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Uninstall Dropbox on a Mac Without Deleting Your Files

Uninstalling Dropbox removes the Mac app, not your account or local files. Follow the safe removal steps and handle folder deletion or Dropbox Backup separately.
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To remove Dropbox from your Mac, quit the desktop app, then open Finder, choose Applications, and drag Dropbox to the Trash. This removes the app; it does not delete your Dropbox account or the local Dropbox folder.

Remove the Dropbox desktop app

  1. Click the Dropbox icon in the Mac menu bar.
  2. Click the avatar or account menu, then choose Quit.
  3. Open Finder and select Applications.
  4. Drag Dropbox to the Trash.

These are Dropbox’s published Mac uninstall steps. The support article was updated September 14, 2023, so menu labels may differ if the app’s interface has changed. Dropbox’s uninstall instructions

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What uninstalling removes—and what it leaves behind

Uninstalling removes the desktop application. It does not delete your Dropbox account, the files stored in that account, or the local Dropbox folder on your Mac. Removing the local folder is a separate, optional action. If you want to keep its contents, make a separate copy somewhere else before deleting it. Dropbox’s uninstall guidance

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Find and delete the local Dropbox folder only if you intend to

Do not assume the folder is named Dropbox or is in its default location. Dropbox says you can find its location in the desktop app under Preferences > Sync. Copy the displayed path, then in Finder choose Go > Go to Folder and use that path to locate it. This is particularly useful if the folder was moved or you use work and personal accounts. Dropbox’s folder-location instructions

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If Finder shows an unlinked Dropbox folder

On Macs using Dropbox’s File Provider experience, an unlinked folder can appear in Finder under Locations, marked “This is an unlinked Dropbox,” with a separate Delete “Dropbox” action. That action concerns the folder, not the Dropbox app in Applications. Dropbox says its updated File Provider experience requires macOS 12.5 or later. Dropbox’s File Provider guidance

Do not opt out of File Provider just to uninstall the app. Dropbox warns that, after migration, offline files on the device must be downloaded again if you opt out.

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If Dropbox will not uninstall

Dropbox recommends quitting its running apps or processes in Activity Monitor, then trying the uninstall steps again. Activity Monitor is included with macOS; you do not need a separate utility. Dropbox’s uninstall troubleshooting steps

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Manage Dropbox Backup separately

Deleting the app or local folder is not the same as deleting a computer or external-drive backup stored through Dropbox Backup. Dropbox says its desktop app must be installed to delete a backup. If you have already removed the app, you may need to install it again for that task; if you no longer have access to the device, Dropbox says you can unlink it from your Dropbox account. Dropbox’s Dropbox Backup deletion instructions

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