Dropbox: we explain its new features

Clearly Dropbox represents one of the most reputable sync and cloud storage services on the market, and the company that launched it has increasingly refined its product to please corporate and business users who use it as a collaborative work platform.

Dropbox renews its features

Dropbox now allows you to scan documents from the mobile application for iOS, and even create Microsoft Office documents directly on the smartphone. Other tools and functions that have been introduced are the ability to manage photos on your computer, share folders and files from the desktop, add comments to a specific part of a file and see the preview of previous versions, among other features.

The Dropbox cloud storage service has announced a series of new productivity features, available from June 2016 for all users. In a post on its blog, the company explains that these features are aimed primarily at users who use the service for work, although it may be useful for everyone.

With approximately 600 million users using Dropbox, the company learned a lot about how difficult it can be to do certain things. It is for this reason that Dropbox is introducing new productivity tools to simplify, unify and protect your work.

If you are a traditional person who likes to keep your receipts, Dropbox has just become your new best friend. The latest version of the popular file sync service can now scan documents, including receipts, and quickly upload them to your Dropbox account.

But that's not all the new Dropbox can do.

Scanning documents from the camera

The first new feature is a document scanner that activates the smartphone camera and helps you take perfectly centralized photos of the sheets. As in other programs of the genre, Dropbox offers some filters, removes the background automatically and allows you to save everything in a practical PDF file.

Just tap the "+" button at the bottom of the Dropbox interface, tap "Scan Document", aim the phone's camera lens, and wait until the blue outline fits snugly around the edges of the document.

Once you press the trigger, you will have the opportunity to rotate the scan, change the filter, or add an analysis on a new page in the same PDF document. Click Organize File to change the order of the pages.

When you're ready to load it, hit the Next button, choose the file name, its location and file type (PDF or PNG). Then hit Save.

With document scanning, it's now possible to use the Dropbox mobile app to capture and organize documents, receipts, and sketches, so ideas can be at your fingertips.

Create and edit Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents

If an idea is more suitable for an Office document, you can click the "New" button to create the Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel file instantly from your mobile device. It will be saved to your account automatically. The new + button in the Dropbox app for iOS adds a convenient way to create and save Office documents and helps people work better together, wherever they are.

There is no need to manually change applications when dealing with Microsoft Office files in Dropbox. With the latest Dropbox update, you can start working in Word, PowerPoint or Excel in one touch. You will have to install Microsoft Office Suite on your mobile for this trick to work.

You can also edit an existing Office document in your Dropbox account. Just tap to open the file, and then hit the Edit button at the bottom of the screen; Once again, you will automatically switch to the corresponding application to make the modifications.

Comment in a file

Collaboration is quite difficult if you can't communicate. Luckily, Dropbox makes it easy to chat about your files synced with the commenting features.

Just open a file and click on the bubble to start chatting. Everyone with whom you share the document can see the comment thread.

In the upper corner of the window, you will see a Notifications button (bell shaped). If enabled, you will be notified every time someone adds a comment. Turn off notifications to silence the alert alarm.

Unfortunately, you cannot tag a particular part or section of a file and add a comment (perhaps in a future update).

Protect with a Dropbox password

Even if your phone or tablet is already password protected, you might want to think about how to add an extra layer of protection to your precious Dropbox files.

The Dropbox app allows you to lock your files with a four-digit zone, and you can configure the Dropbox session lock passcode or delete your Dropbox account from your device after 10 unsuccessful unlock attempts.

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Click Recents, and then tap the Settings button to get to the Code Settings feature.

Then press Activate Access Code. Enter a four digit PIN number.

Please note that Dropbox only blocks access on the phone you are using; If you want to block Dropbox on your other devices, you will have to repeat the process for each of them.

Dropbox security

Security has also been improved, as individual files can be shared privately with specific people. That is, when opening the article link, the person who received it will need to log in to their Dropbox account to validate the permission. Previously, shared files could be accessed by anyone with the URL.

Share files and folders from the desktop

Now when you click on a file or folder, you can share files directly from the desktop, without having to go to the web, or copy a link and send it via email.

Keep a file offline

The Dropbox app for mobile phones or tablets can't do too much if you don't have a network connection.

However, in this new update you can mark specific files for offline use. Doing so downloads the latest version of the file to your phone, and you'll be able to open it even when the device can't connect to Wi-Fi or your data plan.

Simply press the down arrow button next to the file list and enable the Make Available Offline option. You can also open a file, tap the three dots on the menu button in the upper corner of the screen, and then tap Make Available Offline.

Do not forget that opening your Dropbox files when you are offline will consume local storage space on the device.

New interface for tablet or PC users with small screens

The new Dropbox update will allow the user to adjust the size of the application window without losing productivity. In technical terms, the application now supports screens with 360px resolution. Before, the minimum was 500px.

Dropbox can be updated by downloading the update from the Appstore. Instead, if you already have the application, you will notice the update request, which will update automatically.

Dropbox has yet to give an accurate timeline announcing when these features will hit Android.