I write in scrivener on my MacBook Air and want to open the saved work in Dropbox on the iPad. I cannot because I receive this message: “.scriv files cannot be previewed. To view this file open it on your computer”
What’s wrong? I see the files on Dropbox. I’m told to sync again and again —and it does not correct the issue. Can you please help me? I bought scrivener (yes, a second time) for the iPad just so I could use both devices.
Please tell me what I’m doing wrong. 
Thank you!
Don’t open the file in Dropbox (or the Files app). Instead, open the Scrivener app, make sure it points to the correct directory in Dropbox and then it should open just fine from there.
Complete instructions for setting things up are here: Dropbox Syncing with iOS / iOS / Knowledge Base - Literature and Latte Support
Thank you for the response. Interestingly, Scrivener on iPad does not have any files in it. It doesn’t sync or merge with the scrivener on my Mac (the one I’ve used for many years). I’ve tried to get this fixed via the manual and also through this awesome forum, but nothing has worked. I think I need a Scrivener & IOS professional.
A troubleshooting guide for iOS synchronization can be found here: Quick Troubleshooting for iOS Syncing / iOS / Knowledge Base - Literature and Latte Support
Our guide for setting up synchronization can be found here:
https://scrivener.tenderapp.com/help/kb/ios/dropbox-syncing-with-ios
From your description, I would check to make sure that .scriv files (not .zip backups) are present in the Dropbox/Apps/Scrivener folder on the Mac; that the Dropbox software on the Mac is installed, running, and connected to your account; and that Scrivener on the iPad is correctly configured to look in that folder.
(You can actually use any folder you want, but Dropbox/Apps/Scrivener is the default.)