Not enough space on device for Dropbox

I’m getting an error when trying to upload pictures to Dropbox saying "Not enough space on device. Free up space to continue upload." What can I do to solve it?

- Question from dropboxforum.com

Dropbox is a multi-platform available cloud storage service that enables you to put all your important files inside it and your data will be accessible locally and in the cloud. However, some users have recently found it impossible to upload files to Dropbox due to the Dropbox not enough space on device error.

If you see the "not enough space on device" message on your computer or mobile phone, chances are that you are running out of your device's available memory. The following are some fixes when Dropbox says not enough space on device.

5 fixes to not enough space on device for Dropbox

Insufficient space on your device for Dropbox is usually owing to too much data on your electronic products. You can free up space on your device, like mobile phones, laptops, with the guide below.

• Solution 1. Turn off Dropbox files offline

• Solution 2. Clear Dropbox cache data

• Solution 3. Delete files on your device

• Solution 4. Use selective sync

• Solution 5. Enable Smart Sync

• Easiest way to get more Dropbox storage for free

Solution 1. Turn off Dropbox files offline

If you meet Dropbox not enough space on device on iPhone or Android, you can disable your files' offline availability to save space on your tool.

1. Run Dropbox on your phone. In the Files section, press the three dots button of your files/folders.

2. Toggle the switch to deactivate Make available offline.

Solution 2. Clear Dropbox cache data

If there is excessive cached data for Dropbox on your device, clearing Dropbox caches is a way to make room for your device.

☛On mobile device:

1. Launch Dropbox and navigate to the Account tab.

2. Click on the Settings button and hit the Clear cache position.

☛On Windows:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run window. Copy and paste %HOMEPATH%\Dropbox\.dropbox.cache in it and click OK.

2. Remove the cached data in the .dropbox.cache folder.

☛On Mac:

1. Go to the Finder of MacOS, navigate down to go to folder... from the Go menu.

2. Type the ~/Dropbox/.dropbox.cache command in the search box and press Go.

3. Delete the cache files to free up some memory on your device.

Solution 3. Delete files on your device

You can directly delete some useless large files/folders on your phone or computer to clear some space to solve the not enough space on the device for Dropbox issue as well. One thing is that you should make sure that the documents you delete are worthless. This is because once a file is deleted, it may not be recoverable.

✎Note: The following two ways can only be applied to fix the not enough space on devices for Dropbox problem on the computer terminals since the two features are exclusive for the Dropbox client app.

Solution 4. Use selective sync

Dropbox selective sync is a feature of the Dropbox desktop app that allows you to save space on the computer while still keeping your documents in Dropbox. It is at disposal for all users of Dropbox.

1. Click the Dropbox icon on the taskbar, tap Settings > Preferences. If your Dropbox icon is missing, you can restart or reset the program to have a try.

2. Under the Sync section, click the Selective Sync position, and continue to deselect the folders that you don’t need to sync to your laptop. Then, press Update.

In this way, only the folders you selected will be synced to your PC, and those unselected ones will just stay in the cloud, which can help you to save space on the device easily.

Solution 5. Enable Smart Sync

Similar to selective sync, Smart Sync on Dropbox helps you to set Dropbox files online only to save hard drive space on the computer. But you should bear in mind that Smart Sync is not available to Dropbox free users. In other words, only Dropbox Plus, Family, Professional, and Business plan users can use it.

1. Open the Dropbox folder on Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder.

2. Right-click the target file, hover your mouse on the Smart Sync option, and opt for Online-only.

✎Note: When you open the file, it will be locally available automatically. That is, it will occupy your computer hard drive space again, and you should set it to Online-only again to help you save local space.

Easiest way to get more Dropbox storage for free

You can rely on the foregoing methods to clear space on your device when the Dropbox not enough space on device error happens. What if your Dropbox storage space is insufficient? Don't panic, you can free up space on Dropbox by deleting Dropbox files, removing shared folders, earning bonus Dropbox space, etc. But they may be troublesome to complete.

The simplest and most effective way to get more Dropbox free storage is to use CBackup to merge multiple Dropbox accounts into a big space without any payment. CBackup is a proficient cloud backup tool for computer files and cloud data. It supports you to integrate the free and paid storage space of clouds, including Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, to form a large complete space to store important data.

In addition, it enables you to backup PC files to clouds, including Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, CBackup Cloud, and so on. Also, it is handy for this utility to move files between cloud storage.

Free download CBackup, sign up for CBackup, and follow the steps below to merge Dropbox accounts effortlessly.

1. Launch CBackup and sign in with your credential.

2. Select Storage, click on Dropbox, tap Authorize Now, and follow the on-screen prompt to allow CBackup to access your Dropbox storage.

3. Add all your Dropbox accounts to CBackup similarly. After that, click Add Combined Cloud.

4. Rename the combined cloud and choose the cloud accounts you want to combine. Then, click Next.

5. Determine the order of the clouds to save the files you upload and tap the Combine position. Then, the selected accounts have been combined into one complete storage space in your cloud list. You can click Backup PC to Combined Cloud on the Backup wizard to choose it as the backup destination and keep all your valuable items.

Summary

The Dropbox not enough space on device error occurs when you use up your device's space. You can fix it by blocking Dropbox files offline, clearing the program cache, deleting files on devices, and enabling the features of the Dropbox client, such as selective sync or Smart Sync, to solve it.

When you find that your Dropbox storage space is not enough, you can combine accounts to expand Dropbox storage with the assistance of CBackup, which can be used as a Dropbox alternative to backup files to Dropbox when the Dropbox desktop application goes wrong.