Dropbox Sync Mac Desktop

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We all know that Dropbox magically syncs across all our devices.

SyncMate allows you to sync data between Dropbox and Mac automatically. Set the required sync parameters once and they will be applied during further sync processes. Click on the icon and then click the gear icon in the lower-right corner of the Dropbox window and click Preferences. In Preferences, click the Accounts tab and then the Change Settings button for.

But what if you only want to sync some of your files?

Dropbox is adding new syncing capabilities to its Mac app, to extend the feature beyond folders to documents, downloads, and desktop. As reported by 9to5Mac. Dropbox on the Mac has slowly been expanding its feature set and how it works, and today, the latest beta adds the option to sync your documents, downloads, and desktop.

Say you have huge media files on your desktop and don’t want them to automatically download to your laptop. Can you exclude them from syncing?

Yes you can!

Let’s dive in.

What is Dropbox Selective Sync?

Dropbox’s Selective Sync feature gives you the option to delete folders from your desktop hard drive and still have them saved on your cloud storage.

Everyone has this feature available, even the users on the free plan.

If you haven’t used Dropbox’s desktop app before, you’ve got to know that after you install it, you get a Dropbox folder on your computer that is synced with your cloud storage.

That means anything you move into that folder also goes into your online account.

Selective Sync comes in clutch for people having issues with space on their hard drive.

Unchecking folders using the feature will delete them from your computer, making up space for your new files. Germany others.

Keep in mind that you can only select folders and not individual files.

When you select a folder with Selective Sync, you get rid of the folder and everything inside of it.

One more thing you need to know before you start deleting folders left and right is that your Selective Sync settings are different for each computer you use.

That means you always have to check if everything’s okay before proceeding to use it from a new computer.

Now let’s get into how to set up your Selective Sync and the different sync statuses you might encounter while using it.

How to Set up Dropbox Selective Sync

The option is already there for you. Now it’s time to learn how to use it and how to check and uncheck folders with your Selective Sync.

We know it might be a little nerve-wracking to delete folders from your computer using a feature you haven’t used before.

That’s why we’ll break this down into steps so you can finish the process fast and easy.

#1 You need to install the Dropbox desktop app to use the Selective Sync feature

Assuming you already have that done, let’s proceed to the next step.

#2 Click your Dropbox icon / folder

Dropbox

For Windows that will be on your system tray.

And for Mac that will be in your menu bar.

Done? Great!

#3 Click your avatar picture

You can find that on the top right corner of the menu that just popped up.

After you click on your profile image, you’ll see a dropdown menu.

#4 Go to Preferences

After you do this, you’ll get another window with all the preferences changes you can make.

#5 Click the Sync button

Then you’ll find yourself in the Dropbox Sync preferences window where things will be a little different for Windows and Mac users.

#6 Click the Selective Sync button

Windows users will see it as Selective Sync and Mac users will see it as Choose Folders.

Both buttons do the same, so let’s jump to the next step where you’ll see all the folders you currently have in your Dropbox account.

#7 Select the which folders to stay and which must go

Mentioning again that Selective Sync can only be used for folders and not individual files.

That’s the reason you’ll be seeing folders only in the menu that just popped up.

You should be seeing a checkmark on the left side of each folder.

If a folder is checked, that means it is saved both on your computer and on your Dropbox account.

If you wish to remove a folder from your hard drive but keep it in your cloud storage, then you should uncheck it.

It should look something like this.

In the image above, you can see that the “Budget Reports (2015-2016)” folder is unchecked.

That means it is only stored in the Dropbox account and is currently not on the hard drive of the desktop computer.

All of the other folders are both on the computer and in the cloud storage space of the account.

And now for the final step…

#8 Click Update and you’re done

You can use this step-by-step process anytime you need to update your syncing preferences.

The process is easy to remember and easy to complete.

But before we move on to the common problems you might face when using the Selective Sync feature, there’s one last thing you need to know.

After you’ve unchecked specific folders, using the process we just shared with you, the best practice is to go in your online Dropbox account and check the status of these folders.

You can’t see the status of your folders on your desktop app as they are already gone.

After you go into your account, find the folders you just unchecked and make sure their status is fine.

These are the tags you might see next to your folders.

#1 Local — This folder is both saved in your hard drive and your dropbox.com account

This will be illustrated with a color-filled green check mark.

#2 Syncing or Updating — This folder is currently updating

Dropbox Sync Mac Desktop App

This will be illustrated with a blue reloading circle.

#3 Online Only — This folder is selected to online-only or local

This option is more into the Smart Sync feature and it can only be used by clients using paid plans like Dropbox Plus, Professional, or Business Plans.

This tag will be illustrated with a grey cloud.

#4 Mixed — This folder contains both folders selected to local only and online only.

This will be illustrated with a green outline, filled with white check mark.

Now that you know what to look for when using the Selective Sync feature, let’s move on to the common problems that might occur when using it and how to fix them quickly.

Common Problems with Dropbox Selective Sync

People often encounter one of 3 common problems when using the Selective Sync option that Dropbox offers.

These problems are easy to fix so if you are currently facing one, don’t worry, just follow the steps below and you’ll be good in minutes.

A quick overview of the common problems. Scroll to the one that fits your situation best.

  1. Your folders have “Selective Sync conflict” in their names
  2. ’Performing initial sync with server… Please wait’
  3. Selective Sync preferences wouldn’t update

#1 Your folders have “Selective Sync conflict” in their names

This problem is both easy to fix and harmless even if you don’t fix it.

Dropbox Sync Windows

What do I mean by that? Gmail iphone app not syncing.

Selective Sync conflict occurs when you create 2 folders with the same name located in the same place and try to sync them.

Here’s an example of how that can happen:

How Do I Get Dropbox To Sync On My Mac

You create a folder named “Accounting”. You then use the selective sync preferences and uncheck this folder so it only remains in your cloud storage space.

Keep in mind you’ll not be seeing this folder on your desktop app until you check it again.

Later on, you create a new folder called “Accounting” and save it in the same place as the other one.

On your desktop app, you’ll be seeing only one of them (the new one) but on your online account, you’ll see the old folder with the “selective sync conflict” in its name.

This is nothing to worry about as you can erase that issue in a couple of ways.

One is to rename the older folder to something like “Accounting November” so it doesn’t match with the new one.

If you don’t mind it, you can even let it be as it is. This will not ruin any of your files. The only difference it makes is the name of the older folder.

And of course, you can also combine all the files into a single new folder and call it “Accounting”.

To prevent this from ever happening again, you can check your online account every time you create a new folder so you know whether you have a copy of it already.

#2 ’Performing initial sync with server… Please wait’

This is another easy to fix issue that shocks most users that are new to Dropbox’s desktop app.

The first time you download the Dropbox desktop app on your computer, you’ll have to wait until your folders and files sync with your online account.

There are two reasons your Dropbox indexing might not have finished yet.

It is normally a quick process that you can just wait out. If it’s currently syncing your files then you must be seeing a blue rotating mark on your Dropbox icon.

If you don’t see the rotating icon then you probably paused the process by accident when first opening your Dropbox app.

If that’s the case then first, you must click Cancel on the ’Performing initial sync with server… Please wait’ error you got to dismiss it.

Then go to your desktop icon on your desktop tray for Windows or menu bar for Mac.

You’ll see a Syncing paused on the bottom of the white bar that will appear.

Simply click resume syncing so you can finish the process and use Selective Sync on demand.

You’ll need to wait it out again and if you have a lot of files that might take a while.

If you’re new to Dropbox this should take a couple of seconds and then you’ll be able to use the Selective Sync feature freely.

#3 Selective Sync preferences wouldn’t update

As with any app, Dropbox might not update your preferences if you’re doing something wrong.

That is only to protect you from damaging your precious files and folders.

For this problem the reason might be one of three:

  • Symlinks or Referenced files are in use
  • You are running low on hard drive space
  • You’re currently using the files or folders you’re trying to sync

Symlinks or Referenced files are in use.

The best way to ensure you don’t face these issues is to never use referenced files methods.

Don’t add symlinks, junction points, or networked folders to your Dropbox folder because it will lead to high CPU usage, slow or impossible syncing performance, and many other problems.

Just don’t use them and you’ll be fine in the long run.

You are running low on hard drive space.

As the name of the issue suggests, you might be running low on hard drive space.

To make sure everything’s okay, just go to your computer storage and see if your hard drive is full.

For Windows, you go to any folder and then click Computer on the left menu of the folder.

Primeline driver download for windows. You’ll see all of your main disks and how much space each one has left before it is full.

If you see one of your disks in red, that means you will need to delete some files to make space for the syncing process of your Dropbox files.

For Mac just find your drive and click on get info to see all the additional info including how much space you’ve used and currently have free.

And again, if there’s a warning for being to close to your maximum or you just see that you’ve got only a couple of hundred MBs left, you should probably free up some space.

You’re currently using the files or folders you’re trying to sync.

I’m sure you’ve seen this issue on your desktop when trying to delete a folder or file that’s currently running in the background.

You must fully close the files and folders you wish to selective sync before completing the process.

You might also need to close them from each device that currently has access to your Dropbox account.

Remember that even if you have opened a single file that is stored in the folder you wish to sync, the problem will occur again and again.

Close everything to update your Selective Sync preferences without any issues.

This guide showed you how to safely use (and fix) Dropbox Selective Sync.

We went over the benefits and the problems that Selective Sync has.

Even if you’re a completely new Dropbox user, you can count on the process in this post as it is made to be as simple as possible.

Save this post so you can always share it with your relatives, friends, and colleagues that might want to use Selective Sync on their Dropbox account or maybe fix an issue they are currently facing.

Dropbox is one of the best and first cloud storage providers on the market. You can search for your folders, files, and storage on the Dropbox website. Dropbox is a simple and one of the most reliable file-syncing storage service providers with features like collaboration, cloud storage, compatibility, security, privacy, etc.

But if you are looking for a quicker alternative, they also offer a desktop app that will ease your file management process.

Dropbox Desktop App

With the desktop app, you can work directly in Windows Explorer or File Explorer to edit, open, move, copy, share, and print Dropbox files.

In early 2019 Dropbox released its new desktop version, which now consists of overall improvements to the Dropbox system, tray, and menu bar. A new desktop app, and a Dropbox folder in file explorer and finder. The app is available for both an individual Dropbox account and a business account.

Dropbox Desktop offers an app for iOS/iPad, Android, Windows, and Windows 10. Check out the new features below that the new Dropbox Desktop App provides.

  • You can pin a file or folder to the top of a folder, which will turn into a Dropbox Space. It will always appear at the top for easy access. When the folder or file is pinned, you and everyone who has access to it can pin and unpin the file or folder.
  • They have added a new unique tab called ‘’For You”. It displays a personalized, intelligent list of all the user’s files and folders, including content suggestions based on your personal use or team activity.
  • Dropbox Spaces was also introduced in the new app experience. It is a folder after using its collaborative features; any collaborative features you add or change are mirrored across all of the user’s devices and can be seen with all who have access.
  • The app now allows you to create shortcuts to a webpage in a Dropbox folder, as you would store a file. It will open up in a default web browser.
  • You can create and store web-based files, such as Google Docs/Slides/Sheets, Word/Excel/Powerpoint in your Dropbox account.

Dropbox Desktop Web vs. Dropbox Desktop App

Both the Desktop version and Mobile and Web App have their similarities, but they also have their differences. Below, I will go through both.

Dropbox Desktop Web

The Dropbox desktop is very user-friendly. You receive synced folders for anywhere-access. There are no file size limits for file uploads for desktop applications and mobile apps. File uploads via the website, however, have been capped at 50GB.

When Dropbox is installed on a laptop or desktop computer, it operates seamlessly and invisible. It has a complete app interface on the desktop when pulled up, but will work in the background silently if not being used or needed.

To use Dropbox on your desktop, you simply just put your files in the Dropbox folder. Everything else is automatic. Like most file-syncing and storage devices, your files will automatically be synced everywhere. They are available on any devices connected with an installed Dropbox app with a web browser.

If you want to move old files to Dropbox, you will need to navigate them to a second window. Highlight the file you want to move and then just click and drag to your Dropbox folder.

Like the desktop app, you can organize all your content in one place. Whether it is traditional files, cloud content, Dropbox Paper, it can be stored on your desktop. You will easily be able to find what you need using Dropbox features like Starred files and folders, and intelligent suggested folders.

You can connect Dropbox with all of the tools you currently use. You can create, edit, and share Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Microsoft office files. If you need to connect with your team inside your business, you can communicate via Slack and Zoom and share Dropbox files. Furthermore, with Dropbox Spaces, you can add context to your work by adding description, pinning essential files, and assigning to-dos when working with teams.

Dropbox Desktop App

Here are five new things you can do with the desktop app’s latest addition.

1. Dropbox Spaces

As discussed above, with Dropbox Spaces, your folders can be turned into collaborative workspaces where everyone who has access can share projet notes, assign to-dos, and pint important files for quick access when it is needed. These can be accessed not only through the mobile app but also on Dropbox.com if need be. You will always be able to access any of your devices of the Dropbox Spaces if they are connected.

2. Storing Files

The files, such as MP3s, PDFs, and Word docs are easily stored in Dropbox. The cloud-based tools such as the Google Docs, Slides, and other tools offered in the Cloud base, the new Desktop app allows you to edit, create, and share all Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides in Dropbox. Everything is in one place collaborating, no need to have different links and saved destinations.

3. Shortcuts

You can now create shortcuts to any website and store it in Dropbox. Articles, links from other web-based tools like Trello Boards can be stored in your shortcuts. Create a shortcut and keep it stored in Dropbox Spaces so everyone on your team can access it without having a hard time searching for it.

Dropbox How To Sync Files

4. Easy Sharing

Dropbox Desktop App makes it easy for you to collaborate on apps. Instead of having multiple windows up with different apps, you can connect up to three apps, like Zoom, Slack, and Trello, and share any file in your Dropbox to any one of these three channels without having to leave the Dropbox platform. This saves you time and allows you to work efficiently.

5. Smart Calendar

In your desktop app, you have a sidebar that will give you a list of folders that a smartly analyzed through Dropbox, where you spend most of your time and will likely need it. If you are running late for a meeting, you can go to your calendar, and it will populate what files you may need for your next appointment from the Windows system tray and Mac menu bar.

How to Get the Dropbox Desktop App

Please note, if you have an Apple macOS system, Dropbox requires access to your Keychain to help verify your account to provide more security over the Dropbox app settings.

To give Dropbox access, click “Allow or Always Allow” when prompted to do so from macOS. If you click Deny, it will result in Dropbox not being able to start. Dropbox will not begin without access to your Keychain for security reasons.

Now, let’s get to the steps on downloading the Dropbox Desktop App.

Step 1: To download the Dropbox desktop app, be sure you are operating in the following systems: macOS, Windows 10 in S mode, and Linux.

Step 2: To download and install the Dropbox desktop app on the following operating systems I mentioned above, go to this link. After downloading, you will be prompted to run the Dropbox installer.

Step 3: After completing the download and installer, you’ll be prompted to either sign in or create a new account.

If you are an admin, the steps of setting up and downloading the desktop app will be different. See below.

The Dropbox desktop app requires different admin privileges steps, so it can run and proper functionally on your system. With admin privileges, you are given the following features:

  • Access to smart sync
  • Quick actions in Dropbox by right-click context menus.
  • Sync icons that will show the sync status of files and your folders.

Usually, the desktop app is automatically installed with admin privileges, but if you did not install with admin privileges, you could follow the steps below. If you do not have admin rights on your computer or using a work computer, you will need to ask the IT department for assistance.

Step 1: If you have already installed Dropbox without admin rights, you will need to uninstall the app. It will completely remove Dropbox from your computer. Once it is removed, the menu will no longer appear, and you will not have access to folders and files. It will not delete or remove the files from your dropbox folder. For further instructions on how to uninstall the app, check it out here.

Step 2: After uninstalling, you will have to re-download and install the desktop app. Use the same link listed above for downloading the Dropbox app.

Step 3: Note, do not right-click, and do not command-click. You will want to choose the option “Run as an administrator.”

Step 4: Follow the prompted instructions in the install wizard. If you are prompted to enter a username and password for the administrative login, enter the correct information or contact your administrator. If you are not asked for these credentials, that means you are already the admin for your computer.

Step 5: Finish the installation and sign in to your Dropbox to finish the process. You should now be the admin and full access to all files and folders.

Smart Sync

Smart Sync is a feature of the Dropbox desktop app that allows you to make files online-only to save hard drive space on your computer. You can choose which files to make online-only or let automatic Smart Sync choose for you.

Not all, but some Dropbox users will have access to Smart Sync. If you have access to this feature, check that Dropbox is installed with admin privileges on each computer where Smart Sync will be used.

Wrap-Up

Dropbox is a veteran in the online file syncing services market. Along with this desktop app, they offer easy setup, in-depth features, and endless web service integrations. They have features and space capacity to support individuals seeking to store their files, documents, pictures, etc. Or for the business who needs store sensitive files amongst its team. You can’t go wrong with this cloud storage provider. It may arguably be the best in the market.