If you’re like most of us, you probably use Dropbox to keep your files safe and accessible on all your devices. Even if you don’t know the ins and outs of cloud storage, chances are good that you’ve installed the app and started using it. We all know how important it is to back up our data. You never know when a hard drive could crash or an email account can get hacked. And if you leave all your important files on just one computer, you risk losing everything if something goes wrong with that device. Fortunately, cloud storage solutions like Dropbox make it easy to sync files between multiple devices at once so that you can access them from anywhere and keep backups stored offsite. Keeping your data in the cloud also helps protect against natural disasters like floods or fires as well as man-made disasters like ransomware attacks. But usage doesn’t always indicate success. Even if someone uses Dropbox, that doesn’t mean they get the most out of it — or that it works for them as much as they hoped. Here are some top reasons why Dropbox might not be working for you:
Dropbox is too complicated to use
Some apps are so easy to use that you don’t even need a manual. You can start using them right away without needing any instructions at all. Other programs, though, are so complicated that you need to sit down with a user guide to learn even the most basic functions. Dropbox falls into the latter category. While it’s easy to install Dropbox and start using it, the process isn’t particularly intuitive. You’ll need to set up folders, download desktop and mobile apps, and work through a web interface to get the most out of Dropbox. Even if you’re an experienced computer user, you may want to take some time to familiarize yourself with each of the above features before you jump into using Dropbox on a daily basis. Otherwise, you may spend more time trying to understand the ins and outs of the app than you do actually getting work done.
Dropbox takes too long to sync
At the same time, if you have a particularly large file that you need to sync to all your devices, you might suffer from Dropbox taking too long to sync. If you work with large files, you might also be at risk of having your account suspended due to copyright violations. To avoid these issues, consider investing in an upgrade to Dropbox Premier, which allows you to store up to 10 TB per account. If you have a team of collaborators, you may also want to look into the Business option for added security and management tools.
Dropbox is too expensive
While most people don’t complain about Dropbox being too complicated, or having issues with the speed of the sync, there is one main reason why people complain about it not being user-friendly – it’s too expensive for what you get. But let’s be clear: Dropbox is not too expensive for everyone. It’s just a bad deal for certain people. And if you fall into that category, you can easily find other cloud storage solutions that are cheaper, more reliable, and feature-packed. For instance, Amazon offers a robust cloud service called AWS (Amazon Web Services) that provides a ton of storage options, including S3. You can also configure how much space you want in your account and what you are willing to pay for it.
Dropbox has poor file-management tools
As you’re building your Dropbox files, you’ll occasionally run into a situation where you need to edit a document. But once you’re in the app and editing a file, you’re stuck. Once you’re in the app, you can’t easily edit a file from your desktop or laptop computer. You also can’t open a document that’s stored on your computer from inside Dropbox. Instead, you’ll have to copy and paste it into a program like Microsoft Word or Google Docs and then copy it back into Dropbox. This could take a long time and could be a serious pain if you need to change a large number of files at once.
Conclusion
Dropbox is one of the most widely used cloud storage solutions in the world. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. Fortunately, you don’t need to commit to a single provider. You can use multiple cloud storage solutions to protect yourself against the risk of losing data due to one company going out of business. If you want to keep your important files safe, there are a few questions you should ask yourself: What do I want to store in the cloud? What devices do I use most? What do I want to access most often? And don’t forget that it’s possible to switch to a new cloud storage provider at any time. You can move all your data without significant disruption or additional effort.
