Change Default Download Location in Browsers - Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge

By default, the major web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari and Microsoft Edge will automatically save your downloads to a download folder in your user profile on your computer eg. C:\Users\Username\Download. But sometimes, it’s better to use a different download location for your downloads. For example, if you are downloading a large file and you are running out of disk space, it would be better to change the download location to an external drive that has more disk space, or to an online cloud storage service like Dropbox. Furthermore, the “C:” drive is the location where Windows OS is installed and in case of a system failure, you might lose all of the data files you’ve downloaded. Fortunately, most of the major web browsers allow you to change the default download location and it’s easy to make that change. In the article below, you’ll learn how to change the default download location for all the major browsers which are Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge.

Google Chrome

In Google Chrome, click on the three vertical dots icon located at the top right of the screen. From the menu that appears, click on Settings. Scroll down and click on the Advanced link. Scroll down again and until you see the Download section. Click on Change to locate a new default download location.

Mozilla Firefox

In Mozilla Firefox, click on the settings icon in the top right corner of the window. From the menu that shown, select Options. Scroll down until you see the Files and Application section. Click on the Browse button next to Save Files to and select a different folder.

Microsoft Edge

Open Microsoft Edge browser. Click on the three horizontal dots icon on the upper right corner of this browser and select Settings. Scroll down and click on the View Advanced Settings. Under Download, click on the Change button to browse for a new folder for your download.

Apple Safari

For Apple Safari browser, first launch the app and then click on the Safari menu and select Preferences. Under the General tab, you shall see the File Download Location. Click on the combo box on the right and select Other to use a new default download location.

Once you’ve followed all of the steps above, the changes will take place immediately and your new downloads will be saved in the new folder location.

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