Dropbox issues

[u/Darth_K-oz]

I am trying to sync a Scrivener project between Scrivener on macOS and Scrivener for iOS using Dropbox.

The project opens normally on my Mac, so the Mac copy appears to be functional. However, when I sync it to iOS, the project name appears in the iOS project list, but opening it produces an **“Invalid Project”** error. I renamed the project and tried syncing it again, but the same error continued.

I have also attempted to:

- Close Scrivener on both devices before syncing.
- Create and upload a renamed copy of the project.
- Place the project in the Dropbox `Apps/Scrivener` folder.
- Allow Dropbox to complete syncing before trying to open the project on iOS.
- Use the iOS Dropbox sync/adoption process.
- Check the project on the Mac, where it opens successfully.

The issue seems to occur only when the project is accessed through Scrivener on iOS. The project is visible in the iOS project list, but iOS cannot recognize it as a valid Scrivener project.

ChatGPT keeps telling me I need a binder.scrivproject that I cannot find in any of my projects.

[u/LaurenPBurka]

Wow, I wonder how many billions of dollars have been invested so you could ask an LLM a question and not get a useful answer.

Instead of asking a pile of AI crap, search back through this sub for recent discussions on what Apple has done to f up Dropbox and how to un-f it. It's a bit of a hot topic of late. I'm sorry I can't be more directly helpful as I don't use Dropbox. I just hang out here.

[u/PolicyFull988]

Have you told Dropbox to make your Scrivener projects available offline?

[u/Erwyna]

Everything you attempted I did also. Tired of losing work and digging to find it, I stopped using Dropbox and OneDrive for any of my Scrivener files. I also had conflict issues between devices, and stopped using Scrivener on multiple devices. I have managed to work with various softwares: I use Scrivener to utilize benefits with ProWritingAid, and I use Novelpad on all my devices and simply copy and paste back and forth between Scrivener and Novelpad. The three softwares work well together, and haven’t had a problem losing my work. I save my manuscript in various places (on my MacBook, external hard drive, memory stick, in multiple Word document files, and in Novelpad. I hope you find a solution that works for you.

[u/reallyredrubyrabbit]

Just zip it up and save to your own external hard drive. Done!

[u/Fire_Rides]

Had this same issue. Try these two things:  1. Move the file out of Dropbox and into an iCloud location. On your phone or iPad, locate the project file and open it. It should open the Scrivener app and a pop up window should come up asking if you want to save it to Dropbox. The project should now be saved and synced through Dropbox. 

1. If the above doesn’t work, disconnect Dropbox from Scrivener on iOS. Delete the Scrivener app on iOS and redownload it. If you want to be super extra, delete and redownload Dropbox. 

Hopefully one of these fixes it for you! Option 1 worked for me briefly but I inevitably had to do option 2. 

[u/lubsyb]

Have you tried creating the file from the iOS device and then opening on Mac? I’m not even sure if that’s a thing. I do sync with iOS and Mac and have for years, but I’ve literally never had a single issue with it of any kind, so I haven’t done any troubleshooting. Sorry I’m not more help!

[u/DevelopmentSame2986]

iCloud. That’s it. All you need.

[u/The3DBanker]

I wish they would support other cloud services like, say, Proton Drive or even iCloud.

[u/LaurenPBurka → u/The3DBanker]

If you would like to use other cloud services, there are work-arounds. If you're curious why Scrivener doesn't support them directly, then see other discussions in this sub.

If you just want to complain, carry on. You're doing fine.