Where is my Downloads folder? How to find and change it
You downloaded something and now it has vanished. Here is where your download folder lives on Windows and Mac, how to keep it one click away, and how to change it.
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Every time you save a photo, a bill or a program from the internet, your computer puts it in one place: the Downloads folder. Most of the time you never think about it, until you need a file and cannot find it.
This guide shows you where that folder is on Windows and on a Mac, how to pin it so it is always close, and how to move it somewhere else if you want to.
Find the Downloads folder on Windows
On Windows 10 and 11, the Downloads folder is part of your user folder. Its full address is usually C:\Users\YourName\Downloads, where YourName is the name of your account.
The quickest way to open it:
- Press Windows + E to open File Explorer.
- Look at the list on the left side. Click Downloads.
If you do not see it in the list, click This PC instead. Downloads is one of the folders shown there, next to Documents, Desktop and Pictures.
Another shortcut: in most browsers, press Ctrl + J to see a list of what you have downloaded. From that list you can usually click a small folder icon to jump straight to the file.
Find the Downloads folder on a Mac
On a Mac, the folder sits inside your Home folder. There are three easy ways to get to it:
- Click the Downloads stack near the right end of the Dock, next to the Trash. It fans out your latest files.
- Open a Finder window and click Downloads in the sidebar on the left.
- In Finder, press Option + Command + L.
If the sidebar entry is missing, open Finder, choose Finder › Settings › Sidebar and tick the box next to Downloads.
Pin it so it is always one click away
On Windows
- Open File Explorer and click Downloads.
- If it is not already in the left-hand list, right-click the folder and choose Pin to Quick access.
From now on it stays at the top of the list in every File Explorer window.
On a Mac
- Open Finder and find the Downloads folder.
- Drag it into the left-hand sidebar, or tick it under Finder › Settings › Sidebar.
To keep it in the Dock, drag the folder to the right side of the Dock, next to the Trash.
Change where your browser saves downloads
Often the simplest fix is not to move the folder at all, but to tell your browser to save somewhere else. Each browser has a setting for this.
- Safari on a Mac: choose Safari › Settings › General. Next to File download location, pick another folder, or pick Ask for each download so you choose every time.
- Chrome or Edge: open the browser's settings and look for the Downloads section. Click Change next to the location and pick a new folder. There is also a switch to ask where to save each file.
The names of these options can shift a little when a browser updates, but they always sit in the Downloads part of its settings.
Move the Downloads folder on Windows
Windows lets you move the folder itself, for example to a bigger drive. Do it this way:
- On the new location, make a new empty folder and name it Downloads.
- Open File Explorer, right-click Downloads in the left-hand list and choose Properties.
- Click the Location tab, then click Move.
- Pick the new Downloads folder and click Select Folder, then OK.
- When Windows asks whether to move your existing files, click Yes.
To undo it, return to the same Location tab and click Restore Default.
If your browser was set to the old folder, change its download setting to the new folder too. Otherwise it may keep saving to the old place.
What about moving it on a Mac?
On a Mac, the simplest way is to leave the system Downloads folder where it is and point Safari (or your other browser) at a different folder, as shown above. Then pin your new folder to the sidebar so it is easy to reach.
Ask Key to find it for you
If you would rather not click through folders, you can ask Key. Key is a free assistant for Windows and Mac. You can speak or type, and both give the same result. It opens the real folder in the window you already use, then tells you what it did.
It is especially handy when you do not know which folder a file ended up in. Key finds files by what is inside them, not just by the name, and it asks you which one you meant if two things match.
KeyVoiceWhere did that download go?
It is in your Downloads folder, and I have opened it with the file selected.
Some other things you could say: "Where did that download go?" or "Put this photo on the Desktop". If your folder has grown into a mess, try "Empty my Downloads into folders". Anything Key removes goes to the Recycle Bin or the Trash, never deleted for good.
For more on tidying up, see how to clean up your Downloads folder without losing anything, or how to find a file by what is inside it.
Quick answers
- Where is it on Windows? File Explorer, then Downloads in the left-hand list.
- Where is it on a Mac? The Dock stack, the Finder sidebar, or Option + Command + L.
- How do I keep it close? Pin it to Quick access on Windows, or add it to the Finder sidebar or Dock on a Mac.
- How do I change it? Change the setting inside your browser, or on Windows use the Location tab in the folder's Properties.
Once you know where it is, one click or one sentence brings you back to it every time.
Try Key free
Speak to it or type to it. It opens your apps, finds your files and changes your settings, then tells you what it did.
Free, no card. Windows 10 or 11, macOS 11 or newer.