safari open downloaded files automatically

How to disable your Mac from automatically opening downloads from the web

Do you find it frustrating when downloads from the web automatically open on your Mac? Follow along for how to turn off this default feature.

If you’re using Safari on your Mac , the default setting for downloads from the web is for them to automatically open. This can be a distracting feature, especially if your workflow includes regularly downloading content from the web.

• Open Safari and click  Safari in the menu bar
• Click  Preferences…
• Make sure the  General  tab at the top is selected
• Uncheck the box next to Open “safe” file after downloading

Here’s how these steps look:

Under the General tab, look for the box at the bottom of the window and uncheck it.

For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:

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Safari User Guide

• Get started
• Go to a website
• Bookmark webpages to revisit
• See your favorite websites
• Use tabs for webpages
• Import bookmarks and passwords
• Pay with Apple Pay
• Autofill credit card info
• View links from friends
• Keep a Reading List
• Hide ads when reading
• Translate a webpage
• Download items from the web
• Add passes to Wallet
• Save part or all of a webpage
• Print or create a PDF of a webpage
• Interact with text in a picture
• Change your homepage
• Customize a start page
• Create a profile
• Block pop-ups
• Make Safari your default web browser
• Hide your email address
• Manage cookies
• Clear your browsing history
• Browse privately
• Prevent cross-site tracking
• See who tried to track you
• Change Safari settings
• Keyboard and other shortcuts

Download items from the web using Safari on Mac

Download music, PDFs , software, and other items by clicking links on webpages.

Important: If a download contains software, an alert appears when you open the item. To be safe, don’t open it if you weren’t expecting a software program or if it’s not from a trusted source.

Open Safari for me

Download an item

Choose Download Linked File. (Some webpage items can’t be downloaded.)

Safari decompresses files such as .zip files after it downloads them.

Note: If you download an item that you previously downloaded, Safari removes the older duplicate so it doesn’t take up space on your Mac. See Optimize storage space .

If you have trouble downloading, try any of the following:

If Safari is still downloading the item, wait for it to finish. You can’t open an item while it’s being downloaded.

Sometimes a download is incomplete because the file was damaged. Try downloading it again.

Make sure you have the app needed to open the file. If you do, the file may have been corrupted during the download. Delete it, then try downloading it again.

See items you downloaded

The button isn’t shown if the downloads list is empty.

Do any of the following:

Tip: To change where downloaded items are saved on your Mac, choose Safari > Settings, click General, then click the “File download location” pop-up menu and choose a location.

Clear the downloads list: In the downloads list, click Clear. To remove one item, Control-click it, then choose Remove From List.

By default, Safari automatically removes an item after one day. To change when items are automatically removed, choose Safari > Settings, click General, then click the “Remove download list items” pop-up menu and choose an option.

The downloaded file may be a compressed archive or disk image that contains the file you want. If the file is from a trusted site, double-click it to decompress it.

If you downloaded an app and you see a message that the app can’t be opened because it’s from an unidentified developer or wasn’t downloaded from the Mac App Store, you can open the app by overriding security settings .

How-To Geek

How to view and clear safari download history on a mac.

Dust away the breadcrumbs of your download history.

While using the Safari browser on Mac, it's easy to see a list of files you've downloaded in the past and to clear that download history if necessary. Here's how to do it.

First, open the Safari application on your Mac. In any Safari window, look to the right of the address bar for an icon that looks like a downward-pointing arrow in a circle. If you see it, click it or press Option+Command+L. (If you don't see the arrow icon, Safari does not have any download history to display.)

When the download list opens, you'll see a list of files you've downloaded recently. Somewhat confusingly, when you save certain media files such as images, songs, and videos in Safari on Mac, Safari does not include them in the download history list, so you won't see them there.

To reveal the location of a downloaded file in Finder , right-click the file in the list and choose "Show in Finder." Or simply click the small magnifying glass icon beside the file.

After that, a Finder window will pop up over your Safari window. In it, you'll see the downloaded file highlighted.

By default, Safari automatically unzips downloaded files and removes the original ZIP files. To turn this off, open Safari Preferences, click "General," and uncheck "Open 'safe' files after downloading."

To remove a particular file from the list, right-click it and choose "Remove From List." To clear the entire list of downloads, click the "Clear" button in the upper-right corner of the Downloads pop-up window.

Safari will wipe the Downloads list and the downloads (arrow) icon in the toolbar will disappear. Any time you need to see the downloads list again---if it hasn't been recently cleared---click the downloads icon or press Option+Command+L on your keyboard. Happy downloading!

Related: What Is Finder on a Mac?

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How to Manage Safari Downloads on a Mac

Catalina Quick Tip

In macOS Catalina’s Safari web browser, you can choose where downloaded files are stored. By default, they’re deposited in your Downloads folder.

Safari Download Folder Location

You can find the Downloads folder by going to the Users folder on your Mac’s hard drive and clicking User. You’ll see it listed along with folders for Applications, Movies, Music, Pictures, Public, and Sites.

Change Safari Download Folder

If you wish to change where downloads go, go to Safari’s Preferences and select General. You’ll see a dialog box that allows you to select a new download location by choosing Other or have Safari ask you where you want a file deposited with each download.

Remove Safari Downloads

You can also choose when you wish to remove downloaded items: after one day, when Safari quits, or after a successful download. Or you can choose to do it manually by dragging files from the Downloads folder in your Users folder to the trash.

Open Safe Files After Downloading

Finally, you can choose whether or not to automatically open “safe” files after they download. Such files usually include movies, pics, PDFs, text documents, and archives — which are usually safe to download. However, life is rife with complications, so proceed with caution.

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Your instructions are a little confusing. Most novice users do not see the Users folder (other than in a file dialog box) because it is a level above their home folder. Then, when you say, “You can find the Downloads folder by going to the Users folder on your Mac’s hard drive and clicking User,” that should say to click on the name of your own home folder, as there is nothing with the name “User.”

But really, there is no reason to discuss the Users folder. Most novice users only see the folders/files within their own home folder, and these instructions are only to change where your own downloads go. So the instructions should just point out that there is a Downloads folder in your own home folder.

The screenshot you provide is not what one see in the Preferences dialog to set the preferred download location. You should provide a screenshot of what one sees when setting the download location preference.

This has been a feature of Safari as far back as I can remember. It’s not unique to Catalina. I’ve been using an alternate downloads folder for many years—on an external hard drive to save space on my internal drive. Your article implies that this is a new feature in Catalina, which is very far from the truth.

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How to disable 'open safe files after downloading' in Safari for Mac

Download now, open later

Got an Apple , Mac or iOS tech question? We have the answer. When you use Safari to download files - music, movies, images - it's usually a simple matter to decide if they'll open automatically once they're on your computer. But this time we have a reader who's having trouble getting that function to work. Luckily, we have a Plan B.

How do I disable 'open safe files after downloading' in Safari for Mac?

I am using Safari 8.0 on an iMac running Yosemite 10.10.1 and the "Open 'safe' files after downloading" is greyed out so that I cannot uncheck it. I spoke with Apple tech support and they did not have an answer for me. How can I uncheck this?

This is a very strange problem! Normally, all you have to do is select Preferences from the Safari menu, then uncheck the box at the bottom of the General tab. It's quite unusual that this option is disabled. You could try reinstalling OS X Yosemite , but there's a Terminal command that should allow you to disable this functionality.

To execute the workaround, open the Terminal app (located in /Applications/Utilities) and type in the following command to disable Safari's "open 'safe' files" option:

defaults write com.apple.Safari AutoOpenSafeDownloads -boolean NO

When you press Return on the keyboard, the command will write the new preference to Safari's options. After restarting Safari, see if files are automatically opened after downloading. It should no longer happen after this option has been added. If you continue to have problems, however, then your best bet is to try reinstalling OS X from the OS X Recovery partition (boot using Command + R and select Reinstall OS X).

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Disable Safari's 'Open Safe Files After Downloading' Feature

Protect your privacy by turning off this option

Adjust the settings on your Mac to prevent it from opening downloads automatically. This settings change protects your privacy, even if it requires that small sacrifice of convenience.

Instructions in this article apply to Safari for Mac and Safari 5.1.7 for Windows. Safari is no longer available for Windows PCs, and Apple no longer supports the Windows version.

How to Stop Mac From Opening All Downloads

The Safari browser  contains a default feature that open all files it considers safe when the download is finished. Although it is convenient while enabled, this feature may adversely affect your online security. Safari considers the following file types to be safe files:

• Text documents
• Disc images, such as DMG files
• Some other archive types

It's safer to manually open downloaded files and scan them with antivirus software , but you must first disable the Open Safe Files setting in Safari.

Disable Safari's 'Open Safe Files' Setting on MacOS

To disable the "Open Safe Files" setting on a Mac through Safari's preferences on a macOS computer:

Open Safari on your Mac.

Click the Safari menu and select Preferences .

You can also open the preferences by pressing Command + comma on your keyboard.

Click the General tab.

Clear the  Open "safe" files after downloading  checkbox.

Close the window to save your setting.

Disable Safari's 'Open Safe Files' Setting on Windows

Apple discontinued its Windows version of Safari in 2012. Windows 10 does not support any version of Safari, but Windows 8 , Windows 7 , Vista , and Windows XP SP2 and SP3 support the last version, which was 5.1.7.

Unlike the setting in macOS Safari, the Windows option does not open the file automatically. Still, you can adjust a similar setting to prompt Windows to ask you before it downloads a file. This option inserts an extra step to consider if you want a file on your computer.

Click the  Gear icon.

Go to the  General  tab.

Clear the Always prompt before downloading checkbox.

There is no way to configure Safari for Windows to automatically open downloaded files.

Checking this box means that Safari will ask if you want to download a file. No check means that Safari automatically downloads safe files to the folder you specify in the Save downloaded files to field on this same screen.

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Where to Find Downloaded Files in Safari on a Mac and How to Manage Them

After downloading a file, it's not always easy to find where it saved. Here's how to find and manage Safari downloads on your Mac.

While browsing the web in Safari, it’s common to need to download files from different websites. But sometimes it can be a challenge to find where these Safari downloads are saved.

Below are several ways to find and manage Safari downloads on your Mac.

How to Download Files Using Safari

There are different ways to save items from Safari to your Mac , depending on the type of item you want to save. While some items in webpages can’t be downloaded, files, images, software, and apps often come with a dedicated download button. Otherwise, Control-click or two-finger tap an item to save or download it.

It’s best not to download software or apps if they aren’t from a trusted source.

Where to Find Safari Downloads on a Mac

Unless you’ve chosen otherwise, items that you’ve downloaded from Safari automatically go to your Downloads folder. To find this, open Finder and click Downloads from the sidebar or press Cmd + Option + L .

You can change where your downloaded files save, if you want:

• Head to Safari > Preferences .
• Click the General tab. Go to File download location , then choose from the popup. Select Ask for each download if you want to be in more control of each download.
• If you want to select a specific destination, click Other and select your desired folder.

Use the Downloads Button in Safari

Quickly access your downloads in Safari by clicking the Downloads button, a downward arrow enclosed in a circle icon on the top-right of the Safari window. Note that this won’t appear unless you’ve recently downloaded an item.

Open the Downloads Stack in the Dock

Another way to immediately access your downloaded files is through the Dock. Your recent downloads are often found on the right side of the Dock in a stack. Hover over it to preview the contents or click to expand it.

Open the Downloads Folder in Finder

As we already mentioned, you can also find your Safari downloads using Finder. This is a valuable utility to locate items on our Mac. Simply click the magnifying button on your menu bar and type "downloads," or go to your Dock and click Finder to open the Finder window.

You can usually find the Downloads folder in the sidebar, under Favorites.

How to Manage Your Safari Downloads

There are several ways to manage your in-progress or completed downloads in Safari. To perform these actions, open the Downloads menu in Safari itself. Here’s what you can do:

• Pause Downloads: If you’re currently downloading, click the stop button beside the file name to pause the download, then click the resume button to resume it again.
• Remove a downloaded item: If you want to remove a single item from the list, Control-click the item and select Remove from List . You can also remove all your recently downloaded items by clicking Clear in the top right of the popup.

By default, Safari automatically deletes downloaded items after a day. If you want to change this:

• Go to Safari > Preferences .
• Click General , then go to Remove download list items . Choose from After one day , When Safari quits , Upon successful download , or Manually .

Manage Your Safari Downloads

There is a lot of content you can download on the web, and simply knowing how to download it is usually half the battle. But once you’ve done that, you can use the tips in this guide to find and manage your Safari downloads with ease, even customizing your download preferences to get fuller control over where your files save and when they get deleted.

• Stop automatically unzipping files in safari

How To Stop Automatically Unzipping Files In Safari On macOS

• User by Fatima Wahab
• Calendar Jun 9, 2017
• Comment 1 Comment

Safari doesn’t get much attention on macOS, or even on iOS. On both platforms, browsing giants like Firefox and Chrome are available. Users who prefer the speed and features offered by either one don’t have to compromise and use Safari. On macOS, Safari doesn’t have much of an advantage as the system browser. On iOS, it still has an edge over the others given its closed environment. That said, it’s not a bad browser. If you’re using macOS, Safari is a reasonably good browser. In High Sierra, it’s going to be the first browser to automatically mute video ads. Another Safari feature is that it unzips any and all archive files you download. If you don’t like this, you can stop automatically unzipping files in Safari with a little change in its preferences.

Open Safari and from the Safari menu, select Preferences. Alternatively, just  tap Command + , (⌘+,) to open Safari’s preferences.

On the General tab in Safari’s preferences, look at the very bottom. There is an option called ‘Open ‘Safe’ files after downloading’. Uncheck this option to stop automatically unzipping files in Safari.

Turning this option off does have its side effects. By default, Safari opens all files that it deems safe. This includes but is not limited to images and PDF files. When you download either types of files, it’s logical to assume you want to look at them right away. In that vein, Safari opens these files for you whenever you download them. When you turn this option off, you stop Safari from automatically unzipping an archive file, but you also stop it from opening other types of files.

There’s no middle ground here for you to take. You can opt out of the automatic unzipping feature but you also have to say good-bye to photos and documents opening automatically.

The only alternative is to use a different browser. If you prefer to use Safari, this is hardly an alternative. Chrome has similar auto-open settings but they offer better control. For example, Chrome can automatically open a PNG files once it downloads. At the same time, you can stop it from automatically opening JPG files when they download. More importantly, you can reset auto open settings for downloaded files in Chrome .

It’s safe to say that Safari needs an overhaul in terms of features. Given how happy Apple was with its new products at WWDC 2017, it doesn’t seem like they agree. Safari muting video ads is a nice feature and all but that’s kind of the major highlight of the browser at this point.

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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How to Access the Download Manager in Safari for iOS

With iOS 13, Apple has brought a similar feature to the mobile version of its Safari browser in the form of the Download Manager. Now, when you choose to download a file, such as an image or document, a little download icon is displayed in the top right corner of the screen.

You can tap the icon to check the status of your downloads, and tapping the magnifying glass next to a file will open its folder location, whether that's on your device or in the cloud.

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How to Download Files on Safari

It's free and super easy to set up

Safari is one of the most popular web browsers for Mac and iOS devices, and it offers efficient and easy-to-use download management features. In this article, we will explore the various methods to download files on Safari for both desktop and mobile devices. Let's get started!

Understanding Safari's Download Manager

Before we dive into the specifics of downloading files on Safari, it's essential to understand the download manager. The download manager is a built-in feature of Safari that allows you to see all the files you've downloaded, track their progress, and manage them.

One of the most significant advantages of Safari's download manager is its ability to work in the background. This feature is particularly useful when you need to download multiple files simultaneously without disrupting your browsing experience. With Safari's download manager, you can start and manage downloads while continuing to browse the internet.

How the Download Manager works

Safari's download manager is designed to work seamlessly with the browser. Once you start a download, you can see its status by clicking on the downloads arrow on the toolbar. You can also access the download manager from the Safari menu under the "Window" option.

When you access the download manager, you'll see a list of all the files you've downloaded. The list is divided into three categories: ongoing downloads, completed downloads, and items still stuck midway. This categorization makes it easy to manage your downloads and keep track of their progress.

Another useful feature of Safari's download manager is its ability to resume interrupted downloads. If your internet connection is interrupted, or you accidentally close the browser, you can easily resume the download from where it left off.

Accessing the Download Manager

There are two ways to open the Download Manager in Safari. The first method is to click the downloads arrow on the toolbar. The second method is to use the "Option+Command+L" keyboard shortcut. When the Download Manager appears, you can see ongoing downloads, completed downloads, and items still stuck midway. You can also pause and resume downloads or cancel them if necessary.

Overall, Safari's download manager is a powerful and useful tool that makes downloading files a breeze. Its ability to work in the background, resume interrupted downloads, and categorize files makes it an essential feature for anyone who frequently downloads files from the internet.

Enabling and Customizing Safari Downloads

Safari is a powerful and versatile web browser that comes with a lot of customization options. One of the most important features of Safari is its download manager, which allows you to easily download files from the internet. In this article, we will show you how to customize your download settings in Safari.

Adjusting download settings

If you want to change your download settings in Safari, it's easy to do. First, open Safari and click on the "Safari" menu in the top-left corner of the screen. From there, select "Preferences."

Once you're in the Preferences menu, click on the "General" tab. Under "File Download Location," you can choose where you want your downloads to be saved. You can select a specific folder on your computer, or choose to have Safari ask you every time you download a file where you want to save it.

Customizing your download settings can help you stay organized and keep your files in order. You can create a dedicated folder for your downloads, or choose to save them to your desktop for easy access.

Choosing a download location

Sometimes you may need to change the download location temporarily. Fortunately, Safari makes it easy to do so. If you want to find a downloaded file, click on the downloads arrow on the toolbar. From there, you can see a list of all your recent downloads. If you want to open the folder where Safari downloads all your files, select "Show in Finder." This will open the folder where all your downloaded files are stored, and you can easily move them to a new location.

By default, Safari saves all downloaded files to your Downloads folder. However, you can change this setting to any folder you like. This can be especially useful if you want to keep your downloads organized by project or category.

Managing automatic downloads

Safari has a feature that automatically downloads files that it considers "safe." However, if you don't want Safari to automatically download files without your permission, you can turn off automatic downloads. To do this, go to "Preferences" in the Safari menu, then click on the "General" tab. Uncheck the box next to "Open safe files after download," and Safari will no longer download files automatically.

This can be useful if you're worried about accidentally downloading a virus or malware. By disabling automatic downloads, you can ensure that you only download files that you trust.

Safari's download manager is a powerful tool that can help you stay organized and keep your files in order. By customizing your download settings, you can make sure that your files are saved exactly where you want them. Whether you're downloading work files or personal documents, Safari makes it easy to manage your downloads and keep your computer organized.

Downloading Files on Safari for Desktop

Safari for desktop offers two ways of downloading files:

Downloading files with a single click

To download a file with a single click, click on the download link and wait for the file to start downloading. You can see the download progress by clicking on the downloads arrow on the toolbar.

Downloading files with a right-click

Alternatively, you can download files by using the right-click menu and selecting "Download Linked File." This option is useful if you want to save files with a specific name or location.

Viewing and managing downloaded files

Once a file has been downloaded, you can access it from the Downloads Manager by clicking on the downloads arrow. If you need to view the file or open it, click on it, and it will open in the default application for that file.

Downloading Files on Safari for iOS

Downloading files on Safari for iOS devices is just as straightforward as desktop. Here's how:

Downloading files on iPhone and iPad

To download files on an iOS device, tap on the download link, and Safari will automatically start downloading the file. You can view the progress of the download by swiping down from the top of the screen to see the "Downloads" tab in Safari.

Accessing downloaded files in the Files app

All downloaded files on iOS are stored in the Files app. To access a downloaded file, open the Files app and tap on "Downloads." From there, you can see and manage your downloaded files.

Managing downloads on iOS devices

You can pause and resume downloads on iOS devices by tapping the "Resume" or "Pause" button in the "Downloads" tab of Safari.

With Safari, downloading files is a breeze, and you don't have to worry about managing them manually. Whether you're on a desktop or mobile device, Safari has everything you need to manage your downloads effectively. Happy downloading!

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How to fix Safari not downloading files on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

You may, at times, encounter an issue where Safari refuses to download photos, videos, audio, PDFs, documents, and other files from a website. In this article, we’ll explore common reasons why Safari may not be downloading files on iPhone, iPad, or Mac and provide solutions to help you get back to downloading with ease.

The issues you may be facing

• Clicking the download link opens a new blank tab, and no file download starts.
• Safari is refusing to begin file downloads from one or all sites.
• File download starts, but it fails immediately in a second or two.
• The download happens up to a point and then fails midway or just before completing.
• Safari downloads a file but opens it and then deletes the original files (this happens with ZIP and other compressed files).

The solutions below should help fix all the above issues and also ones similar to them.

Before you begin

It’s possible that you’re not following the right steps to download the file. On Mac, it’s super easy, but on iPhone and iPad, downloading files may not be as obvious. With that said, even if the file has been downloaded, you may not know where it’s saved and how to find it. So, look at these tutorials, if needed:

• How to download videos from Safari on iPhone and iPad
• How to download files and documents to iPhone or iPad
• How to access downloaded files on iPhone and iPad

Retry the download

In many cases, initiating the download again does the trick. Try hitting the download link again, and it should work. If not, refresh the webpage and click the download button again.

Note: Some websites put downloads behind a login wall. So, make sure to honor that.

Pause and resume the download

The download may look like it has started, but it will pause or fail in a few seconds. If that happens, hit the tiny retry button a few times, and it should start the download. If not, hit the download link again on the website.

Check your internet

Make sure your iPhone, iPad, or Mac is connected to a stable Wi-Fi, Cellular Data, or Ethernet connection and the internet is working properly.

Some useful tips

• Turn off VPN if you’re using one.
• Restart your Wi-Fi router.

Troubleshooting internet problems

• How to fix cellular data not working on iPhone or iPad
• What to do when your iPhone or iPad can’t connect to Wi-Fi
• Internet not working on your Mac? Here are 16 solutions to fix it

Allow the website to download files

When you try to download a file from a website for the first time, it doesn’t start immediately. Instead, you will see an alert asking your permission to allow this site to download and save files locally or not. Make sure you allow that. If you choose to block the download, follow these steps to fix it:

On iPhone and iPad: Hit the download link again on the website and tap Allow or Download when asked. If you don’t see the Allow button, clear your browser data.

On Mac: Open Safari and click Safari > Settings from the top menu bar. Now, go to Websites > Downloads > click the drop-down menu next to the website name and choose Allow . While you’re here, also make sure it says ‘ Ask ‘ or ‘ Allow ‘ next to ‘ When visiting other websites .’

Force Quit and reopen Safari

On iPhone and iPad: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold or double-press the Home button to enter App Switcher. From here, drag the Safari app card all the way up to close it .

On Mac: Save your work in any other open Safari tabs. Next, click the Apple icon  and choose Force Quit . Here, select Safari and click Force Quit .

Now reopen Safari and try downloading the file again.

Use alternate download links

You may see more than one download link on a website. If one link fails to work, try the other one. Note: Sometimes, picking a different download quality (for a video, audio, or image) should do the trick.

Set Safari download location to anything other than iCloud Drive

If you have set Safari to download files to iCloud Drive,  switch it to any other local storage folder using the steps below:

On iPhone or iPad: Settings > Safari > Downloads > On My iPhone or Other .

On Mac: Open Safari and click Safari > Settings from the top menu bar. From the General section, select Downloads , Desktop , or any local folder next to ‘ File download location .’

Stop Safari from automatically opening files after download

By default, Safari on Mac is set to open files after downloading them. That means if you download a ZIP file, Safari will automatically unzip it after downloading. In rare cases, this may cause the download to fail, not complete successfully, or not even start in the first place if the file you’re trying to download is incompatible. Therefore, it’s best to turn it off from Safari Settings > General > uncheck ‘ Open “safe” files after downloading .’

Restart your device

If Safari is unable to download files due to minor glitches, save your work and do a restart .

Make sure your device has sufficient free space

New file downloads will only succeed if your iPhone, iPad, or Mac has enough free space. So go to Settings, and check how much free storage you have. If it’s full, use these tutorials to free up space:

• 50+ tips to free space on your iPhone and iPad
• 30+ ways to free storage space on your Mac

Clear Safari history and cache

One of the most reliable solutions to fix Safari issues is clearing its history and website data .

On iPhone and iPad, you can do this from Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data .

On Mac, click History from the top menu bar and select Clear History .

Try disabling a recently installed Safari extension

If you could download files earlier but can’t after installing an extension, then that extension is likely the culprit. Remove it, restart your device, and now you should have no problem downloading files.

On iPhone and iPad: Head over to this guide on installing and removing Safari extensions .

On Mac: Go to Safari Settings > Extensions > select the extension and click Uninstall .

Update Safari

Safari updates are tied to system updates on iPhone and iPad. So, go to Settings app > General > Software Update and get the latest version of the operating system.

On Mac, you can update Safari from System Settings .

Update your Mac

If you’re on an older version of macOS, consider updating to the latest version, which should improve your computer’s overall working and stability.

On macOS Ventura and later, go to System Settings > General > Software Update . And on macOS Monterey and earlier, go to System Preferences > Software Update .

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

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David Nield

How to Clear Your Browser’s Cache, and Why You Should

Every web browser has what's called a cache: a temporary storage space for web pages that syncs online content to your computer or mobile device. This syncing is designed to help websites load up faster and put less strain on your internet bandwidth.

It's a good idea, and it works well most of the time, which is why every browser does it. However, it can cause problems. By its very nature, cached content can fall out of date. Browsers will try to ensure this doesn't happen, but it can, and that might mean you're looking at information, links, and images that are no longer accurate or relevant.

What's more, discrepancies between cached content and what's actually on the internet can also cause all kinds of weird bugs, like pages not loading properly or web apps not functioning.

Cached content can also represent a security vulnerability. Data stored on your computer about the websites you've visited can tell a story of your online activity—and while it would require physical access to your computer and a skilled hacker to find it, it's a possibility.

For all these reasons, you might want to regularly clear out cached pages. Clearing the cache effectively resets the browser's relationship to the webpage, and it can often fix problems with a site.

Note that cached files are different than cookies . Cookies are bits of information saved by websites that tell them details about who you are and where you're located—so you don't have to log in every time you visit Gmail, for example. The cache holds different information, like images and page furniture.

There are reasons to clear your browser's cookies too, but we're going to focus on the cache here. This is how to do the job no matter what browser you're using.

Google Chrome

Clearing the cache in Google Chrome.

In Chrome on the desktop, click the three dots (top right), then Settings . Open up the Privacy and security tab, click Clear browsing data , and then select Cached images and files under the Basic tab.

By Aarian Marshall

By Carlton Reid

By Justin Pot

The drop-down menu up at the top lets you choose the time range for the cache clear out—anything from the last hour to all time. (You'll be shown how much data is in the cache in each case.) When you're ready, click Clear data to confirm the action.

It's a similar process if you're using Chrome for Android or iOS. Tap the three dots (top right on Android, bottom right on iOS), then Settings and Privacy and security . Choose Clear browsing data to find the Cached images and files option.

Mozilla Firefox

Emptying the cache in Firefox takes a couple of clicks.

Over on Firefox for the desktop, click the menu button (three horizontal lines, top right), then choose Settings . The options you need can be found on the Privacy & Security tab by clicking on Clear Data .

The next tab shows you how much data is stored in the cache, which here is referred to as Cached Web Content . Make sure this checkbox is selected, then click Clear to wipe everything currently in the cache.

With Firefox on mobile, the menu button is the three dots up in the top right corner (Android) or the three lines in the bottom right corner (iOS). Tap this button and Settings , then Delete browsing data (Android) or Data Management (iOS) to clear the cache.

Microsoft Edge

Edge will tell you how much data is in the cache.

If Edge is your browser of choice, on the desktop you click the three dots (top right), then Settings , and then open up the Privacy, search, and services tab. Click Choose what to clear next to Clear browsing data now .

Make sure the option for Cached images and files is checked on the next dialog, and choose the time range you want covered in the drop-down menu (from Last hour to All time ). Click Clear now to confirm and empty the cache.

If you're using Edge on Android or iOS, tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner, then Settings , then Privacy and security , and Clear browsing data . You'll see the Cached images and files checkbox on the next screen.

Apple Safari

Safari deals with the cache and cookies together.

When it comes to Safari on macOS, you don't get quite as much control: Cached data and cookies are combined together in one pile, so you have to clear both or neither. Pick Settings from the Safari menu, open the Privacy tab, and click Manage Website Data .

All of the sites that have stored data on your computer are listed, together with the type of data—cache, cookies, or both. Select a website and click Remove to delete the data for that website; to wipe all local data from all websites, click Remove All .

For Safari on iOS and iPadOS, open the main Settings screen, then tap Safari , Advanced , and Website Data . Tap Remove All Website Data to erase everything, or choose Edit then tap the red delete button next to a site to wipe the cookies and cache for that specific site.

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Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Safari only auto-saving pdf on 'Downloads' folder without asking me

Many years ago I created automation for Safari to ask me the folder to save downloads and then after a long time, I also checked the box on Safari preferences to do it (I don't remember why I did this).

So, every time I downloaded something I was getting two different windows asking me to select a folder and it was really annoying, many downloads were coming uncompleted and every time I needed to select the folder in the two windows in order to complete the download.

Today I tried to delete the old automation and not sure what I did, now Safari is saving pdf files automatically on my 'Downloads' folder without asking me (just pdf files and the 'preview and zoom buttons' are still working normally.)

What should I do to fix it?

MacBook Pro 13", macOS 10.14

Posted on Jan 23, 2020 11:13 PM

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• Safari No Longer Auto Opening PDF Files Whenever I download pdf files on my MacBook Pro, Preview would always open them so I could see them. I also use Adobe Acrobat to also look at pdfs and perform functions on the file, etc. When Acrobat asks me if I want to make Acrobat the default application for viewing PDFs, I always say no. However, last week I accidentally said yes. Afterwards I followed the procedure for making Preview the default viewer for pdfs and when I open a pdf on my desktop or finder it opens with Preview. However, now when I download a pdf, it doesn't open automatically at all. Yes, the "Open 'Safe' files after downloading" box is checked in Safari preferences. What do I need to do to restore auto-opening of pdfs using Preview when I download them? Thanks for reading. 4249 7
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Jan 28, 2020 4:02 PM in response to i_rina

But that is my questions. I do not want the PDF files been automatically saved in my Downloads folder and I do not want to click with the right-button. I want Safari to ask me where I want to save, as it does with any other type of files.

Jan 27, 2020 1:07 PM in response to aleborbasevero

Hello aleborbasevero,

Thanks for posting. I understand PDF files are downloading automatically in Safari on your Mac.

Is this happening with PDF from a specific website? If so, it sounds most likely that you can fix this by adjusting a setting. Open Safari, and then click Safari > Preferences > Websites. Then, click "Downloads" in the left-hand column. You can then adjust any "Allow" settings to "Ask" if you wish.

If that doesn't apply, test this in a newly-created administrator account to see how it works there. This will help you to narrow down the issue: How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

Feel free to reply back with the results! Take care.

Jan 27, 2020 11:39 PM in response to i_rina

Hi i_irina,

Thanks for your reply.

I tried what you said but the same happens with another account. It is not from a specific website, any pdf that I try to download from Safari its been automatically saved on Downloads folder, without asking me where I want to save.

Please, any other solution?

Jan 28, 2020 7:05 AM in response to aleborbasevero

Hi there aleborbasevero,

Thank you for replying. For clarification, you're finding that PDF files download to your Downloads folder. Is that right? If so, this sounds normal. You might try right-clicking a linked PDF in Safari and selecting "Download Linked File As," which should prompt you to select a download location.

You can also click Safari > Preferences > General and change the "File download location," but keep in mind this would apply to all downloads and not just PDF.

Jan 28, 2020 5:51 PM in response to aleborbasevero

Hi aleborbasevero,

We appreciate the reply. I found a setting that should do what you're asking. Open Safari and click Safari > Preferences > General. Then click the same "File Download location" described in the post above, and select "Ask for each download."

Best wishes.

Jan 28, 2020 7:00 PM in response to picas

Yes picas, I did. And you, did you read my message? I don’t think so. Don’t come here to just talking useless information.

I do NOT want to change the folder for all files. I just want safari to ask me every time and for every kind of files.

Jan 28, 2020 4:43 PM in response to aleborbasevero

Did you read the last paragraph?

Jan 28, 2020 7:01 PM in response to MichelleT18

Thanks Michelle, but I already have this option ON, as I mentioned in the first post.

Download Drivers

Nvidia > drivers > geforce game ready driver.

Retrace your steps with Recall

Search across time to find the content you need. Then, re-engage with it. With Recall, you have an explorable timeline of your PC’s past. Just describe how you remember it and Recall will retrieve the moment you saw it. Any photo, link, or message can be a fresh point to continue from. As you use your PC, Recall takes snapshots of your screen. Snapshots are taken every five seconds while content on the screen is different from the previous snapshot. Your snapshots are then locally stored and locally analyzed on your PC. Recall’s analysis allows you to search for content, including both images and text, using natural language. Trying to remember the name of the Korean restaurant your friend Alice mentioned? Just ask Recall and it retrieves both text and visual matches for your search, automatically sorted by how closely the results match your search. Recall can even take you back to the exact location of the item you saw.

Note:  Recall is optimized for select languages (English, Chinese (simplified), French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Content-based and storage limitations apply. For more information, see https://aka.ms/nextgenaipcs .

System requirements for Recall

Your PC needs the following minimum system requirements for Recall:

A Copilot+ PC

8 logical processors

256 GB storage capacity

To enable Recall, you’ll need at least 50 GB of storage space free

Saving screenshots automatically pauses once the device has less than 25 GB of storage space

How to use Recall

To open Recall, use the keyboard shortcut +J , or select the following Recall icon on your taskbar:

Your timeline in Recall is broken up into segments, which are the blocks of time that Recall was taking snapshots while you were using your PC. You can hover over your timeline to review your activity in a preview window. Selecting the location on the timeline or selecting the preview window loads the snapshot where you can  interact with the content .

Search with Recall

Maybe you wanted to make that pizza recipe you saw earlier today but you don’t remember where you saw it. Typing goat cheese pizza into the search box would easily find the recipe again. You could also search for pizza or cheese if you didn’t remember the specific type of pizza or cheese. Less specific searches are likely to bring up more matches though. If you prefer to search using your voice, you can select the microphone then speak your search query.  

By default, results are shown from all apps where Recall found matches. You can narrow down your results by filtering the matches to a specific app by selecting an app from the list.

When the results are displayed, they will be listed under the headings of text matches and visual matches . Matches that are closer to your search are shown first. You’ll also notice that some items are listed as one of the following types of matches:

Close match : Close matches typically include at least one of the search terms or images that are representative of a term in your query.

Related match : Matches that share a commonality with the search terms would be considered related. For instance, if you searched for goat cheese pizza , you might also get related matches that include lasagna or cannelloni since they are Italian dishes too.

Interacting with content

Once you’ve found the item you want to see again, select the tile. Recall opens the snapshot and enables screenray, which runs on top of the saved snapshot. Screenray analyzes what’s in the snapshot and allows you to interact with individual elements in the snapshot. You’ll notice that when screenray is active, your cursor is blue and white. The cursor also changes shape depending on the type of element beneath it. What you can do with each element changes based on what kind of content screenray detects. If you select a picture in the snapshot, you can copy, edit with your default .jpeg app such as Photos , or send it to another app like the Snipping Tool or Paint . When you highlight text with screenray, you can open it in a text editor or copy it. For example, you might want to copy the text of a recipe’s ingredients list to convert it to metric.

Note:  When you use an option that sends snapshot content to an app, screenray creates a temporary file in C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Temp in order to share the content. The temporary file is deleted once the content is transferred over the app you selected to use.

Below your selected snapshot, you have more snapshot options. In many cases, you can have Recall take you back to exact location of the item, such as reopening the webpage, PowerPoint presentation, or app that was running at the time the snapshot was taken. You can also hide screenray, copy the snapshot, delete the snapshot, or select … for more snapshot options.

Pause or resume snapshots

To pause recall, select the Recall icon in the system tray then Pause until tomorrow .  Snapshots will be paused until they automatically resume at 12:00 AM. When snapshots are paused, the Recall system tray icon has a slash through it so you can easily tell if snapshots are enabled. To manually resume snapshots, select the Recall icon in the system tray and then select Resume snapshots .  You can also access the Recall & snapshots settings page from the bottom of this window.

What if I don’t want Recall to save information from certain websites or apps?

You are in control with Recall. You can select which apps and websites you want to exclude, such as banking apps and websites.  You’ll need to use a supported browser for Recall to filter websites and to automatically filter private browsing activity. Supported browsers, and their capabilities include:

Microsoft Edge: blocks websites and filters private browsing activity

Firefox: blocks websites and filters private browsing activity

Opera:  blocks websites and filters private browsing activity

Google Chrome: blocks websites and filters private browsing activity

Chromium based browsers:  For Chromium-based browsers not listed above, filters private browsing activity only, doesn’t block specific websites

To exclude a website:

Select … then Settings to open the Recall & snapshots settings page.

You can also go to Windows Settings > Privacy & Security > Recall & Snapshots to manage Recall.

Select Add website for the Websites to filter setting.

Type the website you want to filter into the text box. Select Add to add it to the websites to filter list.

To exclude an app:

Select … then Settings to open the Recall & snapshots settings page

Select Add app  for the Apps to filter setting.

From the app list, select the app you want to filter from Recall snapshots.

In two specific scenarios, Recall will capture snapshots that include InPrivate windows, blocked apps, and blocked websites. If Recall gets launched, or the Now option is selected in Recall, then a snapshot is taken even when InPrivate windows, blocked apps, and blocked websites are displayed. However, these snapshots are not saved by Recall. If you choose to send the information from this snapshot to another app, a temp file will also be created in C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Temp to share the content. The temporary file is deleted once the content is transferred over the app you selected to use.

Managing your Recall snapshots and disk space

You can configure how much disk space Recall is allowed to use to store snapshots. The amount of disk space you can allocate to Recall varies depending on how much storage your PC has. The following chart shows the storage space options for Recall:

You can change the amount of disk space used or delete snapshots from the Recall & snapshots settings page. 

To change the storage space limit:

1. Expand the Storage settings.

2. Change the Maximum storage for snapshots limit by choosing the limit from the drop-down list. When the limit is reached, the oldest snapshots are deleted first.

To delete snapshots:

Expand the Delete snapshots settings.

You can choose to delete all snapshots or snapshots withing a specific timeframe.

To delete all snapshots, select Delete all .

To delete snapshots from a specific timeframe, select a timeframe from the drop-down list, then select Delete   snapshots.

Keyboard shortcuts for Recall

You can use the following keyboard shortcuts in recall:, when interacting with a snapshot with screenray, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts:, microsoft’s commitment to responsible ai and privacy.

Microsoft has been working to advance AI responsibly since 2017, when we first defined our AI principles and later operationalized our approach through our Responsible AI Standard. Privacy and security are principles as we develop and deploy AI systems. We work to help our customers use our AI products responsibly, sharing our learnings, and building trust-based partnerships. For more about our responsible AI efforts, the  principles that guide us, and the tooling and capabilities we've created to assure that we develop AI technology responsibly, see Responsible AI .

Recall uses optical character recognition (OCR), local to the PC, to analyze snapshots and facilitate search. For more information about OCR, see Transparency note and use cases for OCR . For more information about privacy and security, see Privacy and security for Recall & screenray .

We want to hear from you!

If there's something you like, and especially if there's something you don't like, about Recall you can submit feedback to Microsoft by selecting … then the  Feedback icon  in Recall to submit feedback on any issues that you run into. 

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