to the member’s new Dropbox Basic account.
• The member’s access to team content changes according to the rules for conversion to an individual account.

Learn more about disconnecting team members in locked state.