Skip to main content

Sync with Dropbox

Dropbox is the recommended sync method for 2Do. It carries every task property — including attachments, List Groups, Tag Groups, Smart Lists, and Search Presets — and is supported on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Android.

What Dropbox Sync Supports​

  • All task fields — title, notes, dates, Alerts, recurrence, priority, action, location, sub-tasks.
  • Attachments — audio notes, pictures, documents, and links sync without the one-picture and one-audio limit used by CalDAV.
  • List Groups, Tag Groups, Smart Lists, Search Presets — saved across devices.
  • Automatic background syncing as iOS allows.

What 2Do Stores in Dropbox​

2Do uses Dropbox's App Folder permission scope — it can only read and write files inside its own dedicated folder under Apps/ in your Dropbox. 2Do cannot read, modify, or even see any other file in your Dropbox. You cannot read 2Do's task data directly in Dropbox. Dropbox is only the place where your devices exchange the sync file, not a task viewer. All communication is over SSL.

Setup​

  1. Open Settings > Sync in 2Do.
  2. Select Dropbox as the sync method.
  3. Tap Connect and authorise 2Do against your Dropbox account.
  4. Confirm. 2Do creates its app folder and is ready to sync.
  5. Repeat on each device, signing in to the same Dropbox account. The first device to sync seeds the folder. When the second device connects, you'll be asked to choose Replace server data or Replace local data — pick the direction matching where your data is.
Use the exact same Dropbox account on every device

2Do can only sync devices that talk to the same Dropbox account. Connecting one device to me@example.com and another to me@gmail.com — even if the data inside both is yours — will leave the two devices completely isolated from each other.

If a device isn't seeing the same tasks as the rest, the first thing to verify is that Settings > Sync > Dropbox shows the same email/Dropbox username on every device. If they differ, disconnect the wrong account and re-link with the correct one.

After setup — your first sync

Close Settings and return to the main task list. Pull down on the task list to force the first sync. 2Do will then ask whether to Replace server data or Replace local data — choose carefully based on which side has the data you want to keep.

After the first sync, you can manually override the next sync any time under Settings > Sync > Next Sync Action — pick Sync normally, Replace local data, or Replace server data before triggering the next sync. The setting auto-resets to Sync normally afterwards.

Daily Sync​

Once set up, 2Do syncs in the background as iOS permits, and on every foreground refresh. Pull down on the Lists screen to force an immediate sync.

Common Issues​

Dropbox v1_retired error​

Dropbox has retired old API versions over time. If you see a v1_retired error, update 2Do to the latest version. Older builds use deprecated Dropbox APIs that no longer respond.

504 timeout error​

A 504 typically means Dropbox couldn't be reached in time. Check your network and retry. Persistent 504s usually indicate a temporary Dropbox outage; check Dropbox's status page.

509 bandwidth error​

A 509 means the Dropbox App Folder bandwidth limit for free Dropbox accounts has been exceeded. This is rare with normal task data; it can happen if you're heavy on attachments. Wait until the quota resets, or upgrade your Dropbox plan.

Different task counts on different devices​

If one device shows a different count than the rest, it likely missed a sync cycle. Open 2Do on the lagging device, pull down to force a sync, and let it complete. If the issue persists, see One of my devices isn't syncing correctly.

Disabling Dropbox desktop notifications​

If you sync on a Mac that also runs the Dropbox desktop app, Dropbox may show a notification every time 2Do updates the file. Disable file-change notifications in the Dropbox preferences, or exclude the 2Do app folder from notifications.

Setting Up Another Device & Troubleshooting​

  • Adding another device — install 2Do, sign in to the exact same Dropbox account, and let the first sync pull your data down. See Setting up a new device.
  • One device showing different tasks? — see One of my devices isn't syncing correctly. The standard recovery is: run a clean sync on the most up-to-date device, then Replace local data on the lagging ones.
  • Replace server data vs Replace local data — picking the wrong side can overwrite good data. Pause and read Replace server data vs Replace local data before confirming. You can re-trigger the choice any time under Settings > Sync > Next Sync Action.

Privacy​

  • 2Do syncs through Dropbox's app-sandboxed App Folder mechanism. Inside Apps/, 2Do only sees its own dedicated 2Do folder — every other folder in your Dropbox (including other apps under Apps/) is invisible and inaccessible to it.
Don't hand-edit, rename, move, or delete the 2Do folder

The files inside Apps/2Do are not meant to be human-readable. They're an internal sync database 2Do uses to coordinate state across your devices. Editing, renaming, moving, copying, or deleting any file in this folder by hand can break sync irrevocably and cause data corruption that's difficult or impossible to recover from.

If you need to change your Dropbox setup (move accounts, reset, etc.), do it from inside 2Do's Settings > Sync — never by touching the folder directly.

  • All traffic between 2Do and Dropbox is encrypted in transit (SSL).
  • 2Do does not encrypt the synced data on top of Dropbox's own storage encryption — see Does 2Do encrypt synced data?.

Tips​

tip

For a free, off-device backup, use Settings > Backups > Backup to Email and send the file to yourself, save it to Files, or AirDrop it to your Mac. Backups are independent of sync, so even if Dropbox has a bad day, you've got a recovery path.

Last updated on