Dropbox makes annotating your files easy

You can annotate photos, markup PDFs, and share comments on files, documents, or images—right from your Dropbox account. No extra software needed.

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Start annotating directly on files

The advanced file preview features of your Dropbox account make it easy to leave an annotation or comment on any supported file type.

Annotations in Dropbox allow you to comment on a file, image, or text preview—including Excel, Photoshop, and Sketch files—even if you don’t have the software. Just select an area anywhere on an image or document file to leave a text annotation on a specific region.

There’s no need to download an image, photo, or PDF annotation tool. You can leave comments on both your desktop and mobile devices.

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Annotate PDFs in Acrobat on any device

Our Adobe Acrobat app integration makes annotating PDF documents simple. Use the free Acrobat Reader—or Acrobat Pro DC—to save highlights and annotations directly to Dropbox.

You can also use Dropbox to open any PDF stored in your account and edit it with the built-in Adobe Acrobat PDF annotator. Here are just a few things you can do:

When you edit and add notes to a PDF file, all changes save automatically to your Dropbox account—so you can easily share the annotated version with your co-workers.

Don’t have Adobe Acrobat? Good news—you can edit and annotate PDFs directly in your Dropbox account, too.

How Dropbox works with Adobe
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Improve workflow with frame-accurate commenting

Giving and receiving feedback on video can be complex. Frame-accurate commenting with our Creative Tools Add-On allows you and remote collaborators to make precise comments alongside the video, right in Dropbox.

You can also effortlessly annotate videos using Dropbox Replay, with accurate, actionable feedback on any frame, sequence, or shot. Do live reviews and share large video files with your team to streamline your workflow.

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Exchange feedback in real time

Eliminate messy email threads full of follow-up questions on project feedback. Dropbox automatically tracks file activity, whether that’s for a PDF, photo, or another file.

You’ll always get a notification when someone’s left a comment on one of your files—even if you’re not tagged in specific annotations, so you can jump directly into the conversation.

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Frequently asked questions

Anyone who has access to a file in Dropbox can add comments from a computer, phone, or tablet. 

To add comments:

  • Open the file you wish to comment on.
  • Write your comment in the text box, your comment can @mention someone directly or even add emoji for fun.
  • Click Post.

    • Learn more about how to comment on Dropbox files in our Help center.

    With the annotation feature, you can also share targeted feedback by clicking anywhere on an image or document to leave an annotation or comment on a specific part of a file.

    Using the Creative Tools Add-On you can add frame-accurate comments on audio and video files—so others can jump to the exact frame you're referring to. Dropbox Replay has similar features for commenting on large video files during video production projects.

    You’ll be able to view comments in Dropbox if you have access to the file or folder. To view comments in Dropbox, simply open the file you’d like to see the comments for and look in the right-hand column to view all comments posted on the file.

    Yes, you can turn off comments in Dropbox on an individual file.

    To turn off comments:

  • Sign in to dropbox.com.
  • Open the file where you’d like to turn off comments.
  • Click Comments in the right-hand column.
  • Click “…" (ellipsis) in the window.
  • Click Disable comments.

    • You can also turn off comment notifications if you’re looking to reduce distractions.

    Yes, you can view or add comments with the Dropbox Adobe Acrobat integration. You can annotate and view comments on a PDF file in Dropbox from your desktop or mobile app.

    You can also collaborate on a stored PDF file by adding notes in the comments sidebar. Simply open the PDF you want to collaborate in Dropbox, then click Comments and add your comment to the text box.

    Yes, you can view Dropbox file activity—so you always know who’s accessing or editing your files.

    At the top of any file, you’ll see a group of thumbnails that displays users who are invited to the document and when they last opened it—you’ll also be able to see any comments or annotations added to the file.

    Learn more about how to view file activity in Dropbox in our Help center.

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    Make, view, or share annotations on PDFs, photos, and files

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