How To View Downloaded Files In Safari Browser On Mac

On Macs, Apple Safari is the default web browser, just like Microsoft Edge in Windows. A good number of Mac users prefer it over other browsers for various reasons, including better privacy.

The Safari browser on Mac is quite similar to other web browsers out there for Windows as well as Mac.

If you recently started using Safari on Mac, you might be wondering how to view recently downloaded files in the Safari browser. This guide shows you how to view files downloaded in the Safari browser on a Mac.

Method 1 of 2

Find recently downloaded files in the Safari browser on a Mac

Step 1: When Safari is open, click the Show Downloads icon in the toolbar (see the picture below) to open the Downloads menu, which displays all recently downloaded files. The menu shows about 10 recently downloaded files.

If you prefer to use a keyboard shortcut, or if the Show downloads icon is missing, press Option + Command + L to open the Downloads menu.

Step 2: You may click on an entry to open the file. Alternatively, you may right-click the file entry and then click the Show in Finder option to see the file in the Finder.

Please note that, by default, Safari automatically removes the item from the downloaded files list after a day. So, if the downloaded file name is missing from the list, refer to the method below. If you would like to change this, go to the General tab in Safari settings and then select “Manually” from the “Remove download list items” drop-down.

Method 2 of 2

View recently downloaded files in Safari on a Mac via Finder

NOTE: This method does not work if you have changed the default download location in the Safari browser.

Step 1: Open Finder by clicking its icon in the Finder or using search.

Step 2: On the left pane of the Finder window, click Downloads to navigate to the Downloads folder.

Step 3: The Downloads folder shows all downloaded files, including recently downloaded files.

Step 4: Click on the Date added column header and ensure that the files are sorted by date.

While the Downloads folder does not indicate which files are downloaded with the Safari browser, you can easily find the files if you remember the name or type of the files.