Where are downloads on a Mac?
Almost always in the Downloads folder in your home folder. Press Option-Command-L in the Finder to open it.
The Lynx team Checked 4 min read
The short version
- Downloads go to
/Users/your-name/Downloads. - Open it: Finder › Option-Command-L, or the Downloads stack in the Dock.
- Can’t find a file? Open the browser’s downloads list and click Show in Finder next to it.
Open the Downloads folder
- Finder: press Option-Command-L, choose Go › Downloads, or click Downloads in the sidebar. If it’s missing from the sidebar, add it in Finder › Settings › Sidebar.
- Dock: the stack next to the Trash is your Downloads folder. Click it to fan out the newest files.
- Spotlight: press Command-Space, type the file’s name, and hold Command to see where it is.
- Terminal:
open ~/Downloads
Where each browser saves, and how to change it
Every browser saves to Downloads until you tell it otherwise. Where to change it, and the shortcut for its downloads list:
| Browser | Change the folder | Downloads list |
|---|---|---|
| Safari | Safari › Settings › General › File download location | Option-Command-L |
| Chrome | Settings › Downloads › Location (or “Ask where to save each file”) | Command-Shift-J |
| Edge | Settings › Downloads › Location | the Downloads button in the toolbar |
| Firefox | Settings › General › Files and Applications › Save files to | Command-Shift-Y |
| Brave, Arc | Settings › Downloads (Chrome’s settings) | the Downloads button in the toolbar |
In every browser’s downloads list, the magnifying glass (Safari) or Show in Finder (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) opens the folder the file is really in. It’s the quickest way to find something you saved somewhere else by mistake.
Not in Downloads? Where else to look
- The browser asked you where to save and you picked another folder. Its downloads list knows where.
- Mac App Store apps install into Applications, not Downloads.
- AirDrop files land in Downloads too. Sort by date to find them.
- Mail attachments you only opened stay inside Mail; use Save Attachment to keep them.
- A .zip may have been unzipped by Safari: look for a folder with the same name.
- A download manager may use its own folder. Lynx saves to
Downloads/LynxDownloadunless you pick another, and can sort into Videos, Music, Clips and Files subfolders (Settings › Downloads › Sort into folders by kind).
Unfinished downloads
A download that stopped halfway sits in the same folder with an extra ending: .download (Safari), .crdownload (Chrome, Edge, Brave, Arc) or .part (Firefox). Leave it there if you want to resume, because the browser continues that file. How: Safari, Chrome, or a download that failed with a network error.
Keep Downloads from piling up
- Sort by Date Added in the Finder (View › Sort By › Date Added) so the newest file is always on top.
- Let Safari clear its list: Safari › Settings › General › Remove download list items. The files stay; only the list empties.
- Have the Mac suggest clean-ups: System Settings › General › Storage lists big files and old downloads you can review.
- Send each kind of file to its own folder, such as videos to Movies and music to Music. A download manager that remembers a folder per kind does this for you.
Downloading from a link in Terminal instead? See how to download a file from a URL on a Mac.
Questions
Where are downloads on a Mac?
In the Downloads folder inside your home folder (
/Users/your-name/Downloads). Open it from the Finder sidebar, from the Downloads stack in the Dock, or press Option-Command-L in the Finder.Where do downloads go on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro?
The same place as on every Mac: the Downloads folder in your home folder, unless you changed the browser’s download location. Option-Command-L in the Finder opens it.
Why can’t I find a file I just downloaded?
Open your browser’s downloads list (Option-Command-L in Safari, Command-Shift-J in Chrome) and click the magnifying glass or “Show in Finder” next to the file. It opens the folder the file is really in. If the download didn’t finish, the file still has .download, .crdownload or .part on the end.
How do I change where downloads go on a Mac?
In each browser: Safari › Settings › General › File download location; Chrome and Edge › Settings › Downloads › Location; Firefox › Settings › General › Save files to. Pick “Ask for each download” if you want to choose every time.
Where do App Store downloads go?
Apps from the Mac App Store install straight into the Applications folder, not Downloads. A .dmg you download from a website stays in Downloads until you open it and drag the app to Applications.
Where do Mail attachments go when I open them?
Mail keeps attachments you open inside its own folder in your Library. To keep one, drag it out of the message or use Save Attachment, and it goes where you choose (Downloads by default).
Sources
Checked on October 4, 2026. If something here is out of date, tell us.
- Apple Support: Change General settings in Safari on Mac: File download location; Remove download list items
- Apple Support: Download items from the web using Safari on Mac: Show Downloads; Show in Finder
- Apple Support: Keyboard shortcuts and gestures in Safari on Mac
- Google Chrome Help: Download a file: download location; Ask where to save each file
- Google Chrome Help: Chrome keyboard shortcuts: Command-Shift-J opens Downloads on a Mac