Wait. You can share Dropbox files with a QR code?
Apparently, yes. 😂
I was looking through the sharing options in Dropbox when I spotted Create QR code.
And had exactly the reaction you’d expect:
Wait. Dropbox can do that?
Turns out, you can generate a QR code for a file or folder in Dropbox. Someone scans it and gets view-only access to the content you've shared.
Which is actually pretty useful.
When would you use this?
Most of the time, sending someone a Dropbox link makes perfect sense.
But there are situations where scanning something is easier than sending it.
Think:
At an event
Put a QR code on a presentation or display so people can open the supporting material on their phones.
On printed materials
A brochure, proposal, product sheet or other physical material can point directly to the relevant Dropbox content.
During a presentation
nstead of saying, “I'll email everyone the file later,” put the QR code on the screen.
In a physical location
Instructions, reference documents or other resources can be accessible wherever they're actually needed.
Or simply:
Someone is standing next to you and you don't particularly feel like asking for their email address just to send them a file. 😂
Scan. Open. Done.
How do you create one?
On dropbox.com:
Find the file or folder you want to share.
Click Share
Open More options
Select Create QR code
Dropbox generates the QR code automatically
Save it as a PNG if you want to use it elsewhere.
That's it.
(For reference: https://help.dropbox.com/share/create-and-share-link)
One thing before you start putting QR codes everywhere 😌
A QR code is still a way of giving someone access to your content.
Dropbox's QR-code sharing creates view-only access, so the person scanning it can't use that QR code to edit the original file or folder.
But you should still think about where you're putting it and who should be able to see the content.
A QR code sitting on the screen in a private internal meeting is very different from one printed on something available to the general public.
Convenient sharing still needs intentional sharing.
Do you need to use this?
No. 😂
If sending a normal Dropbox link is easier, send the link.
But that's kind of the point of this series.
Dropbox has a lot of little capabilities that are easy to miss — and sometimes one of them happens to solve a very specific, very annoying little problem.
You don't need to know every feature Dropbox has.
You just need to know what's useful for the way you work.
Wait. Dropbox can do that?
A series about the Dropbox features you may already have — and the situations where they're actually useful.
Found another feature you didn't know existed?
Tell us. We might go down the rabbit hole too. 😌
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