If you're only using Dropbox to keep files in sync across all your computers and other devices, you're failing the service. Dropbox is one of the first services to think beyond just file storage in the cloud. We discuss the best extensions and tricks for Dropbox.
Dropbox is often wrongly dismissed as 'just another cloud service where you can store files'. This is the partial truth, because storage is indeed a feature of this service, but it is only one of the elements. We highlight the most useful parts such as collaboration, sending large files, extra security and linking apps/services. The latter makes it possible, for example, to use your Dropbox as a photo archive, 'ftp server' or memo recorder. We also highlight video streaming via Dropbox and how to get Dropbox on your TV. Also read: Free more space in Dropbox.
For anyone who doesn't use Dropbox yet, we'll give a micro-introduction. Dropbox gives you 2 GB of storage for free. The disk space can be expanded for a fee. The Dropbox program will create a folder on your computer. Everything you save here is automatically synchronized with 'the cloud'. Then you install Dropbox on all your computers, tablet(s) and smartphone(s), after which the contents of the folder will be available everywhere. Without a computer, you can view the contents of your Dropbox via the app or by logging in via www.dropbox.com.
01 Synchronize
Syncing the contents of your Dropbox folder is completely automatic. You will find Dropbox as an icon in your system tray, at the bottom right of the screen. Click on the icon, then click on the gear icon and choose Preferences. Uncheck Show notifications on desktop if you find that the program shows pop-ups too often. The option is more interesting Bandwidth. Choose the option here No limit if you have a fast internet connection and want your Dropbox to be updated as quickly as possible.
Basically, the files are synced between your computer (or other device) and the Dropbox cloud service on the web. If you have multiple devices in the same network, you can also synchronize the devices with each other. This reduces the load on the internet connection and makes synchronization faster. The option is called LAN Sync and you can enable or disable it with one tick.
02 Version Restore
One of the advantages of Dropbox over the competition is file recovery. Multiple versions of all files that you store in your Dropbox are kept. So if you open a Word file from your Dropbox and then mess up and save the document, you can roll back to an earlier version. This is useful if you work longer on a project, paper or thesis, for example. Make sure you see the file in front of you in Windows Explorer. Use the right mouse button and choose Show previous versions. The Dropbox web environment appears, after which you can restore (or download) an earlier version with one mouse click. Older versions are kept for thirty days by default. An extension is available for Dropbox Pro to recover revisions up to a year old.
03 Deleted files
The file revisions from the previous tip also work on files you accidentally delete. When it comes to accidentally deleted files in a folder, right click on this folder in your explorer and choose View on Dropbox.com. If you don't have the folder anymore, do this with the 'nearest' folder that still exists. The Dropbox web environment appears with your files and possibly folders. At the top right of the screen, next to the search function, there is an icon of a trash can. This will show you the deleted files and folders. These are shown in light gray. Right click on a file you want to get back and choose To recover. This can also be done with a folder. The files/folders are automatically restored to your Dropbox.
Additional storage
The free version of Dropbox offers 2 GB of storage. There are only two paid options, Dropbox Business and Dropbox Pro. Dropbox Pro costs 99 euros per year and for this you get 1 TB of storage. The cloud storage of OneDrive and Google Drive is slightly cheaper for the same storage capacity. The competitors have the advantage that multiple storage plans are available. We also like Dropbox because the 'financial gap' between the free plan and the 1 TB plan is very large. Do you want more storage space in your Dropbox but not pay anything? There are options to expand your storage capacity free of charge, for example by inviting your friends to use Dropbox as well. Read how you can expand the storage space.
04 Share folders
Dropbox has a 'collaboration' function that is useful for family, (small) businesses, study groups and (temporary) projects where several people need access to the same files. Everyone gets the files in their Dropbox folder, can edit them and add new files. Right-click a folder in your Dropbox folder and choose Share this folder. Indicate who you want to share the folder with and what permissions you want to grant: Can edit or Can display. A link will be sent and the folder will arrive on the computers and devices of the people you've invited. These require a Dropbox account.
Managing the folders you have shared works through www.dropbox.com. Click behind the shared folder Share / Invite people to collaborate.
05 Send files
You can also share a file or folder once. This is similar to the principle you know from WeTransfer. In your explorer, right-click a file (or folder) in your Dropbox and choose Share Dropbox link. Dropbox places a link on your clipboard, which you can use Ctrl+V paste in an email or chat message. In this case, the recipient does not have to be a Dropbox user to download your files.
06 What have I shared?
To see what links you've created in the past, log in to www.dropbox.com and see Left. Behind a file or folder you will find a cross to cancel the shared link. Downloading your file(s) is then no longer possible. Click on it gear icon for advanced options. For example, you can set a password and determine an expiration date after which the download option is automatically canceled.
Dutch speaking
Dropbox supports many languages and is also Dutch. Is the English language active in your Dropbox web environment? You can easily change the language by logging in via www.dropbox.com. Click on your name at the top right of the screen and choose Settings. Change at Preferences Language / English the language with Change nasty Dutch. If the Dropbox program on your computer is in English, open the program's settings via the icon in your system tray. Click on the gear icon, choose Preferences and change the language setting at General / Language.
07 Upload to Dropbox
DBinbox is a third party that gives your Dropbox a secure 'remote mailbox'. Once set up, DBinbox will send you a link. Anyone with this link can upload files to your Dropbox. No need for a Dropbox account on the uploader side, everything works here in the web browser. The files will arrive in the Dropbox\Apps\dbinbox subfolder.
08 Email to Dropbox
With Send to Dropbox you get a special email address. The attachments of messages that someone sends to this email address will automatically end up in your Dropbox in the Dropbox\Apps\Attachments subfolder. This is useful if you want to collect photos from a party, for example: not everyone has (or understands) Dropbox, but (almost) everyone can email. Send to Dropbox is also handy if you work on another computer, tablet or smartphone and want to put something in your own Dropbox (for example photos or a video).
With DBinbox and Send to Dropbox it is a one-way street: people can add files, but not read or delete them.
09 Who-what-where
If you want to know what's happening in your Dropbox, you can easily check. Sign up at www.dropbox.com and click Events. Here you will see a log of recent actions, such as new and deleted files. If you want to know which devices or apps connect to your Dropbox, click on your name in the top left corner and choose Settings / Security. You will see all your devices and login sessions. At the bottom of the screen you will find the apps/services of third parties that you have (ever) given access to. You can easily break the connection with a click on the cross icon, after which the app/service no longer has access.
Be careful with pairing
You should pay close attention when linking apps or services to your Dropbox. Dropbox tells you what access is required. A service/app should request access to a subfolder in the Dropbox\Apps folder. Sometimes full access to all files and folders in your Dropbox will be requested. This is not preferred as it is usually not necessary for technical operation. One example is DROPitTOme. This alternative to DBinbox has more features, but requires access to all your files.
10 Encryption
You should use an excellent password for your Dropbox and maybe even "two-step verification." Depending on the information you store with the service, you can use independent encryption to keep your files even more secure. Solutions are available for this such as Boxcryptor, Cloudfogger and Sookasa. The entry-level versions are free. Please note that encryption may not be compatible with third party apps/services. You also need the encryption software on your equipment where you want to access your Dropbox files. Using encryption on a selective number of folders/files is a good middle ground between security and ease of use.
11 Dropbox Everywhere
If you really want to get the most out of Dropbox, we recommend installing Dropbox on all your devices. Do this as soon as possible so that you don't have to search for the login details when you need a file. For smartphones and tablets, it is advisable to set an extra PIN code in the app as an extra threshold in the event of theft or loss. You can find this 'security threshold' in the app settings.
12 Dropbox App
Dropbox's smartphone/tablet apps give you access to all your files in your Dropbox. The files are available on demand and are only downloaded to your device when you open a file, so you do need an internet connection. You can also have your photos and videos automatically backed up to your Dropbox, this option can be found in the settings of the app. Due to the significant size of media files, it is recommended that you only activate this if you have a Dropbox Pro account.
Two-step security
To better secure your Dropbox, it is possible to raise an extra barrier for unauthorized persons. This principle is called 'two-step verification' and is in addition to your password verification. Sign up at www.dropbox.com, click on your name in the top left of the screen and choose Settings / Security. Click at Two-step verification on Switch and follow the steps on the screen. Once activated, Dropbox will send you an extra code via text message when you start using a new device or try to link a service.
13 Streaming Movie Files
Many people don't know that you can stream movie files from your Dropbox to your tablet or smartphone. So technically, you can store huge movie files in your Dropbox and stream them to your smartphone or tablet over WiFi while on vacation. The trick also works by logging into your www.dropbox.com. The movie file will be played in a 'player' in your browser.
14 Carousel
Dropbox has its own photo app that allows you to browse all your photos in your Dropbox in a pleasant way. The option for Carousel can be found in the left column after logging in on www.dropbox.com. Also install the Carousel app on your iOS and/or Android device. A good timeline and albums are central. Unfortunately, by default, Carousel indexes all the photos in your Dropbox and therefore a lot of junk. The option to exclude folders seems to be there, but it would be nice if it works the other way around: letting the user choose which folders are allowed to appear in Carousel and ignore the rest.
15 Smart Apps
There are many apps for iOS and Android that support Dropbox by default. For example, Skyro (Android) or Recorder for Dropbox (iOS) offer a handy memo recorder. And if you want to turn your smartphone into a scanner, Genius Scan+ (iOS and Android) is a good app, for 6.99 euros. The app digitizes papers from the 'real world' and saves them as a file in your Dropbox.
16 Portable Apps
Portable apps are meant to be put on a flash drive to keep your favorite apps close at hand, but there's no reason not to use Dropbox in the same way. The most important thing is that you no longer have to install the same program on all your devices. All passwords, settings and other data are also saved.
First create a new folder within Dropbox (you must have it installed, it doesn't work via the website). After that, go to www.portableapps.com and download the program. Now you can put individual apps in your Dropbox and always have them with you, even if you forgot your flash drive.
17 uTorrent
You can also use Dropbox to download torrent files. You can do this, for example, with uTorrent, a tiny program to download the files. Download uTorrent on your PC, if you don't already have one, and create a folder in your Dropbox where you put the torrent files. You can now indicate within uTorrent to automatically download all files from the folder. Download to a specific folder on your PC so your Dropbox folder doesn't fill up. If your PC has a Dropbox connection, any torrent files you drag from a computer or smartphone into the Dropbox folder will automatically be downloaded to your PC.
Dropbox on your TV
It's fun to think creatively to come up with smarter solutions. For example, do you have a Synology NAS or other central unit with Dropbox support? Then you can ensure that you can view the photos and videos from your smartphone on your TV. Install the Dropbox app on your NAS. You can add multiple accounts. Make sure you can access your NAS from your smart TV. Use the Dropbox app on your smartphone and let media sync with the cloud service. The result is that you can now view photos and videos via the TV. You can extend the trick with the smartphone of your partner or children; this way everyone can enjoy the media that would otherwise remain hidden in their pocket or (school) bag.
