Do you share documents or presentations online? If yes, then you must be knowing about Dropbox. If you are not familiar with the name, Dropbox is a free file hosting service. Copy and paste a file to the Dropbox folder and it is available whenever or wherever you need it – as simple as it sounds. We defined it in very plain words because it is more than just a file host. Dropbox looks so easy to use that you never checked the new features added to it in the last few years. Let us look at some of those Dropbox features and few tips and tricks that you didn’t know about, but are useful.
1. Request files
Saving and sharing files on Dropbox is very easy. What about collecting them? One of the latest Dropbox features is a new file request function where you can collect files from everyone, even people with no Dropbox account. To begin the file request process:
a. Login to your Dropbox account and click “File Requests” from the left pane and select “Create a file request”.
b. In the prompt, name the files you are requesting. Requested files will be received into the default File Requests folder, but you can change that.
c. Click on Next and send the given link via email to the people you are requesting files from or you can simply enter the emails to send the link directly. Once the receivers click on the link, Dropbox will guide them to the upload process. For Dropbox basic users the file upload limit is 2 GB and it is 10 GB for Business or Plus users.
2. Get more space for free
To get more space on Dropbox, you have to upgrade the account and it requires payment. To earn some extra space for free, refer your friends, and get up to 16 GB extra once they install Dropbox. In the basic account, you will get 500 MB for one referral. If you have a Business or Plus version, you will get 1 GB per referral. To invite someone using your computer:
a. Login to the Dropbox account, click on your profile image and select Settings.
b. Click on Plan and select Invite a Friend.
c. Type the name or e-mail addresses and click on Send. You can also invite your Gmail contacts or share the link on Facebook.
d. Once your friends see the link, ask them to install Dropbox, sign in and verify their e-mail.
3. Restore the previous version of files
Sometimes, we save the file by mistake with incorrect details or even delete it. With the latest addition in Dropbox, you can restore the previous version or even recover deleted files.
Login to Dropbox and then:
a. Click on the three dots in front of a file that you want to restore and select version history.
b. Open the file and click “Restore”, from top right.
c. Check the deleted files by clicking on Files>Deleted Files, click the file that you want to recover and select “Restore”.
4. Preview Illustrator and Photoshop files
If someone shares an AI or PSD file with you on Dropbox, you can preview it without downloading the right Adobe software. Click on the file and you will see an image toolbar to preview the same. You can also preview PNG, EPS, JPG, BMP and SVG files. Apart from the files, you can also preview PDFs, slideshows and videos.
The feature works for the creative professionals wherein you can share the files with your clients and get feedback from the Dropbox web interface.
5. Use Dropbox as a sales delivery system
If you are in the initial phase of starting an online shop for e-books, images or your own music, you can use Dropbox as a sales platform. Example, you are a musician and someone around you is interested in buying one of your tunes. Share the link from your Dropbox account for that tune with the client and they can easily download the same.
6. Find recent files
Dropbox introduced a Recent link to access the files that you accessed or synced lately. Whether you synced the file from the mobile app of Dropbox of the web interface, it will be listed here.
7. Discuss the content
Click on the three dots in front of any Dropbox file and you will see an option of Comment. You can mention the concerned persons to get the required input. They will receive an e-mail with the notification, even if they are not on Dropbox.
8. Publish a website
Thinking to launch a website? You can do it through Dropbox and Pancake.io. Whether you want a basic site or a stylish, Pancake support both as it works for all the required files for a website. Moreover, you do not have to worry about domain names or web hosting as Pancake offers both the services.
9. Edit Word or Excel Documents Online
Do you have a team member who works on MS Word or Excel, but you do not have it installed? No problem as with Dropbox, you can edit such files without downloading them on the computer. Open any Word or Excel file, click on Open With from the top right and select either MS Word online or Excel online. One of the best and easy to use Dropbox features.
10. Configure Dropbox passcode
You can protect your Dropbox files on your mobile or tablet by configuring a four-digit passcode. Set the passcode on an Android smartphone by:
a. Open Dropbox app, tap on the top left menu option and then select Settings.
b. Select Configure passcode and turn on the option “Turn passcode on”.
c. Create a four-digit and confirm the same. Next time whenever you will open the Dropbox app, type the same passcode to access your files.
For iOS – iPhone, and iPads
a. Open Dropbox, select Home and tap the gear icon from the top.
b. Select Passcode Lock and then tap on Turn Passcode On.
c. Create and confirm a passcode that you can remember.
From the Settings of Dropbox app, you can also enable to erase all the data after ten unsuccessful login attempts. This feature will be helpful in an unfortunate case of losing your smartphone.