Dropbox’s ability to use external drives is being lost owing to an Apple API update

Apple is soon going to introduce some major changes to macOS. In addition to this, the company will introduce some new methods for how Apple’s File Provider API works. Such modification will cause the apps like Dropbox to put an end to support for exterior drives.

Some Dropbox users have reported that they confronted problems with their external drive setup. Such issues were presented on Macs running macOS Ventura. It is because of a modification to Apple’s API. Such changes require cloud storage apps to place system files in ~/Library/CloudStorage.

The update is quite surprising for users that depended on local external storage for storing, syncing, and saving projects with Dropbox. It seems like the users are not happy with these changes. Since one user stated on the Dropbox Forum that the recent modification is acting as a blockage. The user mentioned that the team might have to search for another option.

Well, it is uncertain whether such modifications affect other third-party cloud storage providers or not. And if it affects what will be the consequences? The apps that utilize Apple’s File Provider API will have to follow the new system folders.

In addition to this, the Dropbox company has detailed how the users are going to be affected given Apple’s API modifications. These are as follows:

• Modifying the position of your Dropbox folder is no longer supported by macOS.
• Due to the adjustment of the Dropbox folder location, files that were formerly associated with some third-party apps are required to be linked again.
• Storage of Dropbox folder on an external drive is no longer supported by macOS.
• The dropbox folder in Finder will now appear under Locations instead of under the Favorites category.
• Individual folders can be shifted from your Dropbox folder to Favorites in order to gain quick access.

The updates will be installed automatically. When a user will restart the app, the new version of Dropbox will open.