How to Clear or Remove the Recent file list in mobile apps

I find your abuse of privileges to censor bizar considering your silly  claim you are like other users. Who asked you to keep removing inconvenient posts??? Dropbox buddies of you?

For some reason this 'recent' thing has only just surfaced on my mobile, tablets or PC. As Alan L said some time ago in another thread this is a serious security problem for Dropbox clients.

My first experience of it was leaving my tablet open on my desk after launching Dropbox when some photographs became visible which were for a project a visitor would have been very interested in. Thankfully I saw it in time but had to shut the tablet with rather a rush.

Its only a couple of weeks since I renewed my subscription so I'm not a happy bunny and will be looking at places like sync,com and Google Drive for safer and more secure option for my file storage.

Its difficult to understand why Dropbox are ignoring the requests to give users an option with recents. I would have thought it was an easy thing to produce/

After following this forum topic for months and continuously searching online for any updates on this issue, it has become clear that the reason Dropbox devs have yet to address this easily fixable issue (option to clear or disable "Recents" or designate custom landing page in mobile Dropbox app) is because this so-called "feature" must have been the brainchild of some exec whose ego is too big to admit that they made a mistake.

Users are smart enough to organize and access their directories/subdirectories, and there are reasons why we organize our storage in our own ways. While it may seem logical to have recent files easily accessible, most of us would like the option of sorting our files by access/modification time/date RATHER THAN BEING FORCED TO NAVIGATE THROUGH RECENT FILES AS THE DEFAULT (UNMODIFIABLE) LOADING PAGE! The Dropbox browser UI is less offensive as the landing page is still the "Files" tab with our home directory that we have organized FOR OUR OWN REASONS. ("Recents" is shown only when the tab is selected.) However, whether on browser, desktop, or mobile, users would like to be able to clear the "Recents" list for various reason, but most simply BECAUSE WE WANT TO.

Dropbox's lack of acknowledgement of the many user complaints is a sign that they refuse to see that their implementation of the "Recents" feature is TERRIBLE. With the many cloud storage alternatives (eg Google Drive 15G and iCloud 4G free!), why should we continue to support a company that is too busy to monitor and address user comments in their forums? I and seemingly many others have waited months for a fix (which should be simple since the functionalities to load into home directory or last used directory existed before the "Recents" rollout), but it has come time to switch. Dropbox, though you were once a user friendly, customer driven, "indie"-hip company, you are now a sinking ship whose execs are too egotistical to admit their mistakes, and your market share is sure to drop.

Ok, it's been months now. I appreaciat Dorpbox, and never, NEVER have I had problems or complained. The whole project is just very well, put together an expedited.

Up until today. I do have a complain now. I've wrote about it and got a typical answer (alway polite and all) and a client satisfaction form for the service. Didn't answer as nothing has bee improved. So many people seem to be arguing against it, yet nothing is done.

When I open my computer I see my files like they are on my desktop. When I open a folder I see all the files in them, like I've put them. Why on earth would I want to open my folder and see the last files I used ?! It's bluffing my brain really ? Aside from the fact that someone could be behind my back and glance my recently used files which could be private pictures or anything for that matter (pictures appear in small), I just dealt with those recent files, I'm moving on. If I've made a mistake it's my fault so I go back to the folder in question.

I understand some people maybe work this way. In which case it has to be an option, not beng 'recent files" by default !

This issue has been ongoin for around 6 months now, and I wonder how many more clicks I need to do EVERY SINGLE TIME from recent to go to files and choose the location I need to go to.

So please, lets go with some kind of change...
And one a note: I actually realised that for at least the past 6months, you take the times to close discussions, redirect people to this discussion, and yet nothing is done about the actuall issue.

Rich R.,

That is an interesting way to deal with a real problem.

This entire thread at that length (over one year) would not exist if dropbox was doing something about it.

You have developers posting here who claim that a preferences on off toggle would not be that hard to

implement.

As for personal attacks, we should take that as people venting their frustration about the apparent non action.

Not everybody can stay calm and collected when they feel they are being ignored.

Telling people that "We will take it to the dropbox development team" may be okay for a month or so,

but what is going on here is really unacceptable.

The majority of the comments is made by reasonable people and  "on topic".

That is what you should go by, not the few inappropriate ones.

Thank you

Hi there, 

Thanks for writing back about this. 

I understand your concern. The files that appear in your Dropbox are files that are anyway stored in your account and we only surface the ones that have been recently modified by yourself. 

I have passed on your comments. 

Many thanks! 

@Albert G.

I had the same problem you have. Signing out and signing back in on the iOS app should remove the deleted file from the recent list. I consider this a workaround, not a solution for something that the dropbox team needs to code.

Adding a feature without an option to disable it - that is so stupid (or simply Dropbox is forced by NSA to send them some logs from their users, so they came up with this crap :))

I have the same reservation about opening my dropbox either in front of people or at work, its no different than going on your web browser and the first thing you see is your recent history. I strongly dislike this feature. I would not only like to delete my recently viewed files but id like to have the choice of turning the feature off entirely. If this update doesnt roll out soon i may start using a different application for the time being, and end up just sticking with it indefinitely for convenience 

[Have not read all posts above.]

Please add in settings on all devices/platforms so that the users themselves can choose to start in recent or not [preferably in root or perhaps even any directory the user choose].