My Dropbox Space Reduced? Tips to Free Up Storage

Quick Navigation:

• Dropbox Space Reduced, Please Help!
• Why Is Your Dropbox Space Reduced?
• Does Dropbox Delete My Files After Reduced?
• How to Free Up Dropbox Space?
• Write in the End

Dropbox Space Reduced, Please Help!

Although Dropbox is an excellent cloud storage service, many users have the annoying problem of Dropbox space suddenly decreasing. If you are suffering from the same issue, Don’t worry. There are several efficient ways to get more Dropbox capacity. We'll go over practical ways to help you effectively clear up space in this guide.

Why Is Your Dropbox Space Reduced?

It's essential to understand why your Dropbox space is shrinking. Typically, it’s because of the promotion space or Dropbox glitches.

Does Dropbox Delete My Files After Reduced?

Generally speaking, Dropbox will send you multiple emails about the information, check your email and you have a chance to backup your Dropbox files in advance. Thus, there is no need to worry about your Dropbox data.

If you are still out of space in Dropbox, Dropbox will delete your files using the Last In, First Out principle. And the process will be stopped once you upgrade to a Dropbox advanced plan. All these deleted files will be stored in the Recently Deleted section, you can restore them here.

How to Free Up Dropbox Space?

If you need to free up space for Dropbox, you can consider deleting the following files:

• Large or duplicate files: Unnecessary files taking up precious space.
• Shared folders: Files shared with you count toward your quota.
• Deleted files still occupying space: Dropbox retains deleted files for a period.
• Cached files: Temporary files stored locally.
• Automatic backups: Your device may be backing up data you don't need.
• Free plan limitations: If you’re on a free plan, storage is limited.

Understanding this information helps you to reclaim your Dropbox storage. Now, let’s find out more solutions to free up Dropbox space.

• Way 1. Delete Unnecessary Files and Folders
• Way 2. Remove Large and Duplicate Files
• Way 3. Manage Shared Folders
• Way 4. Clear Dropbox Cache
• Way 5. Manage Deleted Files
• Way 6. Disable Automatic Backups
• Way 7. Migrate Dropbox to Another Cloud

Way 1. Delete Unnecessary Files and Folders

One of the quickest ways to regain space is to remove files and folders that are no longer needed. Steps to delete files and folders:

1. Open Dropbox and sign in.

2. Navigate to the file or folder you want to delete.

3. Click the three-dot menu next to the file.

4. Select Delete and confirm.

5. Empty the Deleted Files section to permanently free up space.

Way 2. Remove Large and Duplicate Files

Over time, large or duplicate files can eat up your storage space. Steps to find and remove large files are listed below:

1. Go to Dropbox’s Storage Page and review file sizes.

2. Sort files by size to identify the largest ones.

3. Download and save any important files externally.

4. Delete unnecessary large files from Dropbox.

5. Empty the Deleted Files folder to reclaim space.

Way 3. Manage Shared Folders

Shared folders count toward your storage quota, even if someone else owns them. Steps to leave shared folders:

1. Open Dropbox and go to the Shared section.

2. Identify folders you don’t need access to.

3. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the folder.

4. Select Leave folder and confirm.

Way 4. Clear Dropbox Cache

Dropbox stores temporary cache files, which can accumulate over time. Steps to clear Dropbox cache:

1. Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac).

2. Navigate to your Dropbox folder.

3. Open the hidden .dropbox.cache folder.

4. Select all files and delete them.

5. Empty your system’s Recycle Bin/Trash.

Way 5. Manage Deleted Files

Even after deleting files, they remain in Dropbox for 30 days (or 180 days for paid plans), consuming space. Steps to permanently delete files:

1. Open Dropbox and go to Deleted Files.

2. Select the files you want to remove permanently.

3. Click Permanently Delete.

Way 6. Disable Automatic Backups

Dropbox may be backing up files from your computer, taking up space. Check these steps to disable automatic backups:

1. Open Dropbox and click your profile icon.

2. Go to Preferences > Backups.

3. Disable unnecessary backup options.

Way 7. Migrate Dropbox to Another Cloud

If you still want to use Dropbox files online and stay within the Dropbox storage limit without upgrading, you can migrate Dropbox to Google Drive, OneDrive, or other clouds with a larger cloud space to free up space for Dropbox, then you can still access to Dropbox on Google Drive, or other clouds.

Fortunately, the comprehensive web-based multiple cloud storage manager - MultCloud can do you a big favor.

Professional: MultCloud is dedicated to migrating files between clouds directly without downloading manually.

Diverse: It supports over 40 clouds and services, including Dropbox, Dropbox for Business, pCloud, OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, SharePoint, iCloud Drive, iCloud Photos, Google Drive, Google Workspace, Google Photos, Gmail, Outlook, NAS, FTP/SFTP, WebDAV, Wasabi, Amazon S3, Box, Box for Business, etc.

Useful Settings: You can configure different settings for different purposes, like filter, schedule, notification, transfer methods, sync modes, and many more.

So, how to migrate Dropbox to Google Drive for example to free up Dropbox space, check the following steps:

1. Ensure you have created a MultCloud account, and then log in.

2. Click Add Cloud > Google Drive, then follow the guide to grant access to MultCloud. Using the same procedure to add Dropbox.

3. Hit Cloud Transfer, and choose Dropbox files as the source while a location in Google Drive is the destination.

4. Press Options > Transfer > Delete all source files after transfer is complete > Save, then press the Transfer Now button to migrate Dropbox files to Google Drive.

You can go to Task List to monitor the process. Wait for a while, all the selected files will be migrated to Google Drive, and Dropbox storage will be freed up due to the options settings.

• Smart Share: Share cloud files via public, private, or source mode.
• One-key Move: Quick data transfer, sync, and backup among clouds.
• Email Archive: Protect emails to other clouds or local disks.
• Remote upload: Effectively save web files to clouds via URL.
• Save Webpages as PDF/PNG: Keep them locally or online.
• Instagram Download: Archive Instagram materials locally or online.
• Easy: Access and manage all clouds in one place with one login.
• Extensive: 30+ clouds and on-premise services are supported.

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Write in the End

Until now, you should have fixed the Dropbox space reduced problem. Besides, if you need to backup Dropbox files, MultCloud can also do the trick. Real-time sync can also help you to keep files always up to date if you need to keep files the same in two clouds, just explore and try.