how to use dropbox in finder without filling your disk
by sumit paul · last updated
the dropbox app puts dropbox in finder, and online-only files keep them in the cloud until you open them, but opening one downloads the whole file to your mac. feather drive adds a dropbox folder in finder that streams files instead: an app reads only the part it needs, so a large video opens in about a second and the file never takes up its full size on your disk.
with the dropbox app
- install the dropbox desktop app and sign in. dropbox appears under locations in finder's sidebar.
- right-click a file or folder and choose make online-only to free its space.
- when you open an online-only file, dropbox downloads it in full and it becomes available offline.
it shows your whole dropbox and works offline for files you've opened. big files still need room on your disk to open.
with feather drive
- download feather drive and connect dropbox.
- switch on the file system extension when asked: system settings › general › login items & extensions › file system extensions › feather drive.
- open feather drive in finder; your dropbox is a folder inside it.
- drag files in. they upload to dropbox, in apps › feather drive, and take zero bytes on your mac.
feather drive is a dropbox app-folder app: it can only see apps › feather drive, never the rest of your dropbox. you can connect google drive too, and each cloud shows as its own folder.
which to choose
- your whole dropbox, shared folders and offline access: the dropbox app.
- large media you want to open instantly without it landing on your disk: feather drive.