Basic teams: an overview

Dropbox Basic teams is a free team plan that allows you to collaborate, share files and documents, and work on projects together, all within a shared workspace for up to 10 people.

Features

In addition to the features provided with Dropbox Basic, Basic teams include:
 

Team storage: Each Basic team will receive 2 GB of storage space shared among the team members.
 

Shared team folder: Collaborate seamlessly within your team’s shared folder, adding and editing documents that everyone on the team needs to see.
 

Learn more about member and team folders.
 

Admin console access: Every team member will be able to view the admin console. From here, you can track your usage and see which features you have access to.
 

The team admin can use the console to upgrade the team, add and remove members, control external sharing settings, and delete, move, and download content from the team folder.

Feature comparison

Learn more about paid team plans here.

How to start a Basic team

To create a team:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Start a team in the top right.
3. Enter the email addresses of the people you’d like to add to the team.
   • If you’d like to change the name of your team, click the pencil icon next to the current name.
4. Click Send invites.
   

Once you create your team, your existing files will be added to your personal folder, and the team gets a folder that everyone can access. Members can also create new folders.

How to invite people to a Basic team

To invite someone to join your free team:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Invite people in the top right.
3. Enter the email addresses of the people you’d like to invite to the team, and a message if desired.

Once someone accepts an invite, they will have access to the team folders they have permissions for.

Manage who can send invites

Everyone on your team will be able to invite new members by default. Admins can change this setting in the admin console.

To turn this off:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Admin console.
3. Click Settings.
4. Select Membership.
5. Toggle Members can invite people to the team to “Off”.

How to join a Basic team

As an existing Dropbox user

To join a team you’ve been invited to:

1. Open the invite in your email inbox.
2. Click Join team.
3. Log in to your Dropbox account.
4. Select Yes or No when asked if you have files that your Basic team admin shouldn’t have access to.
   • If Yes, we will recommend that you create a new Dropbox account, with a new email address for your existing files before you join the team. 
   • If No, your existing files will be added to a personal folder within the team. These existing files will use the team’s 2 GB storage space quota.

If you don’t have a Dropbox account

To join a team:

1. Open the invite in your email inbox.
2. Click Join team.
3. Enter your name, email address, and password.
4. Check your inbox for a verification email.

Once you’ve verified your email, you’ll have full access to your new team.

How to upload content to a team

To upload content to a team folder:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click on your team folder.
3. Click Upload under the search bar at the top.
4. Click Files or Folder:
   • If you choose Files, select as many files as you like and click Open.
   • If you choose Folder, select a folder and click Upload.

These files will now be accessible to every member of the team with access to that folder.

How to share content to a team

If the file or folder lives in a personal folder

If you’re the owner of a file or a folder, you can share it from your personal folder with individuals in your team. If you share a file or folder that lives in your personal folder, only the file or folder that you select is shared. Nothing else in your personal folder is shared unless you choose to share it. 

You can:

1. Share the file or folder by email. 

2. Send a link to view or edit the file or folder.
3. Move the file or folder from your personal folder into a team folder.  This means that the file or folder will be accessible to everyone who can access the folder you’re moving it to.

If the file or folder is in a team folder 

You can: 

1. Share the file or folder by email.  
2. Send a link to view or edit the file or folder.

How to download Dropbox for your computer and mobile devices

How to install the Dropbox desktop app

1. Download the Dropbox desktop app.
2. Once Dropbox is installed on your computer, you’ll see a Dropbox icon in the taskbar (Windows) or menu bar (Mac), and a Dropbox folder on your hard drive.
3. You’ll be prompted to log in with your Dropbox team account credentials. You should use the same email address and password that you logged in with on dropbox.com (this will be the same for all your devices). 

The Dropbox desktop app is available for Linux, Windows, and macOS operating systems. Find out more about using the Dropbox with Windows 10 in S mode or on Linux.
 

Find more information on Dropbox compatibility with your operating system.
 

Find out more on what to do if Dropbox won't install.

How to download the Dropbox mobile app

Download it from dropbox.com/mobile, or your preferred app store.

If you already have the Dropbox mobile app on your phone or tablet, simply log in with your email and password. You can also log in using SSO with your Google or Apple account. 

How to disband a team

To disband a Basic team:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click on the team name in the top left.
3. Select Disband team from the dropdown menu.
4. Select your reason for leaving and click Continue.
5. Choose what to do with team files once the disband is completed.
   • Note: To prevent team members from keeping access to content that was in the team space, it’s easiest to select Save files and move to individual accounts. This transfers the ownership of the team files to the admin. You can then choose to unshare specific files and folders both before and after the team disband.
6. Click Confirm.

When you disband your team:

• All team members will get a Dropbox Basic account which contains their personal folder. 
• The content that was in the team space will be placed into shared folders, owned by the team admin who triggered the team disband. All users who previously had access to this content, including admins, team members, and external collaborators will continue to have access to the shared folders.
• Replay and Capture content won’t be accessible after the team disbands.

Additionally, once a team disbands, the following will happen:

• The team structure will be deleted.
• Anyone granted access to shared folders within team folders will keep their permissions, so they can view and interact with the content within.
• Pending invites will be deleted.
• Content from deleted team members will be permanently lost.
• Deleted files and folders can't be restored.
• Pending signature requests will be canceled.
• Signed documents can’t be edited, but can still be viewed or downloaded by all users who previously had access to the team folder.

How to leave a team

To leave a team as a team member, you need to request that your admin removes you from the team. They can do so through the admin console.

To remove a member from the team as an admin:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Hover over the team name in the top left.
3. Select Admin console from the dropdown menu.
4. Click Members in the far left sidebar.
5. Click the ☑ (more options) next to the name of the person you want to remove.
6. Select Delete.
7. Choose when to transfer this member's file content to another team member and whether to delete content from this member’s devices next time they come online.
   • Under Do you want to transfer this member’s file content to another team member?, select either Transfer now or Transfer later. If you select Transfer now, enter the recipient’s name or email address.
   • Under Do you want to delete content from this member’s devices next time they come online?, select Yes or No.
8. Click Continue.
9. Review the Delete account completely screen to confirm selection.
10. Click Delete account.

When you leave a team, you'll keep access to your personal folder, but you'll no longer be able to access the shared team folder.

Upgrading a team

Upgrading your team will give you access to more premium features, such as additional storage, advanced admin capabilities, enhanced customer support and more.
 

Learn more about Dropbox team plans here.
 

To upgrade the team:

1. Log in to dropbox.com.
2. Click Upgrade in the top right.
3. Choose the number of licenses you need and whether you want to be billed monthly or yearly.
   • Note: You can’t add fewer licenses than the number of members on your free team.
4. Enter your payment details.
5. Check the box agreeing to the Dropbox Business Agreement and Terms.
6. Click Purchase.

Downgrading a team

Admins for paid teams or trials for paid teams may be able to downgrade to a Basic team.
 

Your team is eligible for a downgrade if:

• It has 10 members or less.
• It has used 2 GB or less of storage space.
   

Downgrading from a paid team plan will mean:

• The storage space shared by the team will be 2 GB.
• The size limit for the team will be 10 members.
• Premium security features such as SSO, two-factor autentication and device approval will be removed.
• Unlimited signature requests will be removed.
• The 180 day period to restore deleted files will be reduced to 30 days.
• The ability to track file engagement will be removed.
• API access for linked apps will be revoked.
   

Learn more about the features available on Dropbox Essentials, Business, Business Plus, and Enterprise.

How to downgrade a team

To downgrade your team:

1. Log in to dropbox.com with your admin credentials. 
2. Click Admin console in the left sidebar.
3. Click Billing in the left sidebar.
4. Scroll down and click Cancel plan.
5. Select the reason you’re canceling.
6. Click Continue with cancellation.
7. Under Please acknowledge the following, check all boxes.
8. Click Complete cancellation. 
9. On your dropbox.com home page, click Review options in the red bar at the top of your screen.
10. Select Change to a free Dropbox plan for teams.
11. Click Confirm change.