How to use Dropbox as a team member
20 minute read
How to access your Dropbox team account
You should have received an email invite to join your team on a Dropbox corporate account. To get started, click Join your team from the invitation, and follow the prompts to sign up. If you didn’t receive an email, ask your IT department or Dropbox team admin for help.
How to log in to a Dropbox team account
You can access your Dropbox account in three ways: on dropbox.com, from the Dropbox desktop app, and with the Dropbox mobile app.
Get started by logging in to your account on dropbox.com. Then, install the apps on your computer, tablet, and phone to get the most out of your account.
Related resources
How to download Dropbox for your computer and mobile devices
Whether you’re working from home, from the office, or traveling to a business meeting, Dropbox makes it easy to access all your files, photos and videos on the go.
You can easily do this by visiting dropbox.com, or by downloading Dropbox for your devices.
How to download the Dropbox desktop app
Download the desktop app to access your Dropbox files in your File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS).
Follow the prompts to install the Dropbox desktop app for your operating system.
Once Dropbox is installed on your computer, you’ll see a Dropbox icon in the taskbar (Windows), or menu bar (Mac), and a Dropbox folder on your hard drive.
You’ll be prompted to log in with your Dropbox team account credentials. You should use the same email address and password that you logged in with on dropbox.com (this will be the same for all your devices).
The Dropbox desktop app is available for Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems.
Learn more about using the Dropbox app with Windows in S mode or on Linux.
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How to download the Dropbox mobile app
Download the mobile app from the Dropbox website, or your preferred app store.
If you already have the Dropbox mobile app on your phone or tablet, simply log in with your email and password. You can also log in using SSO with your Google or Apple account.
How to add files and folders to your Dropbox team account
Once you’ve downloaded the mobile and desktop apps, it’s time to put Dropbox to work by adding your files, pictures, and videos.
Add a file or folder to your account via dropbox.com
Once you’ve logged in at dropbox.com, adding files to your account is as easy as dragging and dropping them from your computer’s file system. Or, just follow these steps to upload a file or folder from your computer:
Log in to dropbox.com.
Click Upload or drop under the search bar at the top.
Click File or Folder:
If you choose File, select as many files as you like and click Open.
If you choose Folder, select a folder and click Upload.
Add files or folders to Dropbox from your computer
You can drag and drop files or folders into the Dropbox folder on your desktop. You can also, use the Save As menu option in most apps to save files directly to your Dropbox folder.
Files and folders in your Dropbox folder will automatically sync to dropbox.com, and to the Dropbox desktop or mobile apps on any other devices you’ve connected to your account.
Add a file or folder from your desktop to your Dropbox account
You can add files and folders from your desktop to your Dropbox account in the following ways:
Drag and drop the file or folder into the Dropbox folder on your hard drive.
Select the Dropbox folder when using the Save As option in most applications.
If you use Microsoft Office often, you can save time by making Dropbox a default Save As location.
Here’s how:
Click the Dropbox icon in your taskbar.
Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the upper-right corner.
Click Preferences.
Check the box next to Show Dropbox as a save location in Microsoft Office.
Add a file or folder using the Dropbox mobile app
You can easily add files or folders to your Dropbox account from your phone or tablet:
Tap "+" (plus).
Tap Upload files.
Find the file you’d like to upload.
Select the location where you’d like to save the file in your Dropbox account.
Tap Upload.
How to back up your computer
You can automatically create a back up of key folders stored on your computer in your Dropbox account. After the initial backup, any changes you make to those folders or their contents will be automatically updated on your computer and your Dropbox folder.
Backups aren’t downloaded to your computer, so you won’t see them in the Dropbox folder in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). You can view your backups by doing the following:
Log in to dropbox.com.
Click the grid icon in the top-left corner.
Click Backup from the list that appears.
Want to know more about using Dropbox to backup your files? Watch our Backup Tutorial.
How to create a folder in your Dropbox team account
Create a team folder on dropbox.com
Team folders are shared with groups and are the hub of content for a team. Creating a team folder in Dropbox allows you to centralize and organize shared files, making collaboration easier by ensuring all team members have access to the most up-to-date documents in one location. It streamlines workflows and improves version control for projects.
To create a team folder as a team member:
Log in to dropbox.com.
Click Create folder.
You’ll only be able to create a team folder at the top level if your team’s top-level content management setting is set to Everyone by your team’s admin. If the setting is set to Admins only, you can only create team folders within folders you have edit access to.
If you’re a team member without permission to create team folders at the top level, contact your admin to ask them to either create a top-level team folder for you, or allow team members to create top level team folders.
In the box under Name, type a name for your new team folder.
Select whether you’d like to share the new team folder with Everyone at [Team name], or only with Specific people.
Uncheck the box next to Automatically sync this folder to members’ computers to prevent automatic syncing.
Click Create.
If you chose to share the folder with specific people, a pop-up window will appear. Enter the names of the groups or individuals you’d like to share the team folder with, then click the dropdown to select whether to give people edit or view-only access.
Click Add.
Note: The team folder is only shared with people after you enter their name(s) or email(s) and click Add.
If you cancel out of this screen without adding anyone, the team folder won’t be shared with anyone else but you’ll still be able to access and manage the team folder in your Dropbox account.
How to share a file or folder from your Dropbox team account
If you're working on a corporate training project involving several colleagues, creating a team folder for the project lets everyone involved access essential materials like training resources, agendas, and feedback forms.
Team folders make it easy to manage permissions, ensuring everyone has access to the latest versions, and you can set up subfolders to keep documents organized by topic or training phase.
Share a file or folder from dropbox.com
Log in to dropbox.com.
Hover over the item you’d like to share.
Click Share.
Click Add people.
Type the email or name of the person, people, or group you’d like to share with.
Add a message, if you’d like.
Click can edit or can view from the dropdown next to People added.
Click Share.
If you’d like to share via link instead, click Copy link, then paste the link wherever you’d like.
Share a file or folder from the Dropbox folder in the Dropbox desktop app
Open the Dropbox folder in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
Right-click the file or folder you’d like to share.
Click Share….
Select can edit or can view from the dropdown.
Enter the email, name, or group of the person or people you’d like to share with.
Click Share file or Share folder.
Note: You can also copy a link to share, if you’d prefer to share via link.
Create and share a folder in the Dropbox desktop app
Windows
Select the Dropbox hierarchy in File Explorer.
Click New and choose Folder.
Name the folder.
Select Invite members and then enter the email, name, or group you want to share it with.
Set permissions for those you invite.
Click Share to send the invitation and start collaborating.
macOS
Click the Dropbox icon in your menu bar (Mac).
Click the folder icon.
Click the Dropbox icon on the right.
Select Create folder and share in the dropdown menu.
Choose a location.
Name your folder.
Select who can have access.
Set permissions for those you invite.
Click Share to send the invitation and start collaborating.
Share a file or folder using the Dropbox mobile app on iOS and Android
Open the Dropbox mobile app.
Tap “⁝” (vertical ellipsis on Android) or “…” (ellipsis on iOS) next to the folder you’d like to share.
Tap Share.
Tap Invite to file (file) or +Invite (folder).
Tap under Send to and type the Email, name, or group of the person (or people) you’d like to share the file or folder with.
Tap to select them from the results.
Note: You can invite as many people as you’d like.
Tap to select Can edit (view, comment, and edit) or Can view (view and comment but not edit).
Tap Close on iOS.
Tap Optional message on Android or Message (optional) on iOS to add a message, if required.
Tap Share.
Learn how to easily share subfolders within a team folder in Dropbox, and enhance collaboration in this video.
How to scan documents and upload them straight to Dropbox from the mobile app
Easily upload, organize, and share your scans with the Dropbox doc scanner. You can even search for text within your scans thanks to optical character recognition(OCR).
To scan and save a doc on your phone:
Tap + (plus).
Choose Scan Document (on both iOS and Android devices, you’ll need to tap Allow when prompted).
Take a picture of content you want to transform into a document. You can also select an existing image from the iOS Camera Roll, or on Android, tap the photos icon.
Dropbox automation options
Work more efficiently by using automation options in Dropbox to organize and automate tasks, like unzipping and converting files, within your account.
How to create an automated folder
To create an automated folder:
Log in to dropbox.com.
Click Create folder under the search bar at the top.
You can also click + Create and select Folder.
Click Automated folder.
Choose the location for the Automated folder.
Select an automation option and name the folder.
Follow the prompt(s), then click Save.
How to add automation to an existing folder
To add automation to a folder:
Log in to dropbox.com.
Hover over the folder and click “…” (ellipsis).
Click Add automation.
Select an automation type.
Set the rules for the automation.
Click Save.
Note: You must have editing abilities for a folder to add, edit, or delete automations.
How to share an automated folder
Automated folders can be shared the same as any other folder. The folder automation will remain for anyone the folder is shared with. Once an automated folder has been shared with someone, they'll see notation that the folder is automated as well as which automation option was selected.
How to automatically upload photos and videos from your mobile device
Camera uploads is a feature that automatically uploads photos and videos from your mobile device to Dropbox.
Android:
Open the Dropbox mobile app.
Tap Account.
Tap Settings.
Under Features, tap Camera uploads.
Tap Back up my photos.
If prompted, tap Allow.
iOS:
Open the Dropbox mobile app.
Tap the person icon.
Tap Camera Uploads.
Tap Upload from, then Settings to give Dropbox access to your photos and videos.
In the Dropbox app, choose what you’d like to back up and whether you’d like to use cell data.
Tap Turn on camera uploads.
Note: Camera uploads aren't available for Dropbox team accounts that use Dropbox Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) for Android or Dropbox customers on Linux.
Your admin may have turned off this feature for your team. Contact your admin to request feature access.
How to invite people to your Dropbox team account
Team members can invite people individually with email if their admin allows it. To do this:
Log in to dropbox.com.
Click your avatar (profile picture or initials) in the upper-right corner.
Click View team and groups.
Click Invite members.
If you don’t see Invite members, your admin may have disabled this feature for your team. Click Suggest members instead to send a suggestion to your team’s admin.
Type the email of the person (or people) you’d like to invite.
Click Invite to join.
Next steps to maximize your Dropbox Team experience
Ready for more? Continue your learning journey with this course.
Prefer a live experience? Attend our virtual training sessions for interactive training and expert guidance on using Dropbox as a team member.
Get tips, ask questions, and share your experience with other Dropbox users in our Community Forum.