Drop box

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dropbox is a computer application dedicated to offer cloud file hosting services , that is, it allows its users to store, share and synchronize various types of files and folders online, from any device, whether it is a computer from desktop, laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.

More precisely, Dropbox is a cloud storage application multiplatform , that is why it is available for Windows, Mac OS, Linux, iOS, Android, among other operating systems. This app has free and paid versions; each of them offering specific services. According to recent figures, Dropbox has over 500 million users worldwide, being available in English, Spanish, French, German, etc.

Drop box

Category	Online storage
Junior Backend Developer (Intern)	dropbox, inc.
Creators	Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi
Lancer	Lancer
Platforms	Web, Windows, MacOs, Android, iOS, Linux
Official site	https://www.dropbox.com
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Dropbox is developed by North American company Dropbox Inc., the work of programmers Drew Houston and Arash Ferdowsi, who launched it in June 2007, with funding they received from Y Combinator. Although it is a popular app around the world, it has been criticized and sparked controversy in due to breaches of its security system and privacy concerns of its users .

dropbox gained popularity in a short time . The concept of Dropbox is that you can simply access your files from anywhere and share them with others. The best part about Dropbox is its syncing. Any file you save to Dropbox will also be instantly mirrored on your computers, phones, iPads, and Dropbox websites.

Features

Dropbox has unique characteristics in this type of platform, for example, it allows us to save files and it is not difficult to access it. If for some reason you deleted important files, Dropbox offers you the option to recover them. Files never close or are no longer available to you, and you can share them with whoever you want through a personal link.

Dropbox is an online service application that consists of several features, due to its continuous evolution. Of all the characteristics that it has acquired throughout its history, among the most remarkable, the following should be mentioned:

It has a client-server network , where the Dropbox client is responsible for storing users' files in defined folders, as well as syncing those files with the cloud and other devices that use the client.
Files stored by Dropbox in addition to being shared through the official website of the application, accessing the respective user account; they can be shared via direct access links .
Allows file transfer and synchronization via USB devices . Files can even be stored manually through web browsers.
Dropbox's revision history allows you to recover deleted cloud files and old versions of those files . In free accounts, the revision history is cleaned every 30 days, while in paid accounts there are no preset cleaning periods.
Dropbox history is based on delta encoding technology , which saves bandwidth and time, as only the parts of the files that were changed during synchronization will be downloaded.
Dropbox offers three types of accounts . The first is a free account called "Free" or "Basic", which offers a capacity storage initial from 2 Go , and can go up to 16 GB if the user adds new people to the service. The second is a paid account called "Pro", which provides 1 TB of storage . Finally, the third is a paid professional account called "Business", which offers 5 TB of tools storage and administration.
In terms of security, Dropbox uses SSL transfers (Secure Sockets Layer) and uses the AES-256 encryption protocol (Advanced Encryption Standard) to store files.
dropbox collaborates with other applications Web via the Representational State Transfer (REST) API (Application Programming Interface), so there are plugins for Drupal, WordPress and Joomla !. Plus, it lets you sync with accounts in Slack, Zoom, and more.
One of the most well-known Dropbox services is Dropbox Paper, which is one of the most notable competitors of Google Docs because it allows you to work collectively on editing shared documents .

How it works

To experience all the features we reported about Dropbox firsthand, here is necessary to register on the official website of the application , by selecting from the three types of accounts it offers. Once the account is created, it is possible to access the application via the official site, or by downloading the installer that the same site offers. If you want to install the app on a smartphone or tablet, it can be downloaded from Google Play, App Store, etc.

When the app is run, it uses the network and activates the client, which allows mainly user to download any file to specific folder . When files are transferred, they are automatically updated in the Dropbox cloud, making them available to recipient users. This automatic updating system, which is part of delta encoding, causes Dropbox to only update the parts of the file that have changed.

Synchronization between client and Dropbox servers keeps the respective cloud storage space up to date . This interconnected network based on cloud storage allows different users to work collectively on a document, as well as other forms of work collaboration interaction via additional computing tools.

How to use

To use the Dropbox cloud file hosting service, whether for sharing files or for working collectively, it is necessary to register as a user on the official website. Therefore, the following will describe the Steps of the registration process and the main functions of Dropbox .

How to create a free account and install Dropbox

Enter the Dropbox official website to fill out the form located on the right side, accept the Dropbox terms and press the "Create an account" button . Or just use the "Register with Google" button
Choose the plan you want to get started on Dropbox, either the free or paid version.
Allow the browser to download the app installer, requested by dropbox.com.
Run the Dropbox installer and wait for the installer to install automatically.
At the end of the installation, a browser pop-up will appear in which Dropbox offers the option to install the app also on mobile devices . To do this, you will only have to enter the respective phone number, although the download link can also be sent to the user's email address.
Simultaneously, the initial application window will appear, in which the user's email and password must be entered to access Dropbox, or just click "Connect with Google" ou "Connect with Apple" .
Subsequently, a window will appear where Dropbox will present two options to store the files, either to store the downloads on the hard drive (Dropbox Basic) or to continue with cloud storage (Dropbox Plus).
Then a window will appear to configure the hard drive backup copies, indicating the folders that can be backed up and choosing which of them will be permanently backed up.

After that, Dropbox will be ready to use. It is to highlight that these last two steps are optional , i.e. they can be omitted, as these settings can be set at any time via the main menu of the application.

How to download files

Go to dropbox.com through the desktop assistant, by tapping the second icon after the "+" , or through the official Dropbox website.
Once on dropbox.com, go to the right part of the online site, in the "Create" section , and select the option "Download files" .
A pop-up window will appear in which you need to select the file you want to upload to the Dropbox cloud
After selecting the file, a window will appear on dropbox.com where you need to select cloud hosting folder which will contain the file. If none have been created, Dropbox offers an option "Create a new folder" . To create this new folder, all you have to do is give it a name.
Once the hosting folder has been chosen, you will just have to wait for the file to be loaded by the software.

How to share files

On the dropbox.com page, go to the right margin of the site and to the options displayed under "Create", click on the option "New shared folder" .
If you click on the "Files" located on the left side of the dropbox.com homepage, you can also access the option "New shared folder" , located on the right side of the screen. The same thing happens if the button "Share" located to the right of the menu "Files" is pressed, although it appears as "Create a new shared folder" .
Regardless of the path taken, a window will appear on dropbox.com in which the application will offer two options for sharing folders. The first option is to create a new folder to share , while the second consists of share an existing folder . If you want to share a new folder, only it should be named in the process, but it should be uploaded with files.
Once the folder is selected, a new window will appear where will be placed the e addresses - mail of people who will have shared access , as well as a field to write an optional message. Next to the email box there is a button with which you can specify whether the recipients will be able to edit the file or only view it.

An alternative to sending links by email can be found at the bottom of the same window, which consists of the button "Create a link" . Once the link is created, click on the button "Copy link" in order to share the file link with the people concerned.

How to use Dropbox Paper

On the dropbox.com home page, click the option"Paper" located on the right side of the screen.
In the Paper menu, press the button "Create a paper document" .
A new portal will appear, which will be the Paper document that can be shared with anyone by copying the link from the browser, or by pressing the button "Share" located at the top of the screen.
In the field of Paper writing, there are multiple options to complete lines of text written, which allow the incorporation of images, videos, among other multimedia elements from different social networks and those that have been hosted in Dropbox.
In addition, this text editing bar allows you to add tables, timelines, tasks and bulleted and / or numbered lists, by pressing the corresponding icon.
Additionally, at the bottom is the keyboard icon, which displays shortcuts that can be created to speed up text editing. This icon is next to the question mark icon, which is used for help, suggestions, and comments.
With the lower bar of Paper, it is also possible to introduce section breaks and add lines of code.
Next to each line of text and in images and videos, or when selected, is the comments icon (dialog box), which allows you to add any observation to the collective work by Classes.
When selecting text, a bar with different edit options appears , allowing you to apply bold words, strike out, highlight them, create hyperlinks, change the font size, place numbered or bulleted lists, and add comments.
By pressing the button "+" from the top bar, you can create a new Paper document.

Sign in or go to Dropbox

Through the web

The common way to sign in to Dropbox is through its website, you will only need your email address and password to do so.

Go to Dropbox.com and in the upper right corner click » Log in «.
Now, in the corresponding fields, enter your email and password; Then, if you are on a secure computer and you no longer wish to enter the data, check the " Remember my account ", Finally click on" Log in «.

This is how easy it is to connect to Dropbox via the web, if you don't fill in a field incorrectly you won't have any problem.

Use of Google

There is another option to sign in to Dropbox via the web and that uses your Google account. This option is faster than the classic, because after linking your account to Dropbox, you only have to press the connect with Google button once to enter.

Go on the net, Dropbox.com and click on the option " Log in ”Located in the upper right corner.
Below the button with a blue background and white letters that says " Log in ", There are " Sign in with Google “, You have to press it.
Then a pop-up window will open, asking you to choose one of the Google accounts you're signed in to. If you want to enter with an account that is not listed, you must click on " Use another account ».
After having selected a Google account to connect to Dropbox, in the same window, you will have to confirm the action by clicking on the button » To allow ".

With these simple steps, you will be able to log in quickly, intuitively and easily using the button " Sign in with Google «.

From PC

Because it is a service available on different platforms synchronized with each other, the desktop application that millions of users often use could not miss so as not to exhaust the limited space on their hard drives. . To successfully log into this program, please follow the steps below.

You need to download and install the Dropbox app from this link .
Open the program and in the corresponding fields enter your email and password, then click on the blue button that says " Login " in white .