Skip to main content

Unlock files with your face using the new Dropbox app for Windows 10

A Windows Hell welcome screen on a laptop.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Dropbox has launched a universal app for Windows 10, primarily with tablets in mind. Fortunately, like the Netflix app before it, the Dropbox universal experience is available on all sorts of Windows devices, including tablets, PCs, and pretty soon, mobile phones.

The most interesting functionality that is new is the Dropbox debut of Windows Hello. For the first time, Dropbox users will be able to lock and unlock files using Windows 10’s integrated facial recognition technology. What’s more, if you have a PC or a tablet with a fingerprint reader, you’ll be able to secure files with that too.

Recommended Videos

Windows Hello is the bio-metric login feature that Microsoft has baked into the latest version of its operating system. When active, it lets users log in with facial recognition or a fingerprint reader. Users can only use it if they have the supported hardware. Facial login requires an infrared webcam, and fingerprint login requires, well, a fingerprint reader.

“Microsoft is excited to partner with Dropbox to bring more cloud storage and productivity services to Windows 10 across PC and tablets,” writes Microsoft corporate VP Steve Guggenheimer in a Dropbox blog post. “With the arrival of Dropbox, Windows 10 fans have easy and convenient access to photos, documents, and files anytime, anywhere.”

As expected from an app designed from the ground up for Windows, this version of Dropbox bears a slew of new features, including performance improvements from the Windows 8.1 version as well as interactive device notifications and quick search functionality.

Though short of revolutionary, the Dropbox app looks to be the most efficient way to manage your files through the service on a tablet or mobile device. If you’re skeptical, try it out for free here.

Gabe Carey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A freelancer for Digital Trends, Gabe Carey has been covering the intersection of video games and technology since he was 16…
PC gamers still prefer Windows 10 over Windows 11
A man stands in front of a gaming PC.

Windows 11 saw a decline in the latest Steam hardware and software survey for July 2024. According to Valve's data, gamers using Microsoft's newer operating system dropped below the 46% threshold. Currently, Windows 11 accounts for approximately 45.81% of all Windows users on Steam, marking a decrease of 0.82% from the previous month.

In contrast, Windows 10 experienced an increase of 0.74%, reaching a 50.16% share. Although gaming performance is generally similar on both operating systems, a recent test by Hardware Unboxed reveals that Windows 10 may offer better performance in certain titles due to the core isolation feature, where memory integrity is enabled by default on Windows 11.

Read more
Here’s how much RAM Windows 11 actually uses
A man sits, using a laptop running the Windows 11 operating system.

Upgrading to Windows 11 comes with a few requirements, and that includes a bump in random access memory (RAM) compared with Windows 10.

Windows 11, while it introduces a host of new features, may consume more RAM than its predecessor, but the amount of memory that it uses is not universal. Below, we'll explain what RAM is, explore how much RAM Windows 11 actually uses, and how to lower that amount if your PC is having a hard time.
Windows 11: RAM usage when idle

Read more
Windows 11 vs. Windows 10: Is it finally time to upgrade?
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 sitting on a table.

Windows 11 is the newest version of Windows, and it's one of the best Windows versions ever released. At launch, the operating system was very similar to Windows 10, but it has morphed a lot over the past several years. Now, Windows 11 has several key differences compared to Windows 10.

If you've been holding out on upgrading, we have everything you need to know about Windows 11 and how it's different than Windows 10 in this article. We'll detail the differences, as well as show you the areas where Windows 11 is growing faster than Windows 10.
Windows 11 vs. Windows 10: what's new

Read more