How to Use Box in 2023: Beginner’s Guide

What Is Box?

Box is a cloud storage service that competes against familiar names like Dropbox, Sync.com and Google Drive. It’s easy to upload, create, and share files and folders with Box. It also employs a variety of security measures to minimize the risk of data exposure and leaks.

For those who enjoy a built-in ecosystem of native apps, Box includes several with every account, even the free one. Additionally, Box supports most documents, no matter the file type. Box Drive is a desktop app that lets you edit files, while Box sync will mirror data stored on your account between your devices.

Getting Started With Box

To get started with Box, navigate to the Box website. Clicking the blue “get started” button takes you to the pricing page.

1. Signing Up for Box

Most business plans come with a 14-day free trial. Click the “individuals and teams” button to find the free account.

1. Create a Free Account

   Click the blue “sign up” button or use your Google account. If you don’t use your Google account, fill in the information to get your account created.

   

2. Add Your Information

   If you don’t use your Google account, fill in the information to get your account created. Once you verify your email address, you’ll be able to access your new Box account.

   

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2. How Do I Install Box on My Desktop?

The next thing you’ll want to do is download the Box Drive desktop app. It works with Mac and Windows and provides access to your files and folders, even those in the cloud. Here’s how.

1. Open the App Tab

   From the left sidebar on your account home screen, click on “apps.” Then, on the menu bar at the top, click “official Box.”

   

2. Download Box Drive

   Click on the “Box Drive” card and click “download.” After downloading, install Box Drive on your respective operating system, following the prompts.

   

3. Log in to Your Account

   Open the Box Drive app from your computer and enter your login information. After logging in, you’ll be able to access your synced files from the Box folder on your computer.

   

3. Installing Box on Mobile

Box has a mobile app for iOS and Android, giving you access to your account on the go.

1. Open the App Store

   From your phone, open the Apple app store or Google Play store and search for “Box.”

   

2. Download the Box Mobile App

   Once you find the Box app (Box: The Content Cloud), install it on your mobile device.

   

3. Log in to Your Account

   Open the app and enter your login credentials. You’ll then have access to your Box account and interface from your mobile device.

   

Using Box Apps

Every Box account includes several native apps, such as Box Notes, Box Sign and Box Canvas. The following step-by-step instructions will show how you can use these apps.

4. How to Use Box Notes

Box Notes is a web-based word processor that’s great for collaboration. Check out our Box Notes review to learn more.

1. Open Box Notes

   Click the “Notes” option, or the plus icon to the right of “Notes,” on the left sidebar. Clicking “Notes” will open a new window that shows any existing notes. Clicking the plus icon will create a new note in a separate window.

   

2. Create a New Note

   If you navigated to the Box Notes page, click the blue “new” button to create a new note.

   

3. Open Existing Note

   If you have existing notes, you’ll see them on the left side of the page. Click on an existing note to work on it.

   

4. Share Note

   You can share any note by clicking the blue “share” button. This will allow you to create a link, invite by email or manage people you have already shared the note with.

   

5. Delete Note

   To delete a note, click on the note and then click on the three horizontal dots in the upper-right corner. Choose “delete this note” to delete.

   

5. How to Use Box Canvas

You can use Box Canvas for many things, as it is a digital whiteboard great for brainstorming or virtual creative collaboration.

1. Open Box Canvas

   From the left sidebar, click on “Canvas.” This will open the Canvas page.

   

2. Create New Canvas

   To create a new canvas, click on either the plus icon from the left sidebar or the page’s blue “new canvas” button.

   

3. Open Existing Canvas

   If you have existing canvas files, you will see them on the page. If you want to work on one, click on it.

   

4. Share Canvas

   Click the blue “share” button to share a canvas with others. You can invite using email addresses or create a shareable link.

   

5. Delete Canvas

   To delete a canvas, select the checkbox on a file and then click the trash icon. Confirm you want to delete by clicking “okay.”

   

6. How to Use Box Sign

Box Sign lets you send and receive digital signatures. You can also sign documents sent to you.

1. Open Box Sign

   From the left sidebar, click “Sign.”

   

2. Create Signature Request

   To request a signature, click the blue “request signature” button.

   

3. Upload Document

   You can drag and drop a file or upload it from your computer. Options on the right side include adding email addresses or fields to the document. When ready, click the “send request” button.

   

4. Sign a Document

   If you need to sign a document, click the blue down arrow and choose “sign myself.” Follow step three and click the “sign and finish” button when ready.

   

File and Folder Management

Box gives you several ways to manage your files and folders, making it easy to keep your data organized and accessible.

7. Navigation With Box

These steps will show how to navigate around Box. Start with the left sidebar to navigate around your account.

1. See All Your Files

   The “all files” tab displays every folder and file in your account.

   

2. Only Recents

   If you have a lot of folders and files, click the “recents” tab to see items that have recently been accessed.

   

3. Desktop Sync

   If you use Box Drive, any folders and files that automatically sync through the app will display in the “synced” tab. Additionally, you can designate folders for offline access.

   

4. Trash Bin

   Any items you delete will show up in the “trash” tab. Box will hold deleted files for as long as your chosen plan allows. Free plans have 30 days.

   

8. Creating and Uploading

This section will show how to create or upload folders and files to Box. 

1. Create a Folder

   From your main account page, click the “new” button and choose the “folder” option. Give the new folder a name and invite collaborators via email, if desired. When ready, click the blue “create” button.

   

2. Create a File

   From your account page, click the “new” button and choose the type of file you want to create. Choices include Box apps, MS Office, Google or Apple documents. Give the new file a name. When ready, click the blue “create” button.

   

3. Upload a Folder

   Uploading a folder works similar to creating one. Start by clicking the “new” button on your account page and choosing “folder upload.” From the window, select the folder you want and click “upload.” For a quicker process, drag and drop a folder from your computer into your account.

   

4. Upload a File

   Uploading a file works almost the same way. Click the “new” button on your account page and choose “file upload.” Find the file you want and click “upload.” Note that you can upload multiple files at one, including using the drag and drop feature.

   

9. Moving Folders and Files

You can move files and folders in Box as needed to keep things organized. 

1. Move a Folder

   To move a folder, first click the checkbox that appears when you hover your cursor over a folder. Then, click the three dots menu and choose “move or copy.” From the window, choose the destination folder and click “move.” To forgo a few steps, you can drag and drop a folder into another folder.

   

2. Move a File

   The easiest way to move a file is to use the drag and drop feature to place the file where it’s needed. Alternatively, you can hover over the file you want to move and then click the checkbox. Then, from the three dots menu, choose “move or copy.” Lastly, choose the destination folder and click “move.”

   

10. Box File Sharing & Folder Sharing

Box gives you two main ways to share folders and files: using emails or creating links.

1. Sharing a Folder

   You can share a folder by hovering over it and clicking the share icon. Alternatively, you can check the checkbox and then click the blue “share” button in the top-right corner. Enter email addresses or create a shared link.

   

2. Sharing a File

   Sharing a file works the same way. Either hover over the file and click the share icon, or check the checkbox and then click the blue “share” button. Share to email addresses or create a shareable link.

   

3. Secure Sharing

   Free plans do not have the option to implement additional security measures. If you’re on a paid plan and want some extra security, click “link settings” and enter a password or set a link expiration date, if needed.

   

11. Adjusting Folder Settings

Every folder has settings letting you customize options like privacy, sharing and collaboration.

1. Accessing Folder Settings

   Accessing any folder settings starts by clicking the checkbox while hovering the cursor over the folder. From the three dots menu, choose “settings.”

   

2. Choose Options

   You’ll see several options, including collaboration options, privacy features and automation. Change the settings as needed.

   

3. Save Changes

   When ready, click the blue “save changes” button at the top of the page.

   

12. Box Account Settings

Each account has several settings, including those for security and the option to enable two-factor authentication.

1. Navigate to Settings

   To access account settings, click on your account initials or profile picture in the top-right corner of the page, then click on “account settings.”

   

2. Make Changes

   The first page shows you general options for your account. You can change the home page, the number of folders or files per page and the timezone or language. Setting up two-step verification is also an option. Other settings tabs include “sharing,” “security” and “profile.”

   

3. Save Changes

   When you are done making changes, click the blue “save changes” button at the top of the page.

   

Box Integrations & Add-ons

Box offers many third-party integrations and connections to popular apps like Slack, Zoom and Trello.

13. Using the Box App Store

To find an app, navigate to the Box app store.

1. Open the App Store

   From the left sidebar, click on the “apps” tab.

   

2. Find an App

   The main apps page shows you “featured” and “most popular” apps. You can click on the options along the top to narrow down your search, including “all,” “Box official” or “productivity,” to name a few. There’s also a search bar to find specific apps.

   

3. Install or Connect to the App

   Once you find an app to use, click on it, and then click on the “add” button. For most apps, you’ll need to grant Box permission to connect accounts and log in to the account you’re adding.

   

14. Connecting to MS Office

Box lets you connect to your MS Office account.

1. Find the MS Office App

   If you don’t see the “Box for Office for web” app on the Box app store landing page, click the “official Box” option at the top.

   

2. Connect to MS Account

   Click on the Box for Office web app and follow the prompts to log in to your MS Office account.

   

15. Connecting to Google Workspace

If you use Google Workspace, you can connect it to your Box account.

1. Find the Google Workspace App

   If you don’t see the Box for Google Workspace app on the Box app store landing page, click the “official Box” option at the top.

   

2. Connect to Google Workspace

   Click on the Box for Google Workspace app, click the blue “add” button and follow the prompts to log in to your Google account.

   

Using Box Business

It’s tough to do a how-to guide about Box and not mention its Box Business plans. Box Business takes everything from a Box account and adds analytical and team management features. Most of the features with Box Business are located in the admin console.

16. Access the Admin Console

Managing a Box Business account starts with accessing the admin console.

1. Navigate to the Admin Console

   From your main Box account — as long as you have a Box Business plan — click on the “admin console” option at the bottom left of the page.

   

2. Choose a Tab

   On the left side, you’ll see a number of different admin sections. The landing page is your dashboard, which is a snapshot of your account information. Other options include “users and groups,” “reports” and “account and billing.”

   

17. Managing Users

Managing users is one of the critical aspects of a Box Business account.

1. Add a User

   From the admin console, open the “users and groups” tab. Then click on “add user.”

   

2. Enter the User Information

   On the form, enter the information for the user, including the name and email address. Click on “save” when done.

   

3. Viewing Users

   If you have users added already, you can view and make changes to the roles, groups and permissions.

   

Uninstalling Box App

If you decide that your time with Box is ending, it’s easy to delete your account permanently. From the account settings, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the “permanently delete account” link. Once you confirm this action, it’s final.

Removing the desktop or mobile app works like any other uninstall process. First, find the desktop app on your computer and follow the uninstall process, respective to the operating system. On Macs, this starts with Finder, and on Windows, through File Explorer.

For the mobile app, find it on your device and delete it as needed. On iOS, press and hold the Box app and then select “remove.” On Android, go to the Google Play store, go to manage apps, find Box and then tap “uninstall.”

Alternatives to Box

Box has plenty of competition in the cloud storage sector. Sync.com offers a more secure, private cloud storage experience, though with less functionality and fewer third-party connections. We cover this service more in our Sync.com review.

Dropbox is another competitor offering similar features and integrations. Check out our Dropbox review to learn more.

On the business side, Egnyte is a solid, although potentially expensive, alternative. Our Egnyte review has more details. Additionally, we compare the two services in our Egnyte vs Box article. 

Another option is pCloud Business, which has an encrypted folder and team management features. We have the details in our pCloud Business review.

Final Thoughts: Using Box

Box doesn’t overcomplicate its service in many ways, and it should come easier the more time you spend with it. However, Box has many features, and initial impressions can seem overwhelming for those newer to cloud storage. This guide covered the basics to help you get started with Box and navigate the app.

Are you a Box user? Do you find Box easy to use? Is it easy to manage your Box data? Did we miss a feature that would be good for beginners? Let us know in the comments section below. Thanks for reading our article.

FAQ: How to Use Box

• How Does Box Work?

  Box works like most other cloud storage services. You can store folders and files in your account and share them with others using email or through a created a link. Box also has popular third-party connections to services like Google Workspace and MS Office.

• How Do You Create a File in Box?

  From your account page, you’ll see a “new” button. Click it to create a new file or folder. If you’ve connected your account to Google, MS Office or Apple, you’ll see options to create documents from those services as well.

• How Do I Find Files in Box?

  The “all files” tab shows everything you’ve created or uploaded to your account. A search bar at the top of the page lets you search for files in your account.

• How Do I Send Files Through Box?

  If you store synced files locally in the app, Box lets you share folders or files using either an email address (if sharing with another Box user) or by creating a link to share manually.

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