How to change the download location in Google Chrome

When downloading files and media from the web, you won’t want to stack everything in one folder on PC or Mac. The current market leader, Google Chrome, offers an option to change the location of the download folder on desktop and mobile. Here’s how you can change the download location in Google Chrome on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android OS.

Maybe you are downloading the latest Thanksgiving wallpapers, and obviously you won’t want to mix them up with software and other content downloaded from Google Chrome.

Let’s start with Google Chrome on Windows, then we’ll move on to another operating system.

Google Chrome for Windows

By default, Google Chrome saves files to the Downloads folder on PC. However, you can change the location of the folder in the Settings menu. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome in Windows.

2nd step: Click on the three-dot menu in the upper right corner.

Step 3: Go to the Settings menu.

Step 4: In the left sidebar, select Advanced.

Step 5: Click on Downloads.

Step 6: Check the current location of downloads. Click Change, select another folder as the default location in File Manager.

You can also create a new folder in the file manager or save files from Google Chrome to the OneDrive or Google Drive folder. Select an appropriate folder and click Select Folder in the dialog box.

From now on, Google Chrome will use the specified folder as the default download location on PC.

Google Chrome for Mac

Unlike Google Chrome mobile apps, the browser uses the same UI / UX on Windows and Mac. The steps to change the Chrome download location are the same as mentioned above.

Instead of selecting a folder in File Manager, the only difference is that you need to select a new folder from the Finder menu. Here is what you need to do.

Step 1: Go to Google Chrome settings on Mac.

2nd step: Select Downloads from the Advanced menu.

Step 3: Click Edit and this will open the Finder menu.

You can either create a new folder in Finder or select an existing one. If OneDrive or Google Drive is integrated with Finder, you can select a folder from those cloud storage services and sync the downloaded files across all platforms.

This is the number of GT members who use Google Chrome on Mac. We save these files directly to OneDrive so that they are easily available on other devices.

Google Chrome for Android

Naturally, Google Chrome saves the downloaded files in the phone memory. If your Android phone supports an SD card slot, you can change the device’s storage location to an external SD card.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome on Android.

2nd step: Tap the three-dot menu at the top.

Step 3: Select Downloads.

Step 4: This will open the Downloads menu.

Step 5: Tap the Settings gear at the top.

Step 6: Tap Download location and select 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 the phone storage.

In the same menu, you need to activate the “Ask where to save files” toggle. After that, when you try to save media from Google Chrome, you will be asked to choose Downloads folder or SD card. In this way, you can change the download location without disturbing the Google Chrome settings.

Google Chrome for iPhone

IPhone does not support SD card. You’ll have to rely on another trick to change the download location while on the go.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome on iPhone.

2nd step: Whenever you come across any media to download on iPhone, long press it and select Open media in new tab.

Step 3: From the new tab page, you will see an “Open in” option at the bottom.

Step 4: Moving will open the Share menu. Scroll down and select the Save to files option.

This will open the Default Files app on iPhone. You can select iPhone storage or one of the built-in cloud storage services to save the file.

Unfortunately, iPhone will not remember your preferred folder to save Google Chrome download files. You will have to do this every time to change the Google Chrome download location on your iPhone.

Save the Google Chrome files to the desired location

It is quite easy to change the download location in Google Chrome whether it is desktop or mobile. By using the tips above, you can change the download location in Google Chrome and organize files more efficiently.