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GUIDE: Autodelete photos after dropbox upload4 min read

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Yes, there are a hundred ways to back up your phone’s photos and videos using services like dropbox, google plus, or other cloud drive services.

The Problem

These services do NOT delete the files on your phone once they are uploaded, and you have to go back and manually delete the files.

On the iPhone, this is doubly a pain because you have to select each photo individually before deleting – there’s no ‘Select All’ in the current version of iOS7.

In addition, even if you upload and delete, your Dropbox will fill up if you don’t move the photos and videos OUT of it on your home machine. So that needs automation too.

The Solution

  1. On Android phones, you can use DropSync to upload, then delete ANY files from your phone to your DropBox folder(s). (You can also use equally good FileSync)
  2. In iOS devices, you have to use DropBox to upload, then manually delete, sorry!
  3. On your local machine (Mac or PC) you can then have a service running that moves the files from your DropBox folder to folders on your computer
  4. You should be backing up your local computer using a cheap, unlimited online backup service like BackBlaze.

How To

A. Set Up Dropbox and Dropsync on Android

  1. Install Dropbox on your phone and desktop
  2. Log In to your Dropbox account on both machines
  3. Install DropSync on your handheld
  4. Configure it to upload the correct folder (NOTE: The Pro version allows more than one folder, and larger files – you decide if you want to upgrade, I did)

    NOTE: It is sometimes hard to figure out where your version of android stores its photos, since each manufacturer can change it. Look in your DCIM folder. Here’s where mine live on my HTC DNA:
    dropsync

  5. Configure it to only upload via WiFi, or anytime if you have the cellular data plan that can handle it.

You can set it to auto-upload on a schedule, but I like control of when my photos disappear from my phone.

B. Set up a PC to Move Files out of Dropbox

  1. Download and install Belvedere
  2. When you run it, it merely opens up a systray icon, so right click on it and choose Manage
  3. Add the folder where you can find your Dropbox uploads locally
  4. For your photos, add a rule that moves them to the photo folder of your choice OUTSIDE of Dropbox. Here’s how I’ve got mine set up:

    editrule

  5. Set up a rule to move movies to your Automatically Add to iTunes or other folder:

    editrule2

  6. Start Belvedere any time you want to move pictures. I haven’t got it to start with windows, and that’s not currently a built-in setting. But you can tell windows how to do that (google it:)

C. Set up a Mac to Move Files out of Dropbox

Hey, I don’t have a Mac yet, but this guy does. Enjoy.

D. Back up your local machine

backblazeYour hard drive will fail. Local backups are usually done too infrequently if run manually, and I’ve yet to find a good free one that runs in the background. Even worse, if you have a fire or flood, both devices will probably be ruined. Back up off site. I use Backblaze.com, it’s only $5 a month UNLIMITED, and free restore if over the internet (you can also pay them to ship you your files on a hard drive).

CONCLUSION

There you go. Check out some more cool dropbox tips at lokion.com.

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