Dropbox is rolling out a new Dropbox update for iOS, bringing five new features to the popular cloud storage app and productivity tool. The new features take advantage of iOS 10 that aims to make the app faster and easier, all for the sake of improved productivity.
While Dropbox isn't one to release groundbreaking refinements for its app, they do manage to successfully push out incremental updates that refine the user experience. It's the kind of in-the-background underpinnings of the app that vouch for its uncomplicated and seamless ecosystem of storage and productivity multi-tools. It works fine and dandy because of its simplicity, shunning excessive spectacle or accessorizing.
The five new features aim to build on this simplicity. The first new feature finally enables users to sign PDFs in Dropbox. The company wants to eliminate printing, signing, scanning and emailing from the traditional workflow, doing away with the cumbersome signing process in exchange of an easier solution: digital signatures. Upon receiving PDFs, users can then sign the documents using the app.
Dropbox is also banking on the progressive popularity of the new and refined iMessage app on iOS 10. Stickers and animations aren't the only centerpiece in Apple's proprietary messaging service, and Dropbox is adding to the list. Users can now drop files on iMessage threads, a handy feature for those who frequent iMessage. There's no need to waste extra time switching from app to app, as Dropbox simply embeds the files in line with the thread. This might be useful for those who aren't familiar with the concept of Dropbox. We've had that situation where less tech-savvy people weren't able to discern Dropbox links from attachments. This integration simply makes file sharing easier overall.
Users can now also view files without unlocking their phone, further truncating the lengthy workflow. A Dropbox widget will be available in the lock screen for iOS 10. From the widget, users can do several things such as view and upload files or scan documents and store them in Dropbox.
A new feature also brings notifications into the mix, useful for collaborative projects between colleagues or group undertakings. If someone from your team saves a new and updated version of a specific file you're currently viewing, the app will send a notification to let you view the changes made.
Finally, for iPad users, Dropbox now takes advantage of the picture-in-picture functionality added back in iOS 9, letting users watch Dropbox videos while working on a different app. Also, support for split screen multitasking will arrive "in the coming weeks."
iPhone users can go ahead and download the update now, though it might be worth changing your Dropbox password before anything else, if you haven't yet.
