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Sync with Dropbox

Dropbox carries task properties, picture and audio attachments, List Groups, Tag Groups, and Smart Lists, and it works on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Android. Link-only attachments stay on the device. Manual order in the Focus Lists (Today, Scheduled, Starred, All) syncs only with iCloud; manual order in your regular lists syncs as usual. Dropbox is the method to choose when your devices are not all Apple devices, or when you want your 2Do data sitting in a folder you can see.

If every device you use is an Apple device, iCloud is the recommended method and needs no account setup at all.

What Dropbox Sync Supports​

  • All task fields: title, notes, dates, duration, alerts, repeat, priority, starred state, actions, locations, and sub-tasks.
  • Picture and audio attachments, without the one-picture and one-audio limit CalDAV has. Link-only attachments stay on the device.
  • List Groups, Tag Groups, and Smart Lists, kept the same on every device.
  • Automatic and background sync, as iOS allows.

Four switches sit under the account: Sync list ordering, Sync audio notes, Sync pictures, and Sync app preferences.

What 2Do Stores in Dropbox​

2Do uses Dropbox's App Folder permission, so it can only read and write files inside its own dedicated folder under Apps/ in your Dropbox. 2Do cannot read, change, or even see any other file in your Dropbox.

You cannot read 2Do's task data directly in Dropbox. Dropbox is the place where your devices exchange the sync files, not a task viewer. All traffic runs over SSL.

Setup​

  1. Open Settings > Sync and stay on the Setup tab.
  2. Open Account Type and choose Dropbox.
  3. Tap Link Account and authorize 2Do against your Dropbox account.
  4. 2Do creates its app folder and is ready to sync. Your Dropbox name and email appear in the account rows.
  5. Repeat on each device, signing in to the same Dropbox account.

To disconnect, tap Unlink under the account.

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 when both accounts are yours, leaves the two devices completely isolated.

If a device is not seeing the same tasks as the rest, check first that Settings > Sync shows the same Dropbox email on every device. If they differ, unlink the wrong account and link the correct one.

Your first sync

Close Settings and return to the task list, then pull down to run the first sync. When both sides already hold data, 2Do asks how to combine them; read Merge vs Replace before choosing.

Later on you can override the next sync any time from Settings > Sync > Next sync action. It applies once, then returns to Sync Normally.

Daily Sync​

Once set up, 2Do syncs when you open it, when iOS grants it background time, and whenever you pull down on the task list.

tip

For an off-device backup, use Settings > Backups & Export and save or email a copy to yourself. Backups are independent of sync, so even if Dropbox has a bad day, you have a recovery path.

Troubleshooting​

v1_retired error​

Dropbox retires old API versions over time. If you see a v1_retired error, update 2Do to the latest version.

504 timeout error​

A 504 usually means Dropbox could not be reached in time. Check your network and try again. Repeated 504s normally point at a temporary Dropbox outage; check Dropbox's status page.

509 bandwidth error​

A 509 means the Dropbox App Folder bandwidth limit for free accounts has been exceeded. This is rare with normal task data and mostly happens with heavy attachment use. Wait until the quota resets, or upgrade your Dropbox plan.

Different task counts on different devices​

A device that shows a different count most likely missed a sync cycle. Open 2Do there, pull down to sync, and let it finish. If it persists, see One of my devices isn't syncing correctly.

Dropbox desktop notifications on your Mac​

If you also run the Dropbox desktop app, it may show a notification every time 2Do updates its files. Turn off file-change notifications in Dropbox's preferences, or exclude the 2Do app folder from them.

Setting Up Another Device​

  • Adding another device: install 2Do, link 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: sync the most up-to-date device, then choose Replace Local Data on the ones that are behind. See One of my devices isn't syncing correctly.
  • Choosing a direction: picking the wrong side can overwrite good data. Read Merge vs Replace before confirming.

Privacy​

  • 2Do syncs through Dropbox's App Folder mechanism. Inside Apps/, 2Do only sees its own 2Do folder. Every other folder in your Dropbox, including other apps under Apps/, is invisible and inaccessible to it.
  • All traffic between 2Do and Dropbox is encrypted in transit (SSL).
  • 2Do does not add its own encryption on top of Dropbox's storage encryption. See Does 2Do encrypt synced data?.
Don't edit, rename, move, or delete the 2Do folder

The files inside Apps/2Do are not meant to be read by people. They are 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 loss that is difficult or impossible to recover from.

If you need to change your Dropbox setup, do it from Settings > Sync inside 2Do rather than by touching the folder.

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