That's a problem with Dropbox. It seems to be aimed more towards business and their plans are quite over priced.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Dropbox Launches Password Manager, File Vault, and More Across iPhone and Mac
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
While Dropbox's syncing is consistently more reliable and faster than the alternatives, it does so at the expense of significant CPU and RAM utilization. And I am not happy with Dropbox snooping every file I/O access (instead of just looking at the Dropbox folder) and asking for way more permission than is necessary.
Check out Cryptomator. It allows you to transparently encrypt your files before uploading with any cloud drive provider, and is open source.
Similarly, I'd recommend using KeepassXC (or Keepass if you're a Windows user) as password manager. Gives you full control over your password database. No need to be locked in to a proprietary provider.
1 Password has been good to me and I'm sticking with them. Simple as that. Integration from iOS to MaOS to Windows. Seamless.
Curious, I use 1password, and I use iCloud to sync it across all my devices since I'm mostly Apple user. I have run into issues with my PC server where it's very annoying for me to pull password. What do you think is the best way to sync if I were to switch to KeepassXC? I feel syncing the database has been my biggest headache.
It certainly doesn't seem better than 1password. Maybe just more convenient if you're already a paying dropbox user.
I'm not aware of a perfect cross-device way of using/sharing encrypted files. For example, on a Mac you can use an encrypted .dmg, but you can't open that on an iOS device. So this is kinda cool, but I'd like to be able to access the vault from the Finder on a Mac. Not sure why I should have to go through a web browser on the Mac but not on iOS.
Desktop and Documents already sync across iCloud by default. So the only way this is useful is if you're a paying dropbox user (lots of space) but not a paying iCloud user. If you're a basic dropbox user with 2 GB, this really doesn't do much.
Company tied close to NSA/US government want users to store passwords on dropbox servers... surrrreeeeeee I’ll do it.
I am along time and happy Dropbox user. I'm surprised by all the hate. I tried many other solutions, and Dropbox is the only one that worked consistently for me. iCloud tends not to sync files when I want them, and no clear way of forcing a sync.
I don't really understand the need for a password manager though...what's wrong with just using iCloud keychain?
I don't really understand the need for a password manager though...what's wrong with just using iCloud keychain?
Across the handful of cloud and sync services I use at work and home, the core features of Dropbox remain my favorite. Though they've certainly had mission creep over the years and offer less free storage than competitors, I haven't been able to beat the speed and reliability of their sync, the cross-platform integrations, and the simplicity of use.
As a point of frustration (and comparison), my OneDrive app (on my iMac) has been crashing nonstop since the recent update, and each crash includes resetting my synced folder preferences so that everything in the cloud starts downloading onto my local machine. Oh - and in order to stop the sync error, I had to log into the (constantly crashing) OneDrive app to reselect the correct folders. I lost 2 hours yesterday doing this.
This post is especially timely, as I am using a cloud sync utility to move some massive video files from OneDrive to Dropbox because I know the latter can handle the selective sync without being buggy.
For file shares, I really like Dropbox Transfer to tell me when a client downloads a file.
I am not going to jump on their password utility feature or some of their other bloat, but I will remain a customer until further notice because their core product has been so reliable.
As a point of frustration (and comparison), my OneDrive app (on my iMac) has been crashing nonstop since the recent update, and each crash includes resetting my synced folder preferences so that everything in the cloud starts downloading onto my local machine. Oh - and in order to stop the sync error, I had to log into the (constantly crashing) OneDrive app to reselect the correct folders. I lost 2 hours yesterday doing this.
This post is especially timely, as I am using a cloud sync utility to move some massive video files from OneDrive to Dropbox because I know the latter can handle the selective sync without being buggy.
For file shares, I really like Dropbox Transfer to tell me when a client downloads a file.
I am not going to jump on their password utility feature or some of their other bloat, but I will remain a customer until further notice because their core product has been so reliable.
I store one of my Keepass databases in iCloud Drive. It's really not a problem. The database format is supported by a number of different apps on all platforms, including MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
What specific issues did you have?
Same with you, and the same combination. I do seem to live in a bit of fear when it comes to Dropbox and data breaches though, I have a lot of information in there that i can't afford to lose. Not passwords, but just important files. I just hope Dropbox protect our data!
Looks like this new password manager is released in time to scoop up the share from Firefox Lockwise.
Considering Dropbox's track record with security, I wouldn't let them anywhere near my passwords.
Does keepass also stores the DB in a weird invisible way like 1password? I think that’s why I wasn’t able to use iCloud with the PC. Cause 1password doesn’t work with iCloud on PC.
I’m looking at it now and I might consider switch over. It looks promising.
I've looked into Cryptomator and another one called Boxcryptor. My problem with these solutions is that they add an extra layer to the whole process. I never tried Cryptomator, but Boxcryptor was very clunky. Solutions like this fix a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place.
With Sync.com I don't have to worry about using some middle man software to handle the encryption. Sync works just like Dropbox or iCloud Drive, only it's secure. So far I'm very happy with it. Syncing is very fast and so far I've had no problems (knock on wood).
If those features become part of a single sub with the cloud storage itself, it could be a good option for many.
Unless the cloud service you choose is a zero-knowledge solution, there's always the possibility that someone might get your data. It's probably very unlikely. However, certain Dropbox employees can access your Dropbox account. Dropbox confirms this on their site. I'm sure they have all sorts of safeguards in place, but the fact that it's possible means that it's also possible for a hacker to get in (theoretically). If the solution isn't zero-knowledge from the ground up, you're never totally secure.
No, the password database is a simple file like any other that you can store wherever you want.
It's not really a man in the middle. If you want end-to-end encrypted file syncing, you have to have a piece of software on your device that encrypts/decrypts your stuff. That's what Cryptomator does, and what the Sync.com client does too. The difference is that Cryptomator is provider-agnostic. Also, it's open source so you can verify that it does what they say, whereas with closed-source apps like Sync.com you have to trust them.
Dropbox playing catch-up with Microsoft OneDrive? OneDrive has had Personal Vault for months and also Backup functionality that keeps desktop, documents, and pictures folders backed-up in the cloud.
For most people, 1TB of OneDrive is free with Microsoft365.
For most people, 1TB of OneDrive is free with Microsoft365.
Exactly.
That's the way LastPass does it too. They don't store your master password... and your encryption key is based on your master password.
So even if a hacker broke into LastPass... all they would get is a blob of encrypted data. And it would take a zillion years to brute force it.
Just be sure to never forget your master password... because they cannot reset it!
interesting. I’m trying to get away from dropbox, too. I like it for file sharing, but I don’t need to pay for it and iCloud. I’m kind of thinking of something like Transmit, too, so that i can keep Dropbox in the cloud but delete it from my local MacBook.
