Getting Started with Dropbox at U-M

Creating/Joining U-M Dropbox

Create your U-M Dropbox account:

  1. Go to dropbox.umich.edu.
IMPORTANT: Do not go to dropbox.com to sign in to U-M Dropbox. Do not select "Sign in with Google" or "Sign in with Apple" as neither of these options will sign you into U-M Dropbox.
  1. Log in with your @umich.edu email address to create your account and select the option to Sign in with SSO. (You may be taken directly to the U-M Weblogin page where you can then sign in using your uniqname and UMICH (Level-1) password.)
Important: If you also have a personal Dropbox account, ensure you are logged out of that account on the web and on the desktop application before creating your U-M Dropbox account.
  1. After authenticating through Weblogin, you will be taken to the "Single sign-on" page. Click Continue.
  2. Finally, on the "Welcome to University of Michigan's Dropbox Business" page:
    1. Confirm your name is correctly listed.
    2. Check the "I agree to the Dropbox Business Agreement" box.

Note: Any click-through agreements that Dropbox shows to you will always be superseded by our contract with Dropbox.

  • Click "Finish joining the team."

After following these steps, your account will be automatically created and you will be taken to the U-M Dropbox homepage.

Migrate an existing account associated with your @umich.edu email address into U-M Dropbox:

There are two possible scenarios you may encounter:

Scenario #1

  1. Go to dropbox.umich.edu and log in via U-M Weblogin.
  2. Select Transfer to University of Michigan when prompted.
  3. Click Join University of Michigan.

You will then be taken to the U-M Dropbox homepage and your files and folder structures should be there. Your collaborations will remain untouched when the accounts are combined.

Scenario #2

  1. Log in to your account from dropbox.umich.edu.
  2. Enter your @umich.edu email address and your personal account password. You will then receive an email invite to migrate your account to the U-M Dropbox domain. You will be given the option to Combine Accounts or keep them separate.
  3. Click Combine Accounts to migrate your personal Dropbox account to the U-M Dropbox domain. Your collaborations and folder structures will remain untouched when the accounts are combined.  
Note: If you choose to keep the accounts separate, you will need to change the email address for your personal Dropbox account so that it is no longer associated with your U-M email address.

If the invite in Scenario #2 fails:

The invite will fail if you are already a part of a non-UM Dropbox Team. You can choose to:

  1. Leave the other Team.
  2. Change the email address used with your personal Dropbox account to a non-UMICH email address.
  3. Not create a U-M Dropbox account.

Toggle between your personal Dropbox account and your U-M Dropbox account:

Once you’ve created your U-M Dropbox account, you have the ability to add a personal Dropbox account so you can toggle between the two seamlessly. Before adding your personal Dropbox account, ensure you are not logged in to the Dropbox desktop application.

Click your icon/initials in the top right corner of your U-M Dropbox homepage and select Add personal Dropbox. This will open a new page with the option to create a personal account to pair with your U-M Dropbox account or sign in to your existing personal account. Review Switch between linked Dropbox accounts to learn more.

Who Can Use Dropbox?

U-M Dropbox is available with 5 TB of storage for individual accounts for all active faculty, staff, students, emeritus faculty, and sponsored affiliates at the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Flint, and Michigan Medicine campuses. 

Alumni and retirees do not retain their U-M Dropbox accounts after leaving the University of Michigan. Refer to Leaving the University at the bottom of this page for more information. 

Request a Dropbox Team Folder

Dropbox Team Folders are created by self-service request for groups, teams, or departments. Team Folders are designed to share data that is automatically synced for all group members. Both files and folders inside a Team Folder can be shared externally. Content in the Team Folder is owned by the MCommunity group, which is also where Team Folder membership is managed.

Complete the self-service Dropbox Team Folders request form to create a Dropbox Team Folder and refer to Team Folders in U-M Dropbox and Team folders: an overview for more details.

Note: Only Owners of MCommunity groups can request to create a Dropbox Team Folder. Members of an MCommunity group cannot.

Leaving the University

Alumni and retirees will not retain their U-M Dropbox accounts after leaving the University of Michigan. They will have 30 days after leaving the University of Michigan before they lose access. Employees whose U-M employment ends will lose access. Please see Dropbox: Accounts for People Who Leave U-M for more information.

Additional Information

Note: In the U-M Dropbox enterprise account, there is a limit of 5 connected computers (Mac, Windows, Linux..) and 5 mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, iOS, Android, etc.) These limits cannot be exceeded.
Visit its.umich.edu/box2dropbox for information about the U-M Box Retirement Project and the migration to U-M Dropbox.