Dropbox: How to Enable the Passcode Lock

The security of your documents and files is always important. Trust in the security of cloud platforms is hard-won and easy to lose. You’re much more likely to have your security compromised on your device. Historically, people choose weak passwords, leaving their accounts easily accessible. People also tend to leave their devices signed in, especially when at home.

One of the things you could do to help protect your security is to make sure you sign out of your device or any cloud services such as Dropbox when you’re not using it. It can be a pain to type your username and password every time you want to open Dropbox. The problem with leaving it signed in is that people with access to your device can just open the Dropbox app and browse through your files.

To give you another option to prevent this, Dropbox allows you to specify a four-digit PIN. This PIN code is device-specific, so you’d need to configure it on each device you use. The PIN is required every time you launch the app or re-open it after it had been minimized. If there are ten consecutive failed attempts to use the PIN, the app will sign you out fully and require your username and password again.

Tip: If you simply switch into using another application without minimizing the Dropbox app, it will remain unlocked for a long time. Be sure to minimize the app to lock it when you’re not using it.

How to Enable the Passcode Lock

To enable a passcode lock for your Dropbox app, you need to go into the security settings. You first need to click on the cogwheel icon at the bottom of the column on the left to get there.

In the settings, click on “security” to get to the screen to set the PIN.

Enable a passcode lock, enable the “Passcode lock” slider, and then enter the four-digit PIN code you want to use as your passcode. You’ll need to enter the passcode twice to confirm you didn’t make a typo.

Adding a passcode to your Dropbox app can prevent people from accessing your device from your cloud files without permission. By following the steps in this guide, you can enable a PIN lock for your Dropbox app.