Does Dropbox Work in China?

Is Dropbox blocked in China?

Yes, on mainland Chinese networks. GreatFire Analyzer, which tests websites from mainland China, lists www.dropbox.com as blocked and rates the whole dropbox.com domain as blocked. Its latest test of the domain was on October 18, 2026. The blocked addresses include the sign-in page and dl.dropbox.com, which The Next Web described as the address used for downloading files. Dropbox links don’t open on Chinese networks either, because they point to dropbox.com.

Dropbox says the block is out of its hands. In 2015, a Dropbox staff member wrote that the Chinese government had blocked the Dropbox website and most Dropbox servers, and that Dropbox had no solution to offer. In May 2024, a Dropbox Community moderator wrote that foreign sites are hard to reach from within China, and that this isn’t limited to Dropbox.

University IT teams agree. The University of Washington lists Dropbox as not available in China. Yale’s IT team lists Dropbox among commonly used sites that aren’t available there.

The current block began in June 2014. PCWorld reported on June 19, 2014 that China had started blocking Dropbox, cutting off both dropbox.com and the apps. It said the site couldn’t be reached from Beijing and the apps failed to sync between devices. GreatFire told PCWorld that China had tried blocking Dropbox as far back as 2010. The Next Web reported that Dropbox had been found unblocked in February 2014, so that access lasted only a few months. GreatFire’s tests have found www.dropbox.com blocked ever since.

Make Dropbox files available offline before you fly

Files you make available offline open without a connection. Set this up at home, using Dropbox’s steps:

• On a computer: install the Dropbox desktop app. In File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac), open your Dropbox folder, right-click the file or folder and select Make available offline. It’s ready when it shows a solid green checkmark. You also need an app that opens the file type offline, such as a PDF viewer for PDFs.
• On a phone or tablet: files in the Dropbox mobile app aren’t stored on the device by default. Tap the more options icon next to a file, then turn on Make Available Offline. Making a whole folder available offline needs a Plus, Family, Professional, Standard, Advanced or Enterprise plan. Single files work on every plan.

By default, the mobile app only updates offline files when you’re on Wi-Fi with the list of offline files open. Open that list on Wi-Fi before you leave, so your copies are current.

Dropbox says changes you make offline sync automatically once you’re back online. In China, that means when you connect through a roaming eSIM or a VPN.

With a roaming eSIM or VPN

An eSIM that routes your data abroad carries it to a gateway outside mainland China before it reaches the internet. Airalo, which sells eSIMs, says blocked sites then open without a VPN, as long as you use the eSIM’s data rather than hotel Wi-Fi. A VPN does the same on any connection, including hotel Wi-Fi. See eSIM or VPN for China, VPNs that work in China and VPN for hotel Wi-Fi in China.

A Dropbox Community moderator wrote in May 2024 that other users had used a VPN from within China successfully, but that connections could still have problems. Yale’s IT team also warns that even with a VPN, not all sites are available and VPN service can be inconsistent.

The University of Washington tells its instructors not to recommend VPNs to students in mainland China, because using one may violate local laws. See Is using a VPN legal in China?

Dropbox alternatives in China

For files you need in China, or share with people there, use a service that works on Chinese networks.

• OneDrive for Business. The University of Washington suggests Microsoft OneDrive for large files instead of Dropbox. The University of Reading says OneDrive for Business works as normal in China, though uploads may be slow. That applies to work and school accounts. GreatFire lists the personal OneDrive website, onedrive.live.com, as blocked. See Microsoft 365 in China.
• Baidu Netdisk (百度网盘). Baidu’s cloud storage service backs up, previews and shares files from your computer and phone. It also has a sync space that keeps files up to date across devices. Baidu said in September 2022 that Baidu Netdisk had passed 800 million users, IT Home reported. Its website is in Chinese.
• Nutstore (坚果云). Nutstore, from a Shanghai company, syncs any folder in real time across Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. It says it has more than 20 million users. Its website has an English option. The sign-up form asks for an email address and a mobile number, and lists country codes outside China.

For Google Drive, see Google Docs, Drive and Meet in China.