What are the system requirements to run Dropbox?

System requirements for the Dropbox desktop app

The desktop app runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. To run the Dropbox app on your computer you will need:

Windows: 7, 8, 8.1, or 10

• The Dropbox folder will need to be on an NTFS-formatted hard drive

Mac: Mac: OS X Mavericks (10.9) up to macOS Mojave (10.14)

• The Dropbox folder will need to be on an HFS+ or APFS-formatted hard drive
• The latest version of the Dropbox desktop app is required
• You may have a different experience if you’re running macOS Sierra

Linux:  Ubuntu 14.04 or higher, Fedora 21 or higher

• You must have glibc 2.19 or higher
• The Dropbox folder will need to be on an ext4-formatted hard drive or partition
  • Note: ecryptfs is not supported, but Dropbox will continue to sync with supported file systems that are encrypted via full disk encryption (e.g. LUKS)
• If your device doesn't meet these requirements, you can still use the Dropbox desktop application as long as it meets our system requirements for Dropbox on Linux (but keep in mind that your results may vary)

Notes for the desktop app

• If you’re running a supported operating system, but you see a message that your computer is unsupported, you may be running Dropbox in an unsupported configuration.
• If you receive a notification that you need to move Dropbox to a supported location or file system, you need to ensure the Dropbox folder is located in a supported location. Learn more about supported locations, and how to resolve this error message if it appears. 
• Dropbox works best when it is the only desktop application interfacing with the Dropbox folder. We do not support running multiple instances of the Dropbox desktop app on the same computer, or other syncing apps interfacing with Dropbox.
• If you're running an older version of an operating system, you may receive an email notification from Dropbox that it's no longer supported.

System requirements for the Dropbox website (dropbox.com)

You can transfer and download files from dropbox.com using most modern browsers. However, dropbox.com works best on the two most recent versions of:

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Internet Explorer 11
• Safari

Some features may not be fully supported on older versions of these browsers, or on browsers not in this list.

I see a message that my "browser is not secure" when I try to buy a Dropbox subscription

If you see a "browser is not secure" error while trying to buy a Dropbox subscription, you'll need to update to a newer version of your web browser to finish the purchase. Please update your browser to one of the versions listed above.

To process customer credit card payments on our website, Dropbox must be PCI compliant. Recently, the Payment Cards Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSA) updated their requirements for payments processing, and some older browser versions don't support the new security protocols.

System requirements for the Dropbox iOS apps

• iOS 10 or later
• An iOS 10 compatible device
• An Apple ID to access the App Store

Download the Dropbox apps for iPhone and iPad.

The mobile-optimized version of Dropbox should work on any web browser, on any device: http://m.dropbox.com.

System requirements for the Dropbox Android app

• Android OS 4.4 and up

Download the Dropbox apps for Android.

The mobile-optimized version of Dropbox should work on any device. Simply visit dropbox.com on your mobile browser.

System requirements for the Dropbox app for Windows

• A Windows 10 device with the Microsoft Store available
• A Microsoft account to install apps from the Microsoft Store
• An up-to-date version of the Windows operating system:
  • Windows 10 Creator Update (15063) or higher

Download the Dropbox app from the Microsoft Store.

System requirements for Dropbox Paper

paper.dropbox.com

• Chrome 52 and up
• Firefox 48 and up
• Microsoft Edge 38 and up 
• Safari 9 and up
• Opera 45 and up

Dropbox Paper mobile apps

iOS app

• iOS 10 or later
• iOS 10 compatible device
• iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

Android app

• Android OS 5.0 or later

System requirements for Dropbox Showcase

You can use showcase.dropbox.com on the most recent mobile and desktop versions of:

• Chrome
• Firefox
• Microsoft Edge
• Opera
• Safari

Some features may not be fully supported on older versions of these browsers, or on browsers not in this list.

Additional system requirements for Dropbox on Linux

Dropbox only supports Ubuntu 14.04 or higher and Fedora 21 or higher. If your device does not meet these requirements, you are still able to use the Dropbox desktop application. However your results may vary.

Requirements for the optimal Dropbox desktop experience on Linux

To have the full Dropbox experience, you can install the application from the Linux install page. You will also need to meet all of the following software requirements:

• Glibc 2.19 or higher
• GTK 2.24 or higher
• Glib 2.40 or higher
• Libappindicator 12.10 or higher
• Nautilus 3.10.1 or higher

You will also need one of the following desktop environments:

• GNOME shell (may need the TopIcons extension to get the tray icon)
• Unity
• GNOME Classic
• XFCE with the corresponding Nautilus dependencies

The Dropbox folder will also need to be on an ext4-formatted hard drive or partition.

• ecryptfs is not supported, but Dropbox will continue to sync with supported file systems that are encrypted via full disk encryption (e.g. LUKS)

Requirements to run the Dropbox desktop application headless on Linux

If you don’t meet the requirements listed above, you can still use the Dropbox desktop application via the command line to sync your files. However, sync icons and other features will not be available.

To use the desktop app via command line, please install the application from the Linux Install page and use the Linux Command Line Interface (CLI) to control the desktop app.

You will need to meet the following software requirements to run the desktop application headless:

• Glibc 2.19 or higher

The Dropbox folder will also need to be on an ext4-formatted hard drive or partition.

• ecryptfs is not supported, but Dropbox will continue to sync with supported file systems that are encrypted via full disk encryption (e.g. LUKS)

Support for IPv6 addressing

The Dropbox desktop app supports connecting on networks that utilize IPv6 addressing. 

Requirements

• A current, working version of the Dropbox desktop app
• A working DNS64/NAT64 gateway

Dropbox automatically detects the address protocol in use on the network. If your internal network uses IPv6 addresses, then the desktop application operates within this environment.

Dual-stack (or native dual-stack) IP implementation

With a dual-stack IP implementation where both IPv6 and IPv4 are available, Dropbox uses the IPv6 network by default. If IPv6 addresses are slow to resolve, the app defaults to IPv4.

Please note that LAN sync uses IPv4. If your network only supports IPv6, then you can’t use LAN sync.

My computer is no longer supported, or won't be supported soon. What should I do?

We regularly release new versions of the Dropbox app with additional features, better performance, and enhanced security. These versions are not always compatible with older operating systems. Periodically, we'll end support of the Dropbox app for these operating systems to keep our product offerings in line. This includes the following recent changes:

macOS

• In May, 2015 the Dropbox desktop app stopped supporting macOS versions OS X 10.4 and OS X 10.5
• In January, 2018 the Dropbox desktop app stopped supporting macOS versions OS X 10.6 and OS X 10.7

Windows

• In August, 2016 the Dropbox desktop app stopped supporting Windows version XP
• In January, 2018 the Dropbox desktop app stopped supporting Windows version Vista

Linux

• In October, 2018 the Dropbox desktop app will stop supporting Ubuntu 10.04 - 13.10 and Fedora 19 & 20

If you're using the Dropbox desktop app on a computer with one of these operating systems, and you choose not to update it, your files will remain safe in your Dropbox account. You can access them from another supported device, or on dropbox.com if you're using a supported browser.

What does this mean for me?

When an operating system is no longer supported, the Dropbox application will stop syncing file or folder changes. You'll also be signed out of the Dropbox desktop app on that computer.

To continue using the Dropbox desktop app on that computer after support has ended for your operating system, you'll need to update your operating system to a supported version.

• For instructions on updating your Windows operating system, visit the Microsoft website
• For instructions on updating your macOS operating system, visit the Apple website
• For instructions on updating your Linux operating system, visit the Ubuntu website or visit the Fedora website

To see which version of an operating system is running on your computer:

1. Visit the Dropbox account page.
2. Scroll to Devices.
3. Under Most recent activity, hover over the "i" icon to see that device's operating system.

Dropbox Business admins

You can check to see if members of your team are running the Dropbox desktop app on an older operating system that we no longer support:

1. Sign in to dropbox.com with your admin account.
2. Visit the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/team/admin/settings/end_of_support

I got an email about this, but I'm not running one of the operating systems listed in this article

If you received an email about end of support but you're not running one of the operating systems mentioned in this article, the Dropbox application might be running in an unsupported configuration. Please review the list of supported operating systems and note that versions not explicitly listed there are not supported.

If you're on Windows, check that Dropbox isn't running in compatibility mode. To run the Dropbox desktop app, you'll need to disable compatibility mode.