The Official Dropbox App is Now Available for Windows 8 and RT
Dropbox has added its metro-style app in the Windows Store. While not yet as robust as the desktop version, it’s welcome news for Windows RT tablet owners.
Dropbox has added its app in the Windows Store for users of Windows 8 and Windows RT. This first iteration is basic and doesn’t include all of the features of the desktop version, but it’s a solid start. Here’s a look at what you can expect.
Here’s a look at the Dropbox app features:
- Browse and preview all of your files and photos on Dropbox
Open, edit and save files from other Windows 8 apps
Share any photo, file or folder with the Share Charm
Find your files with the Search Charm
Using Dropbox on Windows RT
I tested it out on my Microsoft Surface with Windows RT. The first time you launch it, you’ll need to log in to your Dropbox account. Then enter your security code if you have Two-Step Verification enabled.
After logging in, you’re presented with a list of the folders in your account. Just tap any one of them to browse through the files.
Word, Excel, and other MS Office files will open in Office 2013 on the desktop. The ability to view apps side-by-side makes working in Dropbox and Office docs a breeze.
Supported music and video files will open in the Xbox Music or Video app on Windows RT. On Windows 8, media files will open in the default program you set. Pictures open in Dropbox itself, not the Photo app.
It does integrate with some Windows 8 and RT features. It allows you to use the Share feature to share files and folders with others using built-in apps like Mail and People and share to other apps you have installed on your system.
Here’s an example of sharing an audio file from the Dropbox Public folder to Facebook via the People app. It shares a custom message you type in and a link to the file.
You can select an icon for the file or send it without an image. When it posts to Facebook, your friends can click the message and download it to their computer.
And you’re able to use the Windows 8 / RT Search feature to locate files in Dropbox.
Microsoft would rather have you use its built-in SkyDrive app, which offers 7GB of storage on a new account, or 25GB if you were grandfathered in. But it’s tough to get people to switch, and many people are already using Dropbox for collaborating on projects.
It’s still missing some essential features like selective sync, file management, and uploading. Still, this is welcome news for Surface users or other devices running Windows RT since it doesn’t support desktop programs.
Download the Official Dropbox App from Windows Store
8 Comments
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Aaron
Do you know how to save an image from a shared folder on Dropbox on a Surface RT to your Pictures Library? Seems like a simple task, but can’t manage to figure out how to do it!
Brian Burgess
@Aaron: You’d think it would be easy to do right? Well, not so much. I hadn’t noticed this until you left the comment. But, I am not seeing a direct way to transfer photos from the metro-style version of Dropbox on the RT to the Pictures Library.
You can share a photo to another app like say Evernote, which I haven’t tried, and maybe you can move it from there to your picture library. If all else fails, you can certainly email it to yourself. But that’s a ridiculous amount of work.
Now, you can go into Dropbox web interface via IE10, display a photo and save it to your Pictures Library with a simple right click.
App devs are in a whole new landscape now, and a lot of features that you’d expect to work in these apps, simply don’t yet.
I went did go into the desktop on my Surface RT, and was able to hunt down photos that I displayed in the Dropbox app. They’re buried DEEP in the AppData folder. In fact, here is where I had to go to find one of the pictures I displayed in the Dropbox app:
C:\Users\Brian\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.BingNews_8wekyb3d8bbwe\AC\INetCache\7NXG6UPB
okia-lumia-620[1].jpg
I am still looking into this, but I think we’ll need to wait for a Dropbox app update. But, using Dropbox via the web interface works just fine.
In fact, I don’t think I can save a file from teh Dropbox app to my MicroSD card either…sigh.
Brian Burgess
Also, now that I think of it, there might be some type of restriction Microsoft is putting on the Dropbox app? Because of course Microsoft wants you to use SkyDrive.
Which is a whole other issue. SkyDrive on iOS is absolutely horrible, and it’s essentially just a file viewer just like Dropbox is now on the RT.
Aaron
Yeah, pretty crazy. I ended up emailing it to myself as a workaround, but was going insane thinking that I was missing something painfully obvious. Glad it wasn’t just me. :-) It’ll get there, I’m just to the point where I’m surprised and excited when I find a major app available on Windows 8 like Citrix Receiver, Dropbox, Twitter, Amazon, Lync, etc.
I don’t mind using SkyDrive, but when other people are using Dropbox and sharing out their folders to me, my hands are a bit tied! :-)
Thanks for the article and the reply and continue to enjoy your Surface!
Aaron
peter picataggio
I noticed there is no way to save any of the office program documents ( excel, word, etc ) to Dropbox on RT.
if anyone has figured a work around please let me know..
Thanks
Michael Bertrand
I just got my Surface today … frustrated that I can’t save any office programs to Dropbox…!
Any updates on this question?
Monty Chustz
Seems no one has figured out how to save Office program files to Dropbox in 8.1 RT
Joseph Harvey
I just downloaded this to my Surface. It was pretty frustrating getting my photos to upload to Dropbox. The only way I could do this was to place all of my photos into the “Photos” app built into the Surface. From there I had to again place them into the folder “Camera Reel”. This is again a stock item for the surface built into the Photo app.
Then I had to go into the dropbox app and refresh to look for photos. It took a bit and a few tries but they did eventually go. All except my videos. Those will not load into dropbox via my Surface.
Maybe you can take your documents and place them into this photo area described above. Kind of a super PITA. It is also another reason to avoid this device. While I like it. It will DEFINITELY not replace a laptop as advertised.