While using Google Chrome on Windows, Mac, Linux, or Chrome OS, it’s easy to see a list of your previously downloaded files and clear your download history if necessary. Here’s how to do it.
First, open Google Chrome. In any window, click the main menu button (three vertical dots) in the upper right corner. In the menu that appears, click “Downloads.”
When the “Downloads” tab opens, you will see your download history presented as a list of files. If you have active downloads, they will also show up here. Depending on the state of each file, what you see next to its entry will change. If a file has been deleted since you downloaded it, you will see “Deleted” next to the file name. If the download was interrupted, you can often resume the download by clicking the “Resume” button.
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Also, you can conveniently open the file location with a helpful link. To do this in Finder on a Mac, click “Show in Finder.” To open the file location on Linux, Chrome OS, or Windows, click “Show in folder.”
When you are done checking the Downloads list, just close the “Downloads” tab. Chrome will keep a record of your downloads unless you manually clear the list.
How to clear your download history in Chrome
If you want to clear your download history in Chrome, first open the “Downloads” tab by clicking the three-dot menu button, then select “Downloads.”
To remove an individual download from the Downloads list, click the “X” button in the upper right corner of the entry. (This will not delete the file Chrome saved on your computer.)
Repeat this for any other files you want to remove from the Downloads list.
To completely clear your Chrome download history, first click on the three-dot button located on the blue “Downloads” toolbar.
In the small menu that appears, select “Delete all”.
Chrome will completely erase your download list. The files you have downloaded will not be affected.
Note that incognito mode (Chrome’s private browsing mode) will not clear your download list. So if you want to keep your download history clean for privacy reasons, you will need to manually delete it by following the steps above on a regular basis. Happy downloading!
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