Dropbox at U-M

Dropbox at U-M is a cloud file storage option that is readily accessible from any device. U-M Dropbox is available with 5TB of storage for individual accounts, and no storage limit for Team Folders for all active faculty, staff, students, emeritus, and Type-1 sponsored affiliates on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses and Michigan Medicine. (For more information on what happens to your U-M Dropbox account when you leave the university, refer to Dropbox: Accounts for People Who Leave U-M.)

Dropbox at U-M includes:

  • All of the core features (e.g., storage, anytime/anywhere access to files, secure sharing, and more).
  • Advanced data protection (e.g., version history and file recovery, advanced sharing permissions, password protection, granular permissions, and more).
  • Advanced collaboration and productivity tools (e.g., Dropbox Paper, file locking, commenting, Dropbox badge, and more).

For more information on Dropbox Team Folders at U-M, refer to the Dropbox Team Folders page. 

Sensitive Data with Dropbox

Dropbox at U-M may be used with some types of sensitive university data, including Protected Health Information (PHI), according to the Sensitive Data Guide: Dropbox at U-M.

You and the university community have a shared responsibility to use U-M Dropbox appropriately with sensitive university data and take the necessary precautions.

Caution: Although storing and collaborating on documents containing PHI/HIPAA data in U-M Dropbox is allowed, caution must be taken when using the Microsoft 365 integration. Learn how to appropriately use this integration if you are handling PHI, as U-M Microsoft 365 is not approved for use with PHI.
Note: Dropbox allows you to synchronize data in the cloud and on your devices. If you store and synchronize data in locations other than Dropbox cloud storage (i.e., local storage), you will also need to follow any sensitive data restrictions for the devices and storage locations to which you synchronize. Selective sync allows you to choose folders that are cloud-only. Refer to Dropbox: Using Selective Sync / Adding or Removing Folder(s) to Desktop App for instructions on making any folders with sensitive data cloud-only. If you are interested in keeping everything online only, refer to How to use Dropbox Smart Sync for more details.