Dropbox Chooser expands to iOS and Android
Dropbox is bringing its Chooser integration to iOS and Android, letting users pull files from their Dropbox into mobile apps without leaving the host application. The feature was previously available only on the web, where it launched last November as a lightweight alternative to a full API integration.
Developers can add the Chooser with a few lines of Objective-C, Java, or JavaScript, regardless of whether they are building for mobile or the browser. Existing partners such as Yahoo! Mail, Mailbox, Asana, Simple, Pic Stitch, and Boxer have already shipped the integration in their iOS and Android apps.
What the mobile Chooser offers
From a product standpoint, the mobile Chooser mirrors the desktop experience: a consistent file-picking UI that works across platforms and removes the need to build a custom file browser. Apps never receive blanket access to a user's Dropbox. Instead, permission is limited to files the user explicitly selects, and the flow does not require a separate OAuth handshake.
The integration also supports two output modes. Developers can request a preview URL and let Dropbox continue hosting the file, or request a direct download link and manage storage themselves. That choice affects how much of the file lifecycle the app controls.
Dropbox claims integrations are fast to build. Simple's director of mobile, Dustin Barker, reported the team had a working feature in about three hours, letting iPhone users attach PDFs or images to transactions inside the Simple app.
Current status
Note that the Dropbox iOS and Android Chooser SDKs have since been deprecated. The documentation and SDK downloads remain available for those who want to evaluate the original implementation.
