UW-Madison Box - Clients and Syncing
Box Drive
In addition to the Web App, Box also offers Box Drive. Box Drive brings your entire Box folder tree to your desktop. For instructions on how to download and install Box Drive see: Installing Box Drive
Only certain collaborator permission levels allow you to mark Box Drive content for offline access. see Understanding Collaborator Permission Levels for more details. Use of Box Drive can not be disabled for a specific folder or collaborators.
For a comparison of Box Drive and Box Sync, see: Switching from Box Sync to Box Drive
Note: There are known issues with having both Box Sync and Box Drive installed on your machine. You should uninstall Box Sync before installing Box Drive
Box Drive v2.24 now supports Apple File Provider Extensions (FPE). The switch to FPE mode has some known issues with drag/drop behavior that is discussed in UW-Madison Box - Known Issues
Box Notes
Box Notes is Box's native document creation tool. You can use this feature for note-taking, sharing, and real-time collaboration with other Box users.
For additional details on Box Notes, please see: Introducing Box Notes
On August 22, 2022, Box released the all-new Box Notes experience. You should see the new features and functionality the next time you create a Box Note file. Existing Box Notes will be upgraded to the new experience the next time you edit the file. See Known Issues: Box Notes for troubleshooting issues related to Box Notes.
Mobile Apps
With Box, you are not limited to your computer—Box and other third-party developers have created a variety of apps for use with mobile devices. These apps include Box Sync for Android and iOS, as well as additional apps for Android and iOS.
For links to Box mobile device support articles, please see:
Note: Automatic uploading from mobile devices is disabled for all UW-Madison Box accounts.
Microsoft 365
For Microsoft 365 files like Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations, Box has also released an official Microsoft 365 add-on that lets you take syncing to a whole new level. With this add-on, you can connect directly to your Box account from Microsoft 365, which means that you can open, edit, and save your Box files without ever leaving your Microsoft 365 application.
Download the add-on here: Box for Microsoft 365
For instructions on using the add-on to open and save files, please see: Using Box for Microsoft 365
Box Tools
Like Box for Microsoft 365, Box Tools allows you to modify and save Box files with Microsoft 365. However, instead of opening files from Microsoft 365 on your desktop, this browser add-on provides an option to edit files with an Microsoft 365 programs from the Box web client. Additionally, it has an added feature that allows you to create brand new Box files with Word.
For additional information about how to install Box Tools in order to use Box Edit, please see: Opening and Editing Files with Box Tools
Box Sync
Note: Long term, Box intends to deprecate Box Sync in favor of Box Drive.
Box Sync is not currently supported on Apple Silicon (M1) devices. For more information please review the Box FAQ.
The UW-Madison Box team recognizes that Box Drive does not have full parity with the Box Sync product but we recommend discontinuing use of Box Sync wherever possible. For a comparison of Box Drive and Box Sync, see: Switching from Box Sync to Box Drive
Much like Box Drive, Box Sync gives you the ability to access, manage, and edit files directly from your desktop, without the use of a web browser. For more information about how to download and install Box Sync, see: Installing Box Sync
Learn how to Mark Content for Box Sync.
You must be an owner, co-owner or editor in order to sync content to your desktop with Box Sync. You can not disable Box Sync for a specific folder or collaborator.
For more information on how to use and troubleshoot Box Sync, see: Box Sync