To delete downloads on a Mac, open the Downloads folder in Finder, choose View › as List, and click the Size column heading so the largest files come first. Select what you don't need, press Command-Delete to move it to the Trash, and empty the Trash a day or two later, once you're sure.
Most of what lands in Downloads was meant to be used once: disk images for apps you've installed, archives you've already opened, PDFs you read and forgot. Those are usually fine to remove, and they're often the easiest space to win back.
The catch is that Downloads is also where AirDrop items, saved email attachments and files people sent you end up. Some of them exist nowhere else. This post covers how to clear the folder, how to tell which files you can get again, and how to keep it from filling up.
Delete downloads on a Mac, step by step
The whole job happens in Finder. Nothing in it deletes anything for good until you empty the Trash, so you can work quickly and still change your mind.
How do you open the Downloads folder?
There are four ways, and they all open the same folder in your home folder:
- Click Downloads in the sidebar of any Finder window, under Favorites.
- In Finder, choose Go › Downloads, or press Option-Command-L.
- Click the Downloads folder or stack in the Dock, then click Open in Finder.
- Click the magnifying glass next to a file in Safari's downloads list, which shows that file in Finder.
If Downloads is missing from the sidebar, choose Finder › Settings, click Sidebar, and select Downloads. The folder itself is always there; only the shortcut was hidden.
How do you see what's taking the most space?
- With Downloads open, choose View › as List.
- Click the Size column heading. Click it again to reverse the order.
- If there's no Size column, Control-click any column heading and choose Size.
Folders show no size in list view at first. To see them, choose View › Show View Options and select Calculate all sizes. Expanded archives and app folders often turn out to be the largest items in the list.
How do you move downloads to the Trash?
Select one file, or hold Command and click to select several. Then press Command-Delete, drag them to the Trash in the Dock, or Control-click and choose Move to Trash.
Avoid selecting everything with Command-A and throwing it all away at once. That's how people lose the one tax form or boarding pass they needed. Work from the largest files down, and leave anything you're unsure about where it is.
When is the space actually freed?
Only when you empty the Trash. Apple's own advice on freeing space says a file's storage space doesn't become available until then.
Leave the Trash alone for a day or two after a big pass, and use your Mac as usual. If nothing turns out to be missing, click the Trash in the Dock and click Empty. If you need the space now, Control-click only the items you're sure about in the Trash and choose Delete Immediately.
If the free space doesn't go up as expected afterwards, see why deleting files doesn't always free space. Time Machine's local snapshots and shared clones are the usual reasons.
What ends up in Downloads, and why it grows
Downloads is the default place for almost everything that arrives on your Mac from outside. Apple describes it as the default location for files you download from the internet, receive as attachments, or accept with AirDrop.
Nothing in macOS empties it. There's a setting to empty the Trash automatically, but none for Downloads, so the folder keeps everything until you remove it.
Which apps save to Downloads?
| Source | What lands there | Where to change it |
|---|---|---|
| Safari | Everything you download | Safari › Settings › General › File download location |
| Chrome | Everything you download | Settings › Downloads › Location |
| Attachments you save | Mail › Settings › General › Downloads folder | |
| AirDrop | Many items people send you | Some items, such as photos, can go to their app |
| Other apps | Exports, receipts, saved files | The app's own settings or Save dialog |
Mail is worth a second look. Apple's Mail help says email attachments you save go to the Downloads folder, and Mail's settings let you choose another folder for them.
Is the Downloads folder backed up to iCloud?
No. The Desktop & Documents Folders option in iCloud Drive covers only your Desktop and Documents folders. Apple's page on the feature says those two are stored in iCloud Drive, and Downloads isn't one of them.
So a file in Downloads is usually on this Mac only. If it came from a website you can download it again, but an AirDrop photo or a document someone emailed you may not be anywhere else. Time Machine, if you use it, backs up Downloads like any other folder.
Where does Storage settings count it?
Under Documents. Apple defines that category as files in your home folder that don't belong to another one, and Downloads is in your home folder.
That's why a large Downloads folder makes the Documents bar in System Settings › General › Storage look bigger than the documents you've actually written. Clearing Downloads is often the quickest way to shrink it.
Does each user have their own Downloads folder?
Yes. Every user account on a Mac has its own home folder, with its own Downloads. You only see and clear yours; the others belong to their owners.
Storage settings counts what other accounts keep under Other Users & Shared, which Apple describes as files created, modified or shared by other user accounts. If that bar is large, ask the person who uses that account to clear their own Downloads.
How big does it usually get?
It depends almost entirely on habits. A Mac whose owner installs apps from the web, receives videos by AirDrop or downloads datasets can collect tens of gigabytes there over a few years.
- Downloads and large old files5–100 GB · Review first
- Messages attachments5–100 GB · Review first
- macOS installer apps13–20 GB · Usually safe
- iPhone and iPad software files, each5–15 GB · Safe
Typical ranges on Macs that have these items at all, from the research behind the app's catalog. Many Macs have far less, and some have none.
What's safe to delete in Downloads, file by file
Most downloads fall into a few kinds, and each kind has a usual answer. The question behind every one is the same: can you get it again, and do you still need it?
Can you delete .dmg and .pkg files after installing?
Usually, yes. Apps from the web arrive as a disk image (.dmg) or an installer package (.pkg). Once the app is installed, it runs from your Applications folder and doesn't need the file you downloaded.
Keep the installer if you couldn't download it again: a paid app from a developer that has gone, an older version you rely on, or a driver for hardware the maker no longer supports. Everything else can go, since the developer's site has the current version.
If a disk image is still open, it appears in the Finder sidebar under Locations. Click the eject button next to it before you move the .dmg to the Trash.
What about apps sitting in Downloads?
Look twice before you remove one. Some apps arrive in a .zip archive, and opening it leaves the app itself in Downloads. If you opened it from there and never moved it, that copy is the app you've been using.
Drag it to the Applications folder instead of the Trash, then open it from there. If a copy is already in Applications, the one in Downloads is a spare, and you can remove it once you've checked which one you use.
Can you delete .zip files you've already opened?
Usually, yes, once you've checked the expanded copy is there. When you open a .zip file in Finder, Apple says the unzipped item appears in the same folder as the .zip file. Safari also decompresses files such as .zip archives after it downloads them.
So you often find the archive and its expanded folder side by side. Open the folder to check it holds what you expect, then remove the archive. If you moved the expanded files somewhere else, the archive may be your only copy left in Downloads, and that's fine too.
What about PDFs, receipts and documents?
These need a look, not a rule. A PDF of a manual can be downloaded again. A bank statement, a signed contract or a ticket may be hard to get a second time.
Anything you want to keep belongs in Documents or a folder of your own, not in Downloads. Move it there now, and the next pass through Downloads gets quicker.
What about photos, videos and AirDrop items?
Be careful with these. A video someone sent you by AirDrop, or a photo saved from an email, may be the only copy you have.
If it matters, import it into Photos or move it to a folder you keep. If it's already in your Photos library, the copy in Downloads is a second copy; check it plays or opens in Photos before you remove it.
What are files with a number added to their name?
They're usually repeat downloads of the same thing. Chrome and many other apps keep both copies and add a number to the newer file's name, such as report (1).pdf.
Safari works differently. Apple says that when you download an item you already downloaded, Safari removes the older duplicate to save space. Either way, compare dates and sizes, keep the newest, and remove the rest. Quick Look both first if the sizes differ, since a later download may be a newer version.
What about downloads that never finished?
A download that stopped halfway can't be opened. If it's still in your browser's downloads list, you may be able to resume it there; Safari shows a Resume button for a paused download.
If the browser no longer lists it, there's nothing to resume. Apple's advice for a damaged download is to delete it and download it again.
| Kind | Looks like | Usually | Check first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disk images and installers | .dmg, .pkg, .iso, .xip | Delete after installing | You can download it again |
| Archives | .zip, .tar.gz, .7z | Delete if the expanded copy is there | The expanded folder opens |
| Documents | .pdf, .docx, .csv | Keep or move what matters | Receipts, contracts, tickets |
| Photos and videos | .heic, .jpg, .mov | Import or move what matters | It may be the only copy |
| Repeat downloads | Name ending in (1), (2) | Keep the newest | Sizes and dates match |
| Unfinished downloads | Won't open | Resume or delete | It's still in the browser's list |
Check before you delete: is it the only copy?
Downloads feels disposable, so people empty it without looking. Most of the time that's fine. The few files that weren't disposable are why it's worth a minute of checking.
Where did this file come from?
Select the file and choose File › Get Info, or press Command-I. The General section shows its size, where it is, and when it was created and modified.
For a file downloaded from the web, the More Info section often shows Where from: the address it was downloaded from. That tells you at a glance whether you can get it again. Files that arrived by AirDrop or were saved from another app may show no address at all.
Can you download it again?
Ask three quick questions:
- Is it an installer or an update for software that's still offered? Then yes.
- Is it something you bought, such as an ebook or a font? Then usually yes, from your account on the seller's site.
- Did a person send it to you, or did you make it? Then maybe not, and you should keep it until you've checked.
Is there a copy somewhere else?
If you use Time Machine, open the Downloads folder, then open Time Machine from Spotlight or the menu bar, and step back through your backups. If the file is there, removing it from your Mac doesn't lose it.
For files that came by email, the message may still have the attachment. For files that came by Messages, the conversation may still hold it. For anything else, if you can't confirm a second copy, assume there isn't one.
Where should files you keep go?
Somewhere you'll look again. Documents is the obvious home, and with Desktop & Documents in iCloud Drive turned on, it's also kept in iCloud.
Large media you want to keep but rarely open, such as videos, are better on an external drive. Copy them first, open the copy on the drive to check it works, and only then move the original to the Trash.
Sort and sift the folder in Finder
A Downloads folder with hundreds of files is easier to clear in passes: first by size, then by age, then by kind. Finder can do all three without any extra app.
How do you find your oldest downloads?
Choose View › Sort By › Date Added. Date Added is when the file arrived in the folder, which for a download is the day you downloaded it. Files from years ago are rarely needed.
In list view, you can also show a Date Added column: Control-click a column heading and choose it, then click the heading to sort. Combine it with the Size column to spot old, large files at a glance.
The Downloads stack in the Dock has its own sort order. Control-click it to sort by name, date added, date created or another order, and to show it as a folder or a stack.
How do you group downloads by kind?
Click the Group button in the Finder toolbar and choose Kind. Disk images, archives, documents and images each get their own section, so you can deal with all the installers in one go.
Grouping by Size or Date Last Opened works too. Apple's Finder help says a folder keeps the way you sort and arrange it until you change it, so Downloads stays grouped for next time.
How do you check a file without opening it?
Select it and press the Space bar. Quick Look shows a preview of documents, images and PDFs, and plays video and audio. Press the Space bar again to close it.
With several files selected, Quick Look lets you step through them with the arrow keys. It's the fastest way to sift a folder of photos or PDFs with unhelpful names.
How do you search Downloads for old or large files?
- Open Downloads and press Command-F.
- Next to Search, click Downloads instead of This Mac.
- Click the Kind menu, choose Other…, select File Size, and click OK.
- Set it to is greater than 100 MB, or another size.
Click the add button to add another row, such as Last opened date is before a date a year ago. A file must match every row, so the list narrows to large files you haven't opened in a year.
Click Save to keep the search as a Smart Folder in the sidebar. It searches again each time you open it, so next month's pass starts from a ready-made list. The post on finding large files on a Mac covers these search criteria in more depth.
What about Storage settings' Downloads list?
Choose Apple menu › System Settings, click General, then Storage, and click the information button next to Documents. Apple says you can quickly view large files or downloads there, and sort by Name, Kind, Last Accessed or Size.
It's a handy list, but use it to find files, not to delete them. When you select an item and click Delete, macOS deletes it immediately and says you can't undo it; it doesn't go to the Trash. Click Show in Finder instead, and move the file to the Trash there.
Clear the downloads list in your browser
Every browser keeps a list of what you've downloaded. Clearing it is tidy, but it isn't the same as deleting the files, and it frees no disk space.
How do you clear Safari's downloads list?
Click the Show Downloads button near the top-right corner of the Safari window. The button only appears when the list has something in it. Click Clear to empty the list, or Control-click one item and choose Remove From List.
By default, Safari removes an item from the list after one day. To change that, choose Safari › Settings, click General, and choose an option from the Remove download list items pop-up menu.
How do you clear Chrome's downloads list?
Click the More button with three dots, then Downloads. Each item has a remove button to its right.
Google's help says removing an item takes it off Chrome's Downloads page, not off your computer. The file stays in your Downloads folder until you remove it in Finder.
Does clearing the list free space?
No. The list is a record of downloads, not the downloads themselves. The files stay in the Downloads folder until you move them to the Trash and empty it.
The reverse is also worth knowing. Safari's magnifying glass can't find a file you've moved or renamed, so a list entry that leads nowhere just means the file is somewhere else now.
| Where | What clearing does | Files deleted? |
|---|---|---|
| Safari's downloads list | Removes entries; items also leave after one day by default | No |
| Chrome's Downloads page | Removes entries one at a time | No |
| Storage settings, Delete | Erases the file immediately | Yes, with no undo |
| Finder, Move to Trash | Moves the file to the Trash | Not until you empty it |
Mistakes to avoid
Clearing Downloads is low risk, which is why the few ways it goes wrong catch people out. These are the ones worth knowing before you start.
Should you delete the Downloads folder itself?
No. Empty what's inside, but leave the folder. Browsers, Mail, AirDrop and other apps all expect it to exist, and the Dock and Finder sidebar point to it.
If you moved it to the Trash by mistake, open the Trash, select it and choose File › Put Back before you empty anything.
Is it safe to select everything and empty the Trash at once?
It's safe for the Mac, but not always for you. Nothing in macOS needs the files in Downloads, so the Mac will run fine. The risk is the one file you didn't know you needed.
Emptying the Trash is permanent. Apple's warning says items emptied from the Trash are permanently deleted and no longer available. A day or two in the Trash costs nothing and gives you a way back.
What about installers you can't download again?
Old versions of apps disappear from developers' sites, and some developers stop trading. If you rely on an older version of an app, or paid for one that's no longer sold, keep its installer.
Move such installers out of Downloads into a folder of their own, or onto an external drive. Then a future pass through Downloads can't sweep them away by accident.
Should you use a Terminal command or a script to empty Downloads?
No. Many guides offer a one-line command that deletes everything in Downloads, or everything older than a set number of days. Commands like that skip the Trash, can't be undone, and remove files you never looked at.
Finder does the same job with a list you can sort, preview and put back. And a guide that asks you to paste a command to free space is worth closing: fake cleanup guides are a known way to install malware.
Does clearing Downloads make a Mac faster?
No. Removing files frees space, not speed. A Mac with very little free space can struggle to install updates or save large files, so having room helps with those tasks, but apps don't run faster because Downloads is empty.
Keep Downloads from filling up again
Downloads fills a little at a time. A few habits keep it small without any extra app, and the monthly pass then takes minutes rather than an afternoon.
Deal with installers right away
After you install an app from a disk image, eject the disk image in the Finder sidebar and move the .dmg to the Trash. The app runs from Applications and doesn't need it.
The same goes for archives: once you've opened a .zip and moved its contents where they belong, remove the archive. Habits like these keep the largest files from building up in the first place.
Change where downloads go
If you'd rather decide where each file goes, set your browser to ask. In Chrome, open Settings, click Downloads, and turn on Ask where to save each file before downloading. In Safari, choose another folder from the File download location menu in Safari › Settings › General.
Some people send downloads to the desktop instead, where clutter is harder to ignore. That works if you clear the desktop often; otherwise it only moves the pile.
Should you turn on Empty Trash automatically?
It helps, as long as you treat the Trash as a short-term holding place. In System Settings › General › Storage, Apple's recommendation Empty Trash automatically removes items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.
You can also turn it on in Finder › Settings › Advanced: select Remove items from the Trash after 30 days. Thirty days is long enough to notice a mistake and short enough that the space comes back on its own.
What about Mail's attachments?
Mail keeps two kinds of attachment files, and only one is in Downloads. Attachments you save go to Downloads, or to the folder you chose under Mail › Settings › General › Downloads folder.
Attachments you only open are copied to a separate Mail Downloads folder inside your Library folder. The Remove unedited downloads setting in the same place controls when Mail clears that folder; by default, Mail removes an unedited attachment when you delete the message that contains it.
A monthly routine
Once a month, or when Storage settings shows Documents growing:
- Open Downloads, sort by Size, and remove installers and archives you no longer need.
- Sort by Date Added and look at anything older than a few months.
- Move files you want to keep into Documents or a folder of your own.
- Leave the Trash for a day or two, then empty it, or let it empty itself after 30 days.
A first pass, start to finish
If you've never cleared Downloads before, this order removes the most for the least risk. It assumes a folder that has grown for a year or more.
Start with what you can get again
- Open Downloads in list view and sort by Size.
- Group by Kind and look at disk images and installer packages first.
- Eject any that are still open, then move installers for apps you've installed to the Trash.
- Remove archives whose expanded folders are right next to them.
That step often clears a large share of the folder, because installers and archives tend to be among the largest files people download.
Then look at what you might keep
- Sort by Date Added and start with the oldest.
- Quick Look each document, photo and video you don't recognize.
- Move what you want to keep to Documents, Photos or an external drive.
- Move what's left and unwanted to the Trash.
Finish with the Trash
Leave everything in the Trash for a day or two. If something turns out to be missing, open the Trash, select it and choose File › Put Back.
Then empty the Trash and check Storage settings: the Documents bar should be smaller. For a wider look at what else might be safe to remove, see what is safe to delete on a Mac.
How the app does it
Wombit is a native Mac app that shows what's using your storage, explains every item in plain language, and clears it safely: Trash first, undoable and logged. Its scan covers the whole disk or any folder, reading only names, sizes and dates, and file names and paths never leave your Mac.
The map is the home screen. Select your Downloads folder to see its largest files at a glance, with a list and search beside it, and use Quick Look and Reveal in Finder on any item.
Its catalog explains the kinds of downloads that usually take the most space: Disk images and installer packages in Downloads, Archives in Downloads and Large files not changed in a year. Each says what the files are, what you lose by removing them, and the sources it comes from.
All three are Review first: an installer or archive may be the only copy of what's inside, so nothing starts checked, and the app waits for your choice. Items no catalog entry explains are never offered for removal, so a document or photo in Downloads that no entry describes stays yours to decide about in Finder.
When you do remove something, it goes to the Trash with a review sheet first and a log afterwards. Undo and Put Back bring it back until you empty the Trash, and the app empties it only when you ask, after a confirmation that says you can't undo it.
Finding and explaining downloads is free, with the map, the list, search, Quick Look, Undo and Put Back. Cleanup and the Apple Data actions for installers and large old files are PRO: one payment of $4.99 with lifetime access. Every Pro tool's review is free to open, so you see what would go and why before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to delete everything in my Downloads folder?
macOS doesn't need anything in Downloads, so your Mac will keep working. The risk is losing a file you still want, such as an AirDrop photo, a saved attachment or a receipt that exists nowhere else. Look through the folder first and move anything you want to keep.
Can I delete .dmg files after installing the app?
Usually, yes. Once an app is installed it runs from the Applications folder and doesn't need the disk image. Eject the disk image first if it's still open, and keep any installer you couldn't download again.
Does clearing the downloads list in Safari delete the files?
No. Clearing the list removes its entries, and the files stay in your Downloads folder. To free space, move the files to the Trash in Finder and empty the Trash.
Why is my Downloads folder so big?
Nothing in macOS empties it, so it keeps every installer, archive, video and document that ever arrived. Disk images and archives are often the largest items. Sort the folder by Size in list view to see what's taking the space.
How do I get back a file I deleted from Downloads?
If you haven't emptied the Trash, open it, select the file and choose File › Put Back. If you have, the file can only come back from a backup such as Time Machine, or by downloading it again.
Can I make my Mac delete old downloads automatically?
macOS has no setting that empties Downloads by itself. It can empty the Trash automatically after 30 days, which pairs well with a monthly pass through Downloads. Scripts that delete downloads on a schedule skip the Trash, so they're best avoided.
Where do AirDrop files go on a Mac?
Many items you accept with AirDrop are saved in the Downloads folder. Some, such as photos, can go to their own app instead. Because Downloads isn't stored in iCloud, an AirDrop file there may be your only copy.