Dropbox stops using public folders for new accounts

Dropbox has confirmed that the cloud storage service will no longer offer public folders. However, that will only apply to new accounts opened after July 31; existing accounts remain unaffected.

Dropbox users can make files available to other Internet users through the public folder; content outside this folder is normally not available without the correct login details. Many users are also taking advantage of the public folder within the Dropbox folder, but the cloud storage service has announced that this capability will no longer be available for new accounts opened after July 31.

According to Dropbox, the public folders in existing accounts will remain untouched. Furthermore, the software company states that since April it offers the possibility to share any file or folder with third parties. However, the user is first redirected to a web page and the download does not start immediately. According to Dropbox, this method is more scalable on its systems and also more unambiguous. Developers who use Dropbox’s public folders within applications are advised to use the /shares call via the api from now on.