Get new features before anyone else, recover deleted files and make your Dropbox super-secure
Drag and drop web addresses
Dropbox has a brand new feature for saving and sharing website addresses (or URLs) with a simple drag and drop. Double-click your web browser’s address bar to highlight the URL you want to save and then drag and drop it into your Dropbox. You can even drop links via the Dropbox web interface at www.dropbox.com, as long as you open it in a separate browser window.
Sync selectively
Not every device needs every file, so use the Selective Sync feature to save both syncing time and storage space. Right-click the Dropbox icon in the notification area, click the cog then choose Settings, followed by Account. Now click Selective Sync and tick or clear the relevant folders. Click OK to apply.
Recover old or deleted files
Deleted a file by mistake? Or need an older version? Get it back by logging in at www.dropbox.com. Go to the folder where your deleted file was or new-version file is, then right-click at the bottom of the file list and choose ‘Show deleted files’. To recover the last version of a file right-click it and choose Restore; otherwise choose ‘Previous versions’ then select the relevant button before clicking Restore. Old files are stored for 30 days, although Pro users pay $39 (around £25) per year for a feature called Extended Version History that keeps old files for a year.
Access files offline on phones and tablets
Dropbox might seem useless on smartphones and tablets when there’s no mobile signal or you’re out of Wi-Fi range, but you can make important files accessible even when you’re offline. On Android devices, tap the down arrow next to a file and then tap Favorite (or open the file for viewing and then tap the star icon). On iOS devices, just tap the star icon. Files marked as favourites will be downloaded and stored on your device, ready for offline viewing or editing.
Get new features before anyone else
Updates to the Dropbox app are added automatically, but you can jump the queue by logging in at www.dropbox.com, clicking your username followed by Settings, ticking the ‘Include me on early releases’ box then clicking ‘Save settings’.
Enable two-step verification
Two-step verification makes online accounts virtually impregnable, so use it to stop hackers breaking in to your Dropbox. Log in at www.dropbox.com, click your username at the top right and then Settings. Next, click Security followed by the Enable link, under ‘Two-step verification’. Click ‘Get started’, then follow the prompts to add your mobile-phone number or alternative email address. Now when Dropbox detects a new or unusual attempt to access your account, it’ll send a one-time code to your chosen number or email address: there’s no way for someone to access your account without typing this second security code.
Right-click to share
There’s a quick way to create download links to Dropbox files you want to share: simply right-click the file in your Dropbox folder, then choose ‘Share Dropbox link’. The sharing link is automatically copied to the Windows Clipboard, so all you have to do is press Control (Ctrl)+V to paste it into an email, WhatsApp message or anywhere else.
Dropbox tends to gobble up bandwidth, so you might notice that your other internet apps slow right down when you’re doing a lot of syncing.
You can fix this by limiting Dropbox’s bandwidth. Right-click the Dropbox icon in the Taskbar’s notification area, then click the cog icon and choose Settings from the menu. Next, click Bandwidth and select ‘Limit to’ alongside ‘Download rate’ and/or ‘Upload rate’. Uploading impacts overall ADSL speed more than downloading does, so start with ‘Upload rate’. Dropbox suggests limits based on your connection speed, but you can make these even lower if you want.
In fact, while you’re here, tick ‘Enable LAN sync’. If you’ve got computers or devices connected to the same network, Dropbox will now sync everything via your router – dramatically speeding up transfers, and freeing up your internet bandwidth for other apps.
Speed up syncing – and your broadband!
Dropbox tends to gobble up bandwidth, so you might notice that your other internet apps slow right down when you’re doing a lot of syncing.
You can fix this by limiting Dropbox’s bandwidth. Right-click the Dropbox icon in the Taskbar’s notification area, then click the cog icon and choose Settings from the menu. Next, click Bandwidth and select ‘Limit to’ alongside ‘Download rate’ and/or ‘Upload rate’. Uploading impacts overall ADSL speed more than downloading does, so start with ‘Upload rate’. Dropbox suggests limits based on your connection speed, but you can make these even lower if you want.
In fact, while you’re here, tick ‘Enable LAN sync’. If you’ve got computers or devices connected to the same network, Dropbox will now sync everything via your router – dramatically speeding up transfers, and freeing up your internet bandwidth for other apps.