Dropbox will allow users to access cloud-only folders from Finder and Explorer

The days of flipping back and forth between Dropbox and Windows Explorer or Mac's Finder may soon be over. Managing your local computer storage and cloud storage is going to get quite a bit easier with a new update coming to Dropbox.

Dropbox announced Project Infinite at the Dropbox Open conference in London on Tuesday, TechCrunch reported. Project Infinite introduces the idea of allowing you to access your files on Dropbox right in Finder or Explorer instead of needing to navigate Dropbox's online interface. In other words, the files look like they're in your computer but actually aren't, allowing you to easily find and manage Dropbox-only files.

Previously, if you wanted to access your Dropbox files from Explorer or Finder you had to download them from Dropbox, which is decent if you're just using Dropbox for backup but pretty pointless if you're using it for extra storage. These folders had a little green check on the bottom right, and the new Project Infinite folders have a gray cloud in the corner.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

This update takes out a lot of the tedium involved with using Dropbox as extra cloud storage, and in the age of still-expensive solid state drives, finding extra storage space online is a great way to steer away from spending hundreds of dollars on a solid state that holds 500GB or more.

The impending update also allows Dropbox users to easily jump to Dropbox's online interface and save a local copy of the cloud folders.

There is no information about when this update will be coming to Dropbox or whether it will only be available to paid pro users or business users.

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