How to Delete Downloads on Mac? - Working Method
Wondering how to delete a Mac download? We've got you covered. This post covers a detailed guide on how to get rid of downloaded items and files on macOS.
Well, even if you send the downloaded files to the Trash folder, some traces remain intact on your device, especially the browser history and cache. So, today we will learn how to delete downloads on Mac by permanently deleting all traces related to the downloaded file.
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| How to Delete Downloads on Mac |
How to delete downloaded files in macOS?
We all know that the download folder is in the dock of Mac, isn't it? However, if you do not see the download folder in Dock, you can access it by tapping Go> Download Options from the top menu bar. So, to delete Mac downloads, here's what you need to do:
Open the download folder on your Mac. Now press the Command + A key and select all the files.
Once all the files in the download folder are selected, right-click on the selected files and tap on the "Move to Trash" option in the context menu.
Scary! Selected files will be automatically moved to the Trash folder on your Mac.
So, the next step is to empty the trash bin. Find the Trash Folder icon in Dock, right-click on it, and select "Empty Trash" to remove files from Trash Bin.
But wait, what is this? Not enough to remove files from the Trash folder. Some traces of the downloaded files can still be found in the web browser from which the original files were downloaded. Therefore, the next important step is to clear the browsing history of the respective browser that you used to download the files.
How to delete a trace of a downloaded file from a web browser?
Even if you remove the downloads from the Trash folder, some traces of the source files still exist in the history of the web browser. To permanently delete downloads on Mac, you need to make sure that you have deleted the browsing history of every web browser installed on your device, including Safari, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox.
Here's how you can delete browsing history in various browsers installed on your device to delete Mac downloads.
Safari:
To delete Mac's Safari browsing history, follow these quick steps:
Launch the Safari browser on your Mac. Tap the "History" option in the top menu bar and then select "Clear History".
A new pop-up window will now appear on the screen. You can now choose between multiple options. Tap the "Clear All History" button to clear the entire browsing history.
Google Chrome:
Here's what you need to do to delete the browsing history of Chrome Web Browser:
Launch the Google Chrome browser on your Mac. Tap Windows> Downloads option in the top menu bar.
In the download window, tap the three-dot icons in the upper-right corner of the screen. Click "Clear All" to delete browsing history saved in Chrome browser.
Mozilla Firefox:
Compared to other web browsers, Firefox gives you quick access to delete browsing history. Here's what you need to do.
Launch Mozilla Firefox on your Mac. Tap Tools> Download Options in the top menu bar.
A new window will now appear on the screen. Click the "Clear Downloads" button to delete the download history stored in Firefox.
And to delete browsing history now, follow these quick steps:
Launch Firefox, tap the "History" option in the top menu bar, and then tap the "Clear Recent History" option from the context menu.
FAQs:
Q.1 How do you clear your downloads on a Mac?
To delete downloads on Mac, first, remove all items stored in the download folder Clear the Trash folder and then clear the browsing history of all web browsers installed on your device, including Safari, Chrome, and Firefox.
Q.2 Why can't I delete my downloads on my Mac?
If you are unable to delete downloads on Mac, it means that one or more files stored in the downloads are being used by the OS or are currently open. To make sure you don't feel any interruptions when clearing downloads, exit all apps, reboot your device and then try deleting downloads.
Q.3 Should I clear my downloads folder on Mac?
Yes, absolutely. There is no harm in deleting files from Mac's download folder. But yes, before you delete the items, make sure you review all the files to make sure you aren't deleting any important files by mistake.
Welcome to our blog “CYBER SUGGEST“. Debmalya Datta is a professional Blogger, Developer, Social Media Influencer, Digital Marketer and Entrepreneur. He loves doing work which makes him happy, that’s why he choose Blogging and Educate people. You will love exploring educational stuff on our blog. Live your dreams as much as you can. Be a SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTER
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