You can now share a file from Dropbox in Facebook Messenger without having to copy or paste one single thing. Instead of sharing links, the two apps are now integrated in a way that allows you to browse your files within Messenger, select the one you want to share, and then hit send.
The new feature is available from both the iOS and Android Messenger apps, and all you have to do is hit the “More” button to see the new Dropbox option. You’ll need to authenticate access the first time, but after that you should be able to quickly share Dropbox files in Messenger without having to leave the Messenger app.
“We want people to communicate just the way they want to on Messenger, with everyone they care about,” said Stan Chudnovsky, head of product for Messenger at Facebook, in a blog post. “Giving our users the ability to share their Dropbox videos and images in Messenger threads with just a few taps will help them bring more style and personality to those conversations.”
If you’re sharing an image or video, they will be directly viewable within the chat window, which makes them very easy to interact with. In the case of non-viewable files, the receiver will be able to open the file within the Dropbox app.
Dropbox is just the latest of a list of services to tap into the Messenger platform, which debuted almost exactly a year ago at Facebook’s F8 developers conference. Other recent additions include KLM Airlines, which now allows users to get flight updates and even digital boarding passes straight through the Messenger app. The announcement also comes right before Facebook is expected to announce the next step in Messenger: support for bots.
Dropbox support for Messenger will roll out in increments, so if you don’t see it right away, sit tight — it should be on the way!