How to remove members from a shared folder and unshare folders

Updated Feb 15, 2024
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 The information in this article applies to all Dropbox users, unless otherwise stated.

If you want to remove access to a shared folder, you can remove specific members or unshare the folder.  If you’d like to leave a shared folder that you’re a member of, learn how to temporarily or permanently leave a shared Dropbox folder.

If there are shared links in this shared folder and the link creator leaves the folder, the view access links will be disabled. Anyone with edit access will be able to edit link settings.

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Note: When you remove a member from a folder or unshare a folder, you can choose to let them keep a copy of that folder, but it'll no longer sync with other accounts.

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How to remove a member from a shared folder

When you remove a member from a shared folder, that member loses access to the folder and all the files it contains. You must be the owner of the folder to remove members unless the owner has given the editors permission to manage access to the folder.

 

  1. Log in to dropbox.com.
  2. Hover over the folder you’d like to manage and click the share icon (rectangle with an up arrow).
  3. Click Who can access.
  4. Click the dropdown next to the member you’d like to remove.
  5. Click Remove.
  6. Choose if you want to leave the member a copy of the shared folder.
  7. Click Remove again.
  1. Open the Dropbox folder in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
  2. Right-click or command-click the folder you’d like to manage.
  3. Select Share… next to the Dropbox icon.
  4. Click Who can access.
  5. Click the dropdown next to the member you’d like to remove.
  6. Click Remove.
  7. Choose if you want to leave the member a copy of the shared folder.
  8. Click Remove again.
  1. Open the Dropbox mobile app.
  2. Tap the “ (vertical ellipsis on Android) or “” (ellipsis on iOS) next to the folder you’d like to determine the owner of.
  3. Tap Manage access (Android) or Folder settings (iOS).
  4. Tap the area below [x] members.
  5. Tap on the member you’d like to remove.
  6. Tap Remove (Android) or Remove access (iOS).
  7. Choose if you want to leave the member a copy of the shared folder.
  8. Tap Remove (Android) or Remove access (iOS) again.

How to unshare a folder

When you unshare a folder, the files are permanently deleted from each member's account and removed from any linked devices when the Dropbox desktop app syncs again. If you're the owner of a shared folder, you can unshare the folder at any time. 

You won’t be able to unshare a folder if:

  • The folder contains shared folders
  • The folder is inside another shared folder

This is because, when you share a folder, the people you invite to that folder then have access to everything within it—including other folders. In this case, you can set user permissions to edit or view-only but you can’t unshare specific files or folders within a shared folder.

Alternatively, if you’re the owner of the whole folder, you can move the subfolder out of the shared folder or manually remove members at the parent folder level following the instructions above.

To unshare the folder:

  1. Log in to dropbox.com
  2. Hover over the folder you’d like to unshare and click the share icon (rectangle with an up arrow).
  3. Click the gear icon in the top right.
  4. Click Unshare folder.
  5. Click Unshare.
  1. Open the Dropbox folder in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).
  2. Right-click the folder you’d like to unshare.
  3. Select Share… next to the Dropbox icon.
  4. Click the gear icon in the top right.
  5. Click Unshare folder.
  6. Click Unshare.

Android

  1. Open the Dropbox mobile app.
  2. Tap the “ (vertical ellipsis) next to the folder you’d like to unshare.
  3. Tap Manage Access.
  4. Tap Unshare.
  5. Tap Unshare again.

iOS

  1. Open the Dropbox mobile app.
  2. Tap the “” (ellipsis) next to the folder you’d like to unshare.
  3. Tap Folder settings.
  4. Tap Unshare folder.
  5. Tap Unshare folder again.
If you have an issue that is not covered in this article, find answers to common questions about shared folders for individuals and team accounts.
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