When I made the switch to an Android phone from a Blackberry, one of the deciding factors was how I could easily share files with clients and club members. I am usually not at my office and do much of my work remotely. While Dropbox was accessible from my Blackberry, it was less than convenient to use regularly.
By doing a little reading and some planning ahead, I have come up with a few ways to use Dropbox while I am mobile. Below are a few tips to use your Dropbox for Android more efficiently while on the go. 1. Share a folder or linkThis is probably the main use for me. It is really easy to share files via email or other methods. During certain times of the year, I am emailing the same set of forms to different people all the time. I keep all of the files in a folder in my Dropbox. When someone calls or emails me, I can send them the forms in a zip file. Open Dropbox for Android and navigate to the folder you want to share.
Press and hold on the folder name. In the pop-up window, you will see Open or Share a link. In this case, select Share a link.
The share menu will appear asking how you want to share the link. Choose your method and send.
Fill in the recipient's address or phone number. When the recipient clicks the link, they will initiate a download of the files in that folder in a .ZIP format.
2. Save or share app APKsIf you download applications from places other than the Android Market, you will likely have the APK file on your SD card or computer. Well, if you make a folder for these files in your Dropbox, you can uninstall the applications you do not use all of the time. When you need the application again, download it from your Dropbox folder.
In the same manner, if you want to share an application, you can send a link to a friend so they can download the APK file and install the application. 3. Basic text reader and picture viewerA nice feature of Dropbox for Android is you can open certain files without downloading them to your SD card or Android phone. If you have a picture stored, you can open it within Dropbox. The same is true with a .txt file like you would use in Notepad.
4. Resume and portfolioAnother really handy thing to be able to do is share your resume at a moment's notice. If you are looking for a job or freelance work, you need to respond to opportunities as soon as you see them. If you see a bookkeeping gig on Craigslist, you can shoot them a resume right away. If you are a designer or photographer, you can quickly email a folder with all of the information such as a resume, sample pictures, references, links or anything else you'd like to send. There are many other uses, what it comes down to is access and sharing. Be creative and I'm sure there are lots of ways you can find to use Dropbox for Android to make you more efficient. Tell us your tips for being efficient while using your Android. If you want more general tips on using Dropbox, here are a couple previous articles Part 1 and Part 2. |
