Dropbox's support for Apple silicon is finally here and ready for download

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Dropbox icon (Image credit: iMore)

What you need to know

  • Dropbox has finally released a stable version of its macOS app that's designed for Apple silicon.
  • The updated Dropbox app should automatically download on compatible Macs.
  • The update comes after Dropbox was slow to begin working on an Apple silicon version of its sync app.

Popular file syncing and sharing service Dropbox has now finally released a new version of its app that supports Apple silicon.

Dropbox says that the move to Apple silicon is one that will allow for improved performance and efficiency.

Dropbox natively supports Mac computers with Apple silicon (M1), leveraging its improved performance and efficiency to run seamlessly on your Mac device. All users with Apple silicon devices will receive the native version of Dropbox automatically.

After initially being slow to announce the move to Apple silicon, Dropbox began beta testing a release earlier this year. The native Apple silicon version of the Dropbox sync app is now available for download and the company says you might already have it — the Dropbox app should update itself automatically.

All users with Apple silicon devices should receive the native version of Dropbox automatically. If this doesn't happen, you can click on the latest stable build and manually download the Offline Installer (Apple silicon) file.

Anyone who hasn't yet been updated to version 143.4.4161 automatically can download the latest stable version of the app direct from Dopbox now. Of course, anyone using an Intel Mac won't need to worry too much about any of this until it comes time to upgrade.

While Dropbox has always worked on Apple silicon Macs — those with M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max chips inside — it has previously required on Rosetta emulation to function. The move to native support for Apple's chips should ensure improved performance and power usage as Dropbox alluded to. It also means that Dropbox will be able to take advantage of any Apple silicon-specific features that might crop up in the future.

Dropbox has long been one of the best Mac apps and services for syncing files between devices and the move to native Apple silicon support is a very welcome one indeed.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.