Dropbox is a useful tool for storing documents securely and in one place so that they’re easily accessible whenever they’re needed. Whether you’re dealing with personal files, business-related paperwork, or even those vacation pictures from that epic trip to Costa Rica, Dropbox is a great way to keep important pieces of information safe. But you may not be getting the most out of your Dropbox account. We’re here to change that.
How to get the most out of your Dropbox account
Increase storage space
While every Dropbox account comes with a complimentary 2GB of storage space, many believe that they have to pay to receive more available space. However, that’s not necessarily true. Add up to 16GB of free space (that’s a lot!) by inviting friends who don’t yet have a Dropbox account. For each friend that signs up, you get 500MB of free space.
Another way to increase storage space is to complete the Dropbox getting started guide. Finally, receive additional space for contributing to the Dropbox Community forum.
Sync folders efficiently
Through Dropbox’s feature Smart Sync, you can easily and efficiently access files on your desktop without having to download them. This becomes useful if you need to save space on your hard drive. The feature is only available for paid plans, though, so you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it for you.
Recover deleted files
Even if you deleted something only to discover that it’s still needed, Dropbox makes it easy to recover these files. The program keeps a 30-day history of all changes, making it simple to restore documents within that month-long window. (Dropbox Professional and Business accounts get up to 120 days.) This is also useful so you can see previous versions of files. Do so by selecting the file and clicking Version History in the menu on the right sidebar.
Stop sharing folders
While it’s both easy and common to begin sharing folders or join the folder of another person on Dropbox, it may be trickier to leave a folder or stop sharing it. However, it is possible.
To remove someone’s access, sign in to Dropbox.com and click Files. Find the folder you’d like to remove access to and click the ellipsis (…) by the name. Click the dropdown menu beside the member you want to remove, and then click Remove. You can leave the person a copy of the folder if desired.
To unshare a folder, sign in to Dropbox.com and click Files. Find the folder you’re looking for, click the ellipsis (…) by the name, and click Folder settings. Then, click Unshare folder. Decide whether to leave the person a copy and then click Unshare.
These tips and tricks make it simple to squeeze the most productivity possible out of a Dropbox account. Taking these steps makes an already useful tool that much better!
