Dropbox badge in action

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See who's working on the same file with the Dropbox badge

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Published on October 06, 2015

Previously available just for Dropbox for Business users, the badge is available today for everyone on Dropbox — so you can work more efficiently with anyone, right from your Microsoft Office file. We all know the pain of accidentally creating two different versions of the same file, because you saved changes at the same time as someone else. This usually means spending hours comparing both versions to compile the latest version — or even worse, trying to recreate hours of lost work. The Dropbox badge, available on Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files stored in Dropbox, helps you put that painful experience in the past. It shows you if someone else is working on the same file — and whether they have unsaved edits — so you can coordinate with them before making any changes.

The badge also offers some time-saving shortcuts. Clicking it gives you three options: Share link:

  • Automatically copies a Dropbox link to that file onto your clipboard, so you can easily share the file in an email, a chat conversation, or wherever else you need it.
  • Why we love it: When you’re presenting your doc to a group and they ask you to send the file, you can copy a link right then and there. No more digging through your folders to find the right file.

View file history:

  • Brings you to the file history page on Dropbox.com. From there you can view previous versions of the file, and restore an old version if you need to.
  • Why we love it: As one user told us, “I mistakenly saved my doc with new changes and lost the original. When I found the badge and saw the file history button, I found my earlier doc with the original changes. This made my day.”

Comment:

  • Opens up a new desktop window (on PC) or brings you to the file on Dropbox.com (on Mac), where you can add a comment. If you @ mention someone in the comment, he or she will get an email notification with a link to the file.
  • Why we love it: If you have a quick question about a file you’re working on, you can skip email. Just add a comment that @ mentions someone who can help, and the comment will be linked to the file for context.

Want to give the badge a try? If you already have the Dropbox desktop app, you’re ready to go. If you don’t have the app installed, you can download it here. To learn more about the Dropbox badge, visit our help center.