REVIEWED: Dropbox for travel
File back-up … and then some. The first and best cloud storage app can make travelling a breeze
We all know Dropbox. But do we actually know Dropbox? It stores files, on a cloud server someone in Texas, probably. So what? Remote access is the headline act, but there are dozens of ways that Dropbox can take a lot of stress and admin from a trip. All you need to know is some geek-grade #protips:
Scan your passport & ID
Scan it using your phone, upload the image to a folder in Dropbox, and you’ll always have your passport to hand in case of loss, or for that endless form-filling that travelling entails.
Stop printing tickets, itineraries & maps
Although Apple’s Passbook is becoming a great resource for boarding passes and hotel reservation confirmations via Booking.com, storing PDFs, tickets, maps and other travel documents in Dropbox is a must for all travellers. ‘Favourite’ the documents you need for a particular day for instant access.
Scan & upload expenses receipts
On business? Suitcase full of bits of paper? Scan receipts using your phone’s camera of a swish scanner app like GeniusScan, both of which integrate with Dropbox seamlessly. Throw receipts in the trash and deal with everything when you get home.
Nightly back-up of travel photos
Dropbox will auto-upload every single picture you take with your phone when you next get onto Wi-Fi using Dropbox gallery app Carousel, or you can choose which ones to ‘cloud’ one-by-one. Quit scrolling through 100 pictures just to find the one you’re after by setting it as a Favourite.
Share photos with folks back home
Quit attaching photos to email, which takes time and bandwidth you may not have. Instead use Dropbox to send loved ones a link to view your travel snaps. A Dropbox app for the Chrome browser lets you do this natively from Gmail, which is such a time-saver if you’re using a laptop on weak Wi-Fi.
Always know travel companions’ plans
What time are your friends landing? By sharing a Dropbox folder with travel companions and each putting your flight confirmation/e-ticket/itinerary inside, you can all see what each other is doing.