How to Share Dropbox Files and Folders
Workforces are undergoing a predominant shift. Teams are increasingly going remote or hybrid – a move that has made cloud sharing a necessity for operations.
It’s common for businesses to have a folder full of files that need to be accessed by various people. Thanks to file-sharing services like Dropbox, the recipients will be able to access data without the hassle of downloading the files or folders.
Sharing a Dropbox file or folder is very simple – whether you do it from your computer, mobile, or directly from the browser. Just make sure you grant access to others to view and download the files and folders.
How to Share a Dropbox Folder
Here, we’ll discuss the three common ways of sharing a Dropbox folder, depending on how you access the service – from your laptop or desktop, from the browser, or from your mobile device.
Method One: Sharing a Dropbox Folder on Your Computer
Nearly everyone prefers to share important documents and files from their computer since it‘s a device that they work on. Precisely why we’ll start with this method.
Here’s a step-by-step rundown on how you can share a folder from a folder on your PC.
Step #1 Make sure you already have Dropbox downloaded on your laptop or desktop. If it isn’t, search “Download Dropbox” on your browser and hit the download button.
Step #2 Go to your user folder and click on the Dropbox tab. Choose the folder that you want to share, and then right-click on it.
Step #3 Click on the Share button for the folder.
Step #4 A small dialogue box will appear. In the To section, enter the email address of the person you want to send the folder to. You can also add a note explaining the purpose of sending the folder.
Step #5 Set the permission settings to either open ‘Can edit‘ or ‘Can view.’
Step #6 Click on the Share button again. The recipient will receive a link to the shared Dropbox folder.
Sharing content from your computer is the best method for office-goers – managers as well as employees – to share large folders with their colleagues and clients.
Method Two: Sharing a Dropbox Folder Directly From the Web Browser
If you prefer keeping things simple, you can access Dropbox from the web. In this case, there is no need for you to download the application on your device manually.
Use the following steps to share a Dropbox folder with your team members directly from the browser.
Step #1 Open the web browser and type dropbox.com. Login to your account.
Step #2 Click on All Files on the left-hand side of your screen.
Step #3 Select the folder you want to share and then click on the Share button.
Step #4 In the To section, add the email address of the recipients you want to share the Dropbox folder with.
Step #5 Click on the Share button again. The recipients will receive a link to the shared Dropbox folder.
Step #6 You also have the option to share the link personally by clicking on Create Link and then Copy Link. Once done, paste the copied link anywhere you want, whether in email, instant messages, or text messages.
This method can be helpful for those who don’t have a lot of storage on their devices, but still want to share Dropbox folders.
Method Three: Sharing a Dropbox Folder From a Mobile Phone
Mobile phones are really an indispensable part of our lives. We use it for work, for fun, and for time pass.
So why not use your mobile when sharing Dropbox folders?
Here’s how to do it:
Step #1 Open the Dropbox app. If you don’t have the app on your phone, go to App Store or Google Play and install.
Step #2 Tap on Files at the very bottom of your phone’s screen.
Step #3 Locate the folder you want to share, and tap on the three tiny dots you see directly under it.
Step #4 A menu will pop up. Tap on Share.
Step #5 Add the email addresses of recipients with whom you want to share the Dropbox file. When done, click Share.
Step #6 Again, you can share the link personally via text message or email by clicking on the Create Link and then Copy Link.
We would recommend sharing Dropbox folders through mobile phones for your friends and family.
Of course, there are no hard and fast rules for Dropbox sharing, but doing this will prevent any accidental mix up of your personal stuff with your work files – plus, you won’t have to worry about storage.
But if you think you have extra space and can handle both, then you can definitely go ahead.
How to Share a Dropbox File
Dropbox gives you the facility to sync all your files across all your devices. This makes it relatively easier for you to manage all your data, irrespective of where you are.
Super convenient, right?
Additionally, you may want to share a single file with your colleague, client, or friend instead of the whole folder.
So make sure you do just that.
Read on as we discuss the three different ways in which you can share your files on Dropbox.
Method One: Sharing a File on Your Computer
Your laptop or desktop is always an excellent option to share Dropbox files. Just make sure you know the location of the Dropbox folder where you’ve stored the file(s).
Follow the steps below to start sharing files from Dropbox from your computer.
Step #1 Click on the Dropbox tab on your user folders and select the file you want to share.
Step #2 Right-click on the chosen file. Once the menu appears, select Share.
Step #3 Enter the email address of the recipients that you want to share the file with and finally click Share.
As you might have realized, sharing Dropbox files is pretty similar to sharing folders.
Simple and functional.
Method Two: Sharing a Dropbox File From a Web Browser
Similar to folders, you have the option to directly share your Dropbox files by accessing the service from your web browser.
Make sure all your files are properly synced before you start sharing, though.
Let’s review the steps to share Dropbox files easily:
Step #1 Log in to your Dropbox account.
Step #2 Click on All Files on the left-hand side of your screen.
Step #3 Choose the file that you want to share with your colleagues or friends, and press Share.
Step #4 Enter the email address of the specific people with whom you want to share the file in the To field. Click Share.
Step #5 You also have the option to share the link personally by clicking on Create Link and then Copy Link. Once done, paste the copied link anywhere you want, whether in email, instant messages, or text messages.
And done!
Sharing files and folders on your web browser is easy and fuss-free. No matter how big your file, the recipient will receive it within seconds always.
Method Three: Sharing a File on Your Mobile Device
Whether it’s screenshots, photographs, a copy of a contract, or videos – you can share any file by downloading the Dropbox application for your phone.
Here are the steps to share a Dropbox file on your phone:
Step #1 Open the Dropbox app.
Step #2 Tap on Files at the very bottom of your phone’s screen.
Step #3 Locate the file you want to share, and tap on the three tiny dots you see directly under the file.
Step #4 Tap on Share from the pop-up menu.
Step #5 Add the email addresses of recipients with whom you want to share the Dropbox file and tap Share. If you want to share the link via text message or email, click on Create Link and then Copy Link.
Your recipient will receive the link to view the file.
This feature can be particularly useful if you’re always on the go, giving you the option to stay connected with your work and family – all at the tap of your phone.
Why Isn’t Sharing Folders and Files Working on Dropbox?
Organizing files and folders is super easy with Dropbox.
But just like any other platform, even this file storage platform can be affected by a few technical issues or other problems.
Below, we’ve compiled a few situations, along with their solutions, in case you face any difficulty when sharing a Dropbox file or folder.
Situation 1: A “Request Access” Page Pops Up
If you or the recipients see a Request Access page after you press Share, it’s likely that you or the recipients haven’t received the invite on the right email account.
Or the invite might have been sent to the wrong person.
Precisely why the email address must be typed correctly before hitting Share. Dropbox only grants access to the owner of the specific account that received the invite.
Solution
Simply click on Request Access.
Once the sender approves your request, you’ll be able to view the shared content. In case it’s you who has shared content, you‘ll have to approve the recipients‘ requests.
The other solution is to view the file or folder from the account that received the invite originally.
Situation 2: Recipient Does a Dropbox Account or Isn’t Signed In
You or the recipient will be prompted to either sign in or create a new Dropbox account, whichever fits the scenario, to view the shared content.
Solution
If you don’t have a Dropbox account, signing up is very simple.
All you need is to feed in your email address and verify your account. Then you can view the file or folder.
It’s the same for other recipients – just ask them to create an account on Dropbox.
If you (or the recipient) already have an account, then you’ll have to sign in. This can be done by clicking on the shared link directly.
Situation 3: You’ve Sent Too Many Invites
Dropbox has set a limit on the number of invitations that a user can send in one day to prevent abuse.
Hence, it’s possible that you aren’t able to share the file or folder since you’ve exceeded the limit.
Solution
Postpone sending the data for a day. When 24 hours are up, you can send another invitation.
Situation 4: You Have Way Too Many Files on Your Account
This is a common problem when sharing Dropbox folders.
You see, sharing a folder that contains way too many files isn’t possible.
Solution
After signing into your Dropbox account, click on the All Files option on the left-hand side of the screen.
Find the folder that has a very large number of files, and rename it. Once done, click New Shared Folder (this is located on the right-hand side of the screen).
Click I’d like to create and share a new folder, and then Next.
Type the name of your folder, and then add the email addresses of the recipients with whom you want to share the folder in the To field. Choose Share.
Open the old folder that you wanted to share in the Dropbox app. Copy all the files in this folder.
Open your new shared folder. Paste the files that you had copied from the old folder.
These files will then sync automatically with the shared folder members.
Situation 5: Sharing Was Unsuccessful
When you try to share a file or folder with somebody who doesn’t have permission to view the content, you’ll receive an error message.
This may happen due to two reasons:
- You have a Dropbox Business team that doesn’t allow people who are not a part of the team to view data.
- You‘re on a team that doesn’t permit you to invite other non-team members.
Solution
In both cases, team settings need to be changed to grant access to non-team members to view the content.
If you’re the admin, you’ll have to do this yourself. In case you‘re not, contact the admin to change these settings.
Situation 6: Unfinished Syncing
You won’t be able to share a file or folder from Dropbox that hasn’t finished syncing with your device.
Solution
Just wait until the file or folder finishes syncing, following which you’ll receive a notification from Dropbox. You can then share it by following the steps we discussed above.
You’ll also receive a Dropbox notification in case the syncing fails. If this happens, you can retry syncing.
Wrapping Up
Dropbox has always taken the top spot when it comes to sharing files and folders for professional and personal use. After all, what use would it be to store all your stuff if you can’t share them with your colleagues or friends?
All they have to do is click on a single link, and voila, they’ll be able to access all the files they want!
