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How to navigate the Dropbox redesign

The redesign of the Dropbox Web site is a boon for users who access their storage via Web browsers. We'll show you how to make the most of the redesign.

Ed Rhee
Ed Rhee, a freelance writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, is an IT veteran turned stay-at-home-dad of two girls. He focuses on Android devices and applications while maintaining a review blog at techdadreview.com.
Ed Rhee
2 min read
Dropbox

If you've been using the Dropbox mobile app or desktop software, chances are you didn't notice the major redesign of Dropbox.com. The redesign makes it easier to do almost everything in your Dropbox folder from a Web browser. Here are some tips on navigating the redesign:

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Check out the Action Bar
The dynamic action bar, which sits above the file and folder list, changes as you click on different folders and files. For most files and folders, it displays actions like, Download, Delete, Rename, etc. When you click on the Photos folder, it changes to Gallery and Download.

Dropbox action bar
Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

Use the Photo Viewer
The Dropbox Photo folder now has a photo viewer with thumbnail support, which makes it easier to tell which photos you're working on rather than just going by file names. Clicking on a photo automatically launches the photo viewer.

Dropbox photo viewer
Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET
Right-click
Right-click on a file to bring up actions. Screenshot by Ed Rhee/CNET

Right-click in the file browser
The redesigned file browser also now supports right-click actions. Right-clicking on a file or folder brings up most of the same actions available from the action bar.

Selecting files
Selecting files no longer requires clicking on check boxes. Just click the first file, then drag your mouse to the last file of your group. If the files you want to select aren't in consecutive order, you can still press the Ctrl key on your keyboard as you select individual files.

Use keyboard shortcuts
The redesign supports a smaller set of keyboard shortcuts than before, but they're still very useful and will help you save time. Hit the "?" key to see the full list of available shortcuts.

Use search to find your Dropbox files
The Dropbox search box is a handy way to search through a lot of files in your Dropbox folder. It also supports live search now, so it displays your files as you type.

That's it. Try out these tips as you learn the Dropbox redesign and you'll be navigating the site like a pro in no time.