Box for Android and iOS Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do with the Box mobile app?

Box for iOS and Box for Android let you access and manage Box content from a phone or tablet. Depending on the platform, file type, permissions, account plan, and organization settings, you can:

• Browse, preview, search, upload, download, move, copy, and delete content
• Make files and folders available offline
• Share links and invite collaborators
• Capture photos, videos, audio, and document scans
• Create and edit Box Notes
• Organize content with Collections
• Comment on and annotate supported files
• Use Box AI with supported content when it is available for your account

Where do I get the Box mobile app?

Install Box from the Apple App Store on an iPhone or iPad, or from Google Play on an Android device. Keep the app updated to receive current security, compatibility, and feature changes.

Which operating-system versions does Box support?

Box's general support policy covers the two latest major versions of iOS and iPadOS. For Android, Box supports versions released within the last three years. Box can require an operating-system update when the installed version is more than 20 months old.

Because support changes as Apple and Google release new versions, check the current policy rather than relying on a fixed version list.

Why are some actions missing or unavailable?

An action can be unavailable because of your permission level, the file type, an organization setting, available device storage, or the capabilities of another app used to open the file. Confirm that you have the required Box permission and that the feature is enabled for your account.

How do I find the version of the Box app on my iPhone or iPad?

Open the Box app, go to Settings > About (or Settings > App Version) to view the installed version. You can also check the App Store page for the current version.

How do I find the version of the Box app on my Android device?

Open the Box app, tap your Profile Picture to go to Settings > scroll to bottom of page to view the installed version. 

Finding and previewing content

How do I find recently viewed files?

Open Recents in the Box app. Recents includes up to the last 100 files you viewed, including files accessed through another device, a browser, or a shared link. Available filters differ slightly between iOS and Android.

Can I organize content without moving it?

Yes. Use Box Collections to create private groupings of files and folders. A Collection can contain content you own or content shared with you. The Collection itself is visible only to you and does not change the item's folder location or sharing permissions.

Favorites is also treated as a Collection.

Which file types can the mobile app preview?

The mobile apps preview many of the same common document, image, audio, and video formats supported on Box.com, but here are some exceptions. Preview behavior can still differ by device and file.

If a preview is unavailable, try opening the file in a compatible app. Heavily formatted spreadsheets, password-protected files, unusual encodings, and some annotations may not display as expected.

Can I change how a document fits on the screen?

Yes. Mobile preview supports Fit to Width and Fit to Screen display modes for documents. Fit to Width fills the screen horizontally and may require vertical scrolling. Fit to Screen shows the entire page at once.

Can I annotate files from the mobile app?

Yes. Supported annotation tools include drawing, region highlighting, and text highlighting for compatible files. You can also view annotations and related comments made from other Box experiences.

Available annotation tools depend on the platform and file type.

Uploading, downloading, and managing content

How do I upload content from my device?

Navigate to the destination folder and tap the plus button.

• On iOS, you can upload a file from Recents, Shared, Apple Files, iCloud Drive, or On My iPhone, or choose a photo or video from the media library.
• On Android, choose Upload Content to select photos, videos, documents, or content from another local storage app.

You can also use the camera to capture new media directly into Box.

What happens if I upload a duplicate file name?

Box for iOS reports a name-conflict error and does not overwrite the existing file. Rename the new file or the existing Box item, then retry the upload.

Can I create content in the mobile app?

Yes. Both platforms can create folders and Box Notes. Android also provides options to create a Microsoft Office document or text file. The exact options shown depend on the app version, account, and destination folder permissions.

Can I move, copy, rename, or delete content?

Yes, if your Box permission allows the action. Both apps support common file-management operations and selecting multiple items.

On Android, Trash is not available in the mobile app. If your account retains deleted items, use the Box web app to restore them. If Trash is not available for the account, deletion can be permanent.

How do I see the progress of a transfer?

Tap the status-and-transfers icon at the top of the screen. It displays progress for uploads, downloads, copies, moves, and offline downloads. You can cancel an active action or retry a failed one from the status window.

What happens if a download is interrupted?

If the network connection is lost or you leave the app, the download resumes when the connection returns or you access the app again.

Offline access

Can I use Box without an internet connection?

Yes, for files and folders you made available offline before losing connectivity. Open an item's options and choose Make Available Offline, then use the Offline tab to access downloaded content.

Content that has not been downloaded for offline use requires a connection.

Can I make an entire folder available offline?

Yes. Files already in the folder are downloaded. If a file is later moved into that folder, it downloads the next time the app launches. Open the Offline tab and refresh the folder if the new file does not immediately appear there.

Why can I not make an item available offline?

Common reasons include:

• The device does not have enough free storage.
• You do not have download permission.
• Your organization has disabled saving content to mobile devices.
• The content type does not support offline access.

Box Notes cannot be made available offline on either platform. Box Canvas also cannot be made available offline on Android.

Does offline access make every feature work without a connection?

No. A downloaded file can be opened while offline, but features that depend on Box services or an internet-dependent third-party app remain unavailable. Changes cannot upload to Box until connectivity returns.

How do I remove an offline copy without deleting the Box item?

Open the item's options and choose Remove from Offline or the equivalent option shown by the app. This removes the downloaded copy from the device but leaves the item in Box.

Editing and Box Notes

Can I edit Microsoft Office files on a mobile device?

Yes, with a compatible Microsoft Office mobile app and the required Box permissions. On iOS, Box can appear in Apple's document picker so an Office app can open a Box file and save changes back to Box. Android can open Office files in external mobile Office apps and automatically save changes back to Box.

The iOS document picker requires an internet connection and does not support offline access.

Can I edit Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides in Box mobile?

No. Box for iOS and Box for Android do not support editing Google Docs, Google Sheets, or Google Slides files from the Box mobile app.

Can I create and edit Box Notes?

Yes. You can create, view, edit, comment on, and share Box Notes in both mobile apps. Editing requires Editor or Co-owner access. Other collaboration levels have view-only access.

Box Notes are web-based and cannot be made available offline.

Are Box Notes tables fully editable on mobile?

No. Mobile table support is limited. Existing table content can be edited on iOS, but a mobile user cannot create a table or change its structure. Tables are read-only on Android.

Sharing and collaboration

Can I invite collaborators from the mobile app?

Yes. Open the file or folder's sharing options, choose Add Collaborators, enter the person's name or email address, and assign the appropriate access level. Your own permissions determine whether you can invite or manage collaborators.

Can I create and send a shared link?

Yes. Open the item's sharing options and enable a shared link. You can copy the link or send it through another app.

Depending on your permissions and organization settings, you may also be able to choose who can access the link, allow or prevent downloads, and set an expiration date.

Can I comment on files from the mobile app?

Yes. Open a supported file's preview and use the comment action. You can also view comments and notifications associated with annotations.

Capturing and scanning content

Can I scan a paper document into Box?

Yes. In the Browse tab, tap the plus button.

• On iOS, choose Scan Document.
• On Android, choose Capture Media, then Scan Document.

Box can automatically detect page edges and capture the image. You can crop, rotate, change the color scale, add or remove pages, and save the scan as a PDF directly in Box.

Can Box search text inside a scanned document?

Yes. Box uses optical character recognition to make supported scanned text searchable within the PDF and through Box search. OCR language support differs between iOS and Android.

Text from scanned documents is excluded from search indexing when the organization uses KeySafe.

Can I capture photos, videos, or audio directly in Box?

Both apps can capture photos and videos. Box also supports recording audio from the mobile capture experience. The app may request access to the device camera, microphone, or media library.

Security and sign-in

Can I protect the Box app with a separate passcode?

Yes. The Box app can require its own four-digit passcode. This is separate from the passcode used to unlock the device.

• On iOS, you can choose how quickly the app locks after you leave it.
• On Android, enabling the Box passcode can also prevent screenshots and screen recordings inside the app.

Can I unlock Box with Face ID, Touch ID, or a fingerprint?

Yes, on a device with supported biometric hardware. First enable the Box app passcode, then turn on Face ID or Touch ID on iOS, or fingerprint unlock on Android.

What should I do if I can sign in on the web but not in the mobile app?

First update the Box app and device operating system, then retry on a stable network. Confirm that the device date and time are correct and capture the exact error message.

Some sign-in restrictions require an administrator to review the user's account or registered devices. If the issue persists, reproduce it, record the date, time, and timezone, and submit mobile logs to Box Product Support.

Why do I see “Your admin has restricted the use of this application. Please contact your admin to authorize this device” when trying to sign in on Box for iOS?

Your organization’s EMM or admin settings are blocking the Box app on this device. Contact your IT admin to register or authorize the device in the company’s EMM console. Once the device is authorized, sign in again.

Box AI

Is Box AI available in the mobile app?

Yes, Box AI is available in both the iOS and Android apps for eligible accounts when it has been enabled for the user. It can summarize supported content, answer questions, identify key points, and accept voice-to-text input.

Supported content includes text documents, Box Notes, images, text-dense spreadsheets, and presentation slides, subject to documented limitations.

Can Box AI answer a question across multiple files on mobile?

Eligible accounts can select up to 10 files and ask Box AI a question across them. Long-press a file to begin a multi-selection, choose the files, and tap the Box AI button.

Images cannot currently be mixed with text-based files in the same multi-file query.

Should I treat a Box AI answer as authoritative?

No. Review the cited content and verify important details before relying on an AI response. Box notes that responses can be inaccurate, especially when a question goes beyond the content being reviewed.

Troubleshooting

Why is a file not previewing?

Confirm that the app and operating system are current, the network is stable, and the file is not password-protected or still uploading. Try refreshing the preview or opening the file in a compatible application.

If only one file fails, compare it with another file of the same type. Complex formatting, unusual file construction, and unsupported content can cause a mobile preview to differ from the Box web preview.

Why did an upload, download, move, or offline action fail?

Open the status-and-transfers window and inspect the failed action. Check connectivity, available storage, item permissions, and whether the destination already contains a conflicting name. Retry the action after correcting the cause.

What should I do if I find a bug in the mobile experience?

For additional questions, please submit a request on the Box support site.