How to create a drop box to receive photos

The short answer

A drop box is a one-way link: whoever opens it can add files, but cannot browse what is already there. On AnonShot that is an album's drop mode, switched on at creation and usable with no account.

Receiving is not sharing

Most tools are designed to send a file to someone. Receiving files from several people is a different problem, and oddly less well served.

The usual workaround — asking people to email you the files — hands your address to strangers, fills your inbox and scatters files across a thread. A drop link solves all three at once.

What drop mode guarantees

The asymmetry is the heart of the feature, and what sets it apart from an ordinary shared folder.

• Whoever uploads never reaches the gallery: they see neither other people's files nor their own once sent.
• You alone, holding the edit link, browse and manage the whole set.
• No account is asked of the uploader, which avoids losing half your contributors along the way.
• A password can restrict access to the drop link itself.

Recurring use cases

Collecting documents from several people without any of them seeing the others' paperwork. Gathering photos from an event. Receiving screenshots from multiple users to diagnose a problem. Taking in visuals from outside contributors.

The common thread: many senders, one recipient, and no reason for the senders to see each other.

Creating the box

Create an album, tick drop mode, and write down the edit link carefully: it is your only key to finding and managing the content. Hand out the other link, the drop one, to the people concerned.

Remember that an album created without an account expires after 30 days. For a collection spread over time, create it from an account.