When downloading files and media from the web, you don't want to have everything crammed into a single folder on your PC or Mac. Google Chrome, the current market leader, offers an option to change the download folder location on both your computer and mobile devices. Here's how to change the download location in Google Chrome on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android.
You might be downloading the latest Thanksgiving wallpapers, and obviously you wouldn't want to mix them with other apps and content downloaded from Google Chrome.
Let's start with Google Chrome on Windows, then move on to other operating systems.
Change download location in Google Chrome for Windows
By default, Google Chrome saves files to the Downloads folder on your computer. However, you can change the folder location from the Settings menu. Here's how.
Step 1: Open Google Chrome on Windows.
Step 2: Click on the three dots menu in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Go to the settings menu.
Step 4: From the left sidebar, select Advanced.
Step 5: Click Downloads.
Step 6: Check the current download location. Click "Change," and select a different folder as the default location from the file manager.
You can also create a new folder in File Manager or save files from Google Chrome to OneDrive Or a Google Drive folder. Select a relevant folder and click Select Folder in the dialog box.
From now on, Google Chrome will use the selected folder as the default download location on your computer.
Change Download Location in Google Chrome for Mac
Unlike Google Chrome's mobile apps, the browser uses the same user interface/UX on both Windows and Mac. The steps to change Chrome's download location are identical as above.
Instead of selecting a folder from File Manager, the only difference is that you need to select a new folder from the Finder menu. Here's what you need to do.
Step 1: Go to Google Chrome settings on your Mac.
Step 2: Select Downloads from the advanced menu.
Step 3: Click “Change” and the Finder menu will open.
You can either create a new folder in Finder or select an existing folder. If you have OneDrive or Google Drive integrated with Finder, you can select a folder from these cloud storage services and keep your downloaded files synced across all platforms.
This is how many GT members use Google Chrome on their Mac. We save these files directly to OneDrive so they're easily accessible on other devices.
Google Chrome for Android
It's understood that Google Chrome saves downloaded files to your phone's storage. If your Android phone supports an SD card slot, you can change the location from your device's storage to an external SD card.
Step 1: Open Google Chrome on Android.
Step 2: Click on the three dots menu at the top.
Step 3: Select Downloads.
Step 4: The downloads list will open.
Step 5: Click on the settings gear at the top.
Step 6: Tap on the download location and select the SD card.
If you don't have an SD card installed on your Android phone, there is no way to change the download location folder on your phone's storage.
From the same menu, you should enable the "Ask where to save files" option. When you try to save media from Google Chrome, you'll be prompted to choose your downloads folder or SD card. This way, you can change the download location without messing with Google Chrome's settings.
Google Chrome for iPhone
The iPhone doesn't come with SD card support. You'll have to rely on another trick to change the download location on the go.
Step 1: Open Google Chrome on your iPhone.
Step 2: When you come across media to download on iPhone, long press on it and select Open Media in New Tab.
Step 3: From the new tab page, you will see the “Open in” option at the bottom.
Step 4: This step will open the Share menu. Scroll down and select the Save to Files option.
The default Files app on your iPhone will open. You can either select your iPhone's storage or any of the integrated cloud storage services to save the file.
Unfortunately, your iPhone won't remember your preferred folder for saving Google Chrome download files. You'll have to do this each time to change the Google Chrome download location on your iPhone.
Save Google Chrome files to the desired location.
It's very easy to change your download location, whether on your desktop or mobile device. Using the tricks above, you can change your download location in Chrome and organize your files more efficiently.
