Sync Android Files from SD Card with Dropbox

Android dropbox app allows you to download and view your files in your Dropbox folder and also upload files to the server. Dropbox android apps is best suited for people who like to work on with the phone. If there is anything that we are unsatisfied with, it have to be the inability to sync your local files (in SD card) back to the server. When you open a file from your Dropbox folder in Android, the file will be downloaded to your SD card and you can then view/edit the file with a file manager. However, after you have made changes to the file, the Dropbox app does not automatically sync it back to the server. The only solution is to manually upload the file. This is definitely a bad file sync problem in android. A good solution to overcome this file sync problem is using an additional dropbox app, that is Dropspace. DropSpace is another great apps for Android Dropbox. DropSpace will allows you to create a link between a folder in SD card and a sub-directory in Dropbox. Once the link is created, it will auto sync the files from/to your Dropbox. Dropspace is free, just download it via android market.

Download Dropspace Android App

Step by Step

Connect your Dropbox account to DropSpace.

Tap the “Manage Sync List” button to set up the sync.

Navigate to the directory on your SD card that you want to link and long tap on it to add to the sync list.

Next, it will show your Dropbox folder and you can do the same thing (long tap on the folder) to complete the sync configuration.
Lastly, go back to its main screen and tap the “Sync Now” to start the sync.

By default, you have to manually tap the “Sync Now” button everytime you want it to perform a sync. However, you can set it as a service and get it to run at a regular interval. You can also configure whether to remove the remote files when the local files are deleted.


Syncing notes to Dropbox

If you want to create notes on your Android phone and have them synced to your Dropbox, You can use another additional dropbox app, Epistle. With Epistle, you can create simple notes and it will automatically synced to the Epistle folder in Dropbox. I have found this to be extremely handy, especially when I need to jot down some ideas while on the move.

Download Epistle Android App

Epistle also supports two-way file sync. That means, if you create a text file on your desktop and drop it into the Dropbox Epistle folder, it will show up in your Android phone as well. Until the android dropbox team implements the synchronization feature in their mobile apps, we will have to make use of the above android dropbox file sync method to get things done. They might not be the most complete feature of android dropbox app, but it will help you little.

Just let me know if still have a problem :)