We’re often asked if you can store a Lightroom catalog on Dropbox, and the question is cropping up even more frequently at the moment as Dropbox has a new beta version for macOS.
While you can’t store a catalog on a Network Storage Device (NAS), it is possible to use Dropbox because the files are cached on a local hard drive. However, there are things to be aware of before embarking on it.
Note: at this time we wouldn’t recommend saving your catalog on the new Mac beta version of Dropbox. There seem to be some bugs still to sort out.
Why would I want to store my catalog on Dropbox?
Some photographers like to have their catalog available both on their desktop and laptop computers, so they can still edit their photos when they’re away from home. Dropbox can be a good solution because:
- Your entire catalog is available.
- There’s no portable hard drive to drop or lose.
- The updated catalog is automatically synced to both computers.
- We hear fewer reports of Lightroom issues when the catalog’s on Dropbox, compared to other similar services like OneDrive.
However, there are potential downsides too:
- Access to the original files varies, depending on where they’re stored.
- You have to be very careful to avoid creating conflicts when switching computers.
- It uses significant internet bandwidth as the previews are updated when you make Develop changes.
- Sync services such as Dropbox are not supported by Adobe (or us!), so if you try them, you do so at your own risk.
Where would I keep my original photos?
If you do decide to sync your catalog using Dropbox, you’ll need to consider where you’ll keep the original files.
The most popular option is to store the originals on a hard drive in/attached to your desktop computer and just keep Smart Previews next to the catalog in Dropbox. These are smaller proxy copies of the original files, so you can still view and edit the existing photos on the other computer, but you’d need the originals to export at full resolution. (Our Lightroom Performance – Previews & Caches post discusses the different Preview types including Smart Previews.) Any new photos can be stored in Dropbox while you’re away and moved to the normal photo storage on your return.
Another option is to store your photos on an external disk and switch this between devices, but if you’re doing this, you might as well store the catalog on that drive too. In this case, the file path to the photos will need to be identical between the devices or you’ll have to fix missing photos (tell Lightroom where they are) each time you swap computers.
Alternatively, if you have enough space on Dropbox, you could hold the photos there too. The file location would still need to be the same on both devices, or you’ll still have to relink the photos when you switch devices.
How do I move the catalog?
If you do decide Dropbox is the best place to store your catalog, check our previous post How do I find and move or rename my catalog? to find and move the catalog. Move it to a folder that’s in Dropbox. Once moved, double-click the catalog to open in Lightroom.
What do I need to know about the online/offline status?
For Lightroom to be able to open the catalog without causing problems, it is essential that all of Lightroom’s files are marked for offline use and that Lightroom’s finished syncing before you open Lightroom. We would also strongly recommend letting Lightroom’s backup run every time you quit Lightroom, just in case you make a mistake.
Here’s Dropbox’s instructions on how to make files available offline and what their sync icons mean. The short version is you must right-click on the folder that contains Lightroom’s catalog and select Make available offline, and wait for the green checkmark before opening Lightroom.
What about the new macOS beta version?
If you’ve used Dropbox for some time, you’re likely already familiar with the process of making files available offline. However, with the new Dropbox beta on macOS, there appear to be some changes that are causing some issues. It’s a beta so that’s expected. We’ve installed it on a “spare” machine to check out these reports, and here’s what we found…
Firstly, some people are reporting that their “offline” settings are not surviving the upgrade, so when they next open the catalog, there are previews missing and suchlike. So if you’ve already installed the beta version, double check that your Lightroom catalog’s folder is still marked for offline use.
Secondly, there’s a new cloud icon in the mix, which means the files are available online only. The green checkmark still means that the file is available offline, but sometimes both the green checkmark and the cloud are shown on the same file or folder. Confusing! If both are showing on the same file/folder, it means that some of the files contained in the package aren’t downloaded yet. This seems to happen a lot on the Previews.lrdata file because it contains thousands of previews, so don’t try to open Lightroom until the cloud icon is completely gone.
There may be other issues that we haven’t found yet, but again, it’s a beta version so that’s to be expected. We’ll update this post if we come across additional issues, in case you’ve already upgraded to the beta version, but if you haven’t upgraded to the beta, we’d suggest waiting for the final release.
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Wow, thank gods in bit heavens if I’m finally able to update my macOS 12.2.1 Monterey. I’ve waited so long.
Maybe I’m missing something. (That’s frequently the case.) But what about keeping the catalog in DB, and the masters on a remotely accessible NAS?
That way I can always access the catalog, and assuming the laptop is online, it can then always access the masters.
FWIW, I’ve never gotten the hang of smart previews. I’m not a professional and I wander around almost 40 years of photos all the time, making minor tweaks here and there, and then going to do something else. I don’t plan to work on photos from 1985 when I go on vacation, but sometimes that’s the most enjoyable time to do it. I don’t want to have to plan what I’m going to work on in advance.
Yes, photos on a NAS is n option. Could be slow, especially if you’re accessing it over the internet, so I’d personally still take smart previews and then the original would only need accessing when you require full resolution for export etc.
For years back in the day of the stand-alone Lightroom, I kept my Lightroom catalog(s) on OneDrive even though pundants consistently warned me about the pitfalls. This was of course with Wiindows 2000, IMO, one of the most stable and network capable releases of Windows. I had a desktop and laptop and external drives back then were not cheap nor very big. I even kept the original images on OneDrive. I was always very careful to make sure all files were properly updated before shutting down the laptop, I almost never shutdown the desktop except for periodic refreshes. I say this to let those contemplating moving their catalogs to Dropbox know that it is indeed a possible viable solution, if as the Queen says, you dot your I’s and cross your t’s. But I would wait for the bugs to be flushed out of the MacOS version.
Regards,
GEGJR
Two things on a Mac:
1) I don’t think it is really a beta of Dropbox. Users are being migrated gradually – mine was last October and I wasn’t given much choice.
2) Apart from managing all the ticks and other symbols, the really big issue is that Dropbox storage is moved to your boot device. A bit of a surprise for those with a large Dropbox kept on an external drive. I would be very wary of having all my photos in Dropbox unless I had a large boot disk.
Hi John
When we wrote the Blog, it was still showing as Beta (it isn’t now, it seems)
Your point of storage is a fair one, especially if previously you’d pointed Dropbox to an external store.
I have been using Dropbox and Lightroom together for years. In recent weeks and when I delete files from Lightroom they don’t go to the Bin. They go to a file named “CloudStorage/Dropbox/.Trash”. This is somehow a hidden folder that I have managed to find via CleanMy Mac software. However, when I delete files from Viewer they do go to the Bin. The main problem is that these files still take space in my Hard Drive…
I believe that the issue came up since the last updated version of Dropbox for macOS.
I am using a Macbook Pro with a M1 Processor and I always have had the latest software installed. The same applies to Lightroom.
I just found that I deleted some photos and I can’t find where they went now. I can not find this file you mention above. CloudStorage/Dropbox/.Trash
Hello! I’m consolidating my computing by having only ONE MacBook Pro that I will use both in my studio and when I’m away. I’m work alone, so I am the only one who ever edits my photos.
I VERY much prefer to have independent catalogs for each project.
So that rules out Adobe Cloud Syncing.
Would this approach be advisable?
– Keep ALL catalog files locally on my MacBook Pro drive.
– Back up catalogs to a NAS.
– Back up catalogs to DropBox as a safety net.
– Keep ALL photos on DropBox.
– Back up DropBox photo files to my NAS.
The idea is that I will only ever use LR Catalogs that are on my Mac Book Pro.
But they will always reference photos stored in DropBox folders.
Yes, that sounds like a reasonable plan. The photos living on an external drive that’s backed up to the NAS would also work.
If you don’t have enough storage space on your MacBook to have the images stored locally (since LR doesn’t play very nicely with Dropbox files that aren’t cached on the local hard drive), you could create smart previews for all of the photos so you can still edit them even when the originals aren’t available.
I have always kept photos I’m working on, on my hard drive and the rest as ONLINE ONLY in drop box. I see the hierarchy of my hard drive when I’m in Library mode in LrC, even those that are ONLINE ONLY, but I can’t work on them, but I can still see them. Recently, in LrC there are folders in the view that aren’t in the correct place… they are outside my dropbox folder and they really aren’t when I look at FINDER. In LrC I can’t move them where they should be. I can’t move anything from folder to folder in LrC anymore. What changed? Thanks, Lorinda
Sounds like a permissions issue with Lightroom accessing the files, especially if you just updated Dropbox. Check our blog:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/disk-permissions-monterey-classic/
ok – the really weird thing I recently noticed is there are some folders that I updated that show in a view right under my MacBook rather in the folder view under dropbox where they actually reside on my hard drive. I’ve tried to keep the same file structure in LrC as on my Mac. I noticed I was missing 14 photos in the Dropbox hierarchy and found them in this other area. I want to send a screen image to show you and not sure how do that here.
That does sound odd, and not the place for photos! You can’t post a screenshot here, but visit our Forums and post there, we can advise further. By the sound of things, though, they need moving to their proper place.
Can you send me a link on where the Forums are? Also since I just updated to LrC newest release, things I deleted when in LrC are not going into my trash bin and I can’t find the trash under the Cloud folder mentioned previously.
At the top of this page you’ll see ‘Forum’
Here’s a direct link:
https://www.lightroomqueen.com/community/