Annotations made easy

Annotate photos, markup PDFs and share comments on files, documents and images—no extra software needed.

Two users adding annotations to an image

Start annotating directly on files

The annotation feature from Dropbox allows you to comment on any image or text preview—including Excel, Photoshop, and Sketch files—even if you don’t have the software. Plus, there’s no need to download an image or photo annotation tool—just click anywhere on an image or document file to leave a text annotation on a specific region. And you can leave comments on files on both your desktop and mobile devices.

Multiple users commenting on a shared file using annotations

Annotate PDFs in Acrobat on any device

Our Adobe Acrobat integration makes using various annotation types on PDF documents simple. There’s no need for extra PDF tools—just open any PDF stored in your Dropbox account with the built-in Adobe Acrobat PDF annotator. Add new annotations, use the text highlighter when underlining main ideas or important information, and markup PDF files from any device. And when you edit and add notes to a PDF page, changes are automatically saved to your Dropbox, and you can easily share the annotated text with your co-workers.

A red circle drawn around an image in a PDF file

Frame-accurate commenting

Giving and receiving feedback on video can be complicated. Frame-accurate commenting allows you and your collaborators to make precise comments alongside the video right in Dropbox. Check out our Creative Tools Add-On available for Dropbox Business Standard, Advanced, Enterprise, and Education accounts.

Client project video next to a comment thread of timestamps and action items

Exchange feedback in real time

Eliminate the need for messy email threads full of follow-up questions on project feedback. With Dropbox file activity, you’ll always get notified when someone’s left a comment on one of your files—even if you’re not tagged in those specific annotations—so you can jump directly into the conversation.

The alert interface in Dropbox showing a new comment on a document highlighted in blue

Frequently asked questions

Anyone who has access to a file in Dropbox can add comments from a computer, phone, or tablet. To add comments, open the file you wish to comment on, write your comment in the text box, and then click Post. Your comment can @mention someone directly or even add emoji for fun.

With the annotation feature from Dropbox, you can also share targeted feedback by clicking anywhere on an image or document to leave an annotation on a specific area. Or, with our Creative Tools Add-On available for Dropbox Business Standard, Advanced, Enterprise, or Education accounts, add frame-accurate comments on audio and video files so others can jump to the exact frame you're referring to.

You’ll be able to view comments in Dropbox if you have access to the file or folder. To view comments in Dropbox, simply open the file with the comment you’d like to see and look in the right-hand column for all the comments posted on the file.

Yes, you can turn off comments in Dropbox on an individual file. Sign in to dropbox.com, find the file where you’d like to turn off comments, and disable commenting for that file. You can always enable the comments again, even after you’ve already shared the file with others. But, if you’re looking to reduce distraction, you can also choose to turn off comment notifications by unsubscribing from your notifications .

Yes, you can view or add comments with Dropbox Adobe Acrobat integration. You can annotate and view comments on any PDF file stored in Dropbox from your desktop or mobile app. You can also annotate a stored PDF file by adding your notes in Dropbox comments. Simply open the PDF in Dropbox that you want to annotate, click on the location on the PDF you’re talking about, and then add your comment.

Yes, you can view Dropbox file activity so you always know who’s accessing or editing your files. At the top of any file, you’ll see a group of thumbnails that shows which users are invited to the document and when they last opened it; you’ll also be able to see any comments or annotations added to the file. For our Business and Enterprise, your Dropbox admin can also view your team’s file activity in the admin console.