In a recent update to both the Facebook Messenger and Dropbox apps, it is now possible to integrate Dropbox into the Facebook Messenger app. This means you can share files from your Dropbox cloud account to Facebook Messenger “friends” without having to use a third-party file manager; the feature works directly through the Facebook Messenger app menu. Let’s see how this works.

What you’ll need

You must have the latest versions of Facebook Messenger and Dropbox. You’ll also need Facebook and Dropbox accounts. Finally, you’ll need the files to be shared and uploaded to your Dropbox accounts.

Integrating Dropbox into Facebook Messenger

Once you have everything you need, open Facebook Messenger and create a new message to be sent or open a previously written thread. From the menu bar (in the center of the window), tap the three dots on the far right and a popup will appear (Figure A).

Figure A

Sharing a Dropbox file on a Verizon-branded Nexus 6.

Once you tap the Dropbox entry, a Dropbox window will appear (Figure B).

Figure B

Selecting from your Dropbox files to be shared in Facebook Messenger.

Tap the file you want to share and then, when prompted, tap Send. The file will automatically be placed within the Facebook Messenger thread.

All videos and images (including animated GIFs) will appear in the Facebook Messenger thread. All other files will be downloaded to the device, where they can then be opened with with an associated app.

Other integrated apps

As you should have seen when you tapped the three dots in the menu bar, there are other apps already integrated into Facebook Messenger; of course, what is integrated will depend upon what you have installed on your device. At the moment, you can expect the likes of Spotify, Uber, and Lyft. With Spotify integration you can share music (songs, albums, or playlists), and with Uber and Lyft, you can order rides through the respective services.