Where Are My Downloads On the Mac

Downloads of email attachments or media from the internet are saved to the Downloads folder. This folder is located in the grey sidebar on the left-hand side of the Finder.

The full path is Macintosh HD>Users>UserName>Downloads.

These are basic principles, but when people need Mac help, this is a question I am often asked.

Can I Change The Download Location?

Yes. You can choose any download location on your Mac.

• Open Safari.
• Click on Safari in the menu bar and choose Preferences…
• Click on the General tab.
• Locate “File download location’ and use the dropdown menu to choose where you want downloads to go.
• Many people choose the Desktop it’s easier to find and manage files from here.

How Can I Manage My Download Folder?

Think of your Downloads folder as an Inbox. It is not a place to store things.

Here are some rules to follow:

Email attachments – If you need to keep them, move documents into the Documents folder, pictures into Photos and music into iTunes. Delete any files left  in the Downloads folder.

Zip Files – Unzip the file. Delete the original zip file. Store or delete what was located inside the zip file.

Application Installs – Applications come in 2 forms. .dmg (disk image) or .pkg )package files). After installing the Application, delete the .dmg or .pkg files. You may need to eject the .dmg file in the Finder first.

Movies – Delete or import into Photos after watching.

The goal, as with any inbox, is to keep the Downloads folder relatively empty.

My Downloads Folder Is A Disaster. What Do I Do?

If your downloads folder is filled with hundreds of files, don’t despair.

We’ll be covering the ‘cleanup process’ in a future post.

Freaked out and need help . . . Call – (310) 621-5679 for help now.

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Have a great week.

John

PS. Learn more about our Remote Mac Support