DropBox cloud syncing app for Android on the way

File syncing service DropBox is set to get an Android app very soon, which means that another swathe of smartphone users will be able to access their Desktop files via the cloud.

DropBox provides online storage (2Gb for free, paid accounts get 50Gb) and a client application for Windows, Mac and Linux. Once installed, it creates a dedicated ‘DropBox’ folder whose contents are automatically and transparently synced with your online storage, so there’s always an online copy of everything you keep in there.

The clever part is that not only does the DropBox folder sync with every other computer signed into the same account, but the service also keeps track of deleted and changed files for up to 30 days. So, if you accidentally wipe a file by saving a different one with the same name, the original can be easily recovered.

DropBox is already available for the iPhone and while it (sensibly) omits the syncing, it does allow you to access your cloud storage on the move. This means you can open documents stored on your desktop computer with ease — something that the iPhone’s lack of use accessible local storage otherwise makes difficult.

The Android app offers the same features, which also includes streaming music from your cloud storage, offline access (for files marked as ‘Favourites’). Reverse syncing is limited to photos, video, audio and text files, but you can share files with other people by emailing links to the online versions.

There’s no word on just when DropBox for Android will be available — just some time “within the next couple of months” but, if the iPhone app is anything to go by, it should be a free download.

[ DropBox Blog]