How To Change Default Download Location On Mac



I have been a Mac user for quite some time. There are three web browsers such as Safari, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox which I use the most on my Mac. While Safari is easily the top-notch choice for me, Chrome and Firefox are highly impressive as well.

  1. Mac Download File Location
  2. Change Default Download Location Mac
  3. How To Change Default Download Location On Mac Windows 10

I don't see a way to change the default locations for saving or opening documents from the cloud to my Mac. For me, saving to a folder in my documents folder requires several steps, not just two. I suggest leaving feedback for the Pages team (via the link in the Pages menu).

Download Originals to this Mac: To store the original, full-resolution photos both on on your Mac and in iCloud, select this option. Optimize Mac Storage: To save space on your Mac by storing full-resolution originals in iCloud and keeping smaller versions on the computer when needed, select this option. Change the Default Download Location in Safari Open the Safari app and click on the Safari drop-down menu at the top left.

I download a number of files regularly. By default, all the downloaded files are saved in the Download folders. But, what if you want to save any file to a specific location? You can easily change the download location on Mac.

Change default download location mac

We have already made a post on how to change Safari’s download location on Mac. And now, we are all set to walk you through the steps to change the download location in Chrome and Firefox. Let’s sail through!

How to Change Download Location in Chrome on Mac

Step #1. Launch Chrome on your Mac.

Step #2. Next up, you have to click on Menu icon from the top right corner.

Step #3. Click on Settings.

Step #4. Click on Show advanced settings and then scroll down to the “Downloads” section.

Step #5. Click on Change and select where you would want your downloaded files to be saved.

If want to choose a particular location for each download, you need to select the “Ask where to save each file before downloading” checkbox.

How to Change Download Folder in Mozilla Firefox on Mac

How to change default download location on mac high sierra

Step #1. Open Firefox on your Mac.

Step #2. Click on the menu icon from the top right corner.

Step #3. Select Preferences. (Alternately, you can also click on the Firefox menu at the top Mac bar, and then select Preferences.)

Step #4. Next, you have to click on Choose button at the far right.

Step #5. Now, you need to select the location that you want to set as the Default Download Location.

Mac Download File Location

If you want to choose the download location each time you download, select Always ask me where to save files.

That’s it!

Change Default Download Location Mac

Which is your favorite web browser? How much do you use Safari on your Mac? Is Chrome the best in the world? Let us know your view in the comment section.

Jignesh Padhiyar is the co-founder of iGeeksBlog.com who has a keen eye for news, rumors and all the unusual stuff that happens around Apple products. During his tight schedule, Jignesh finds some moments of respite to share side-splitting contents on social media.

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How To Change Default Download Location On Mac

If you take a lot of screenshots on a Mac, you might end up with a cluttered desktop. This is because Macs automatically save your screenshots on the desktop. They are also saved as PNG files instead of the more widely used JPEG format. If you want to know how to change where screenshots are saved on a Mac, and the format they are saved in, just follow the steps below:

Where Do Screenshots Go on a Mac?

Download

When you use keyboard shortcuts like Command + Shift + 3, your screenshots are automatically saved to the desktop. You can also right-click the floating thumbnail, which lets you save the screenshot to Documents or Clipboard.

How to Change Where Screenshots are Saved on a Mac

Change default download location pc

There are two ways to change the defaultscreenshot save directory on a Mac, depending on your operating system. Theeasier way is through the Screenshot app in macOS Mojave. For mac OS HighSierra or earlier, you have to use Terminal, an app for entering commandprompts to control your Mac. Below are the steps for each operating system.

How to Change Where Screenshots are Saved in macOS Mojave or Later

  1. Go to the Utilities folder and open the Screenshot app. You can also open the Screenshot app by pressing Command + Shift + 5.
  2. Click Options. The top tile of the menu will show your Save to options:
    • Desktop – This is the default setting which saves the screenshot with the following time format: Screen Shot [date] at [time].
    • Documents – This will save the screenshot to your Documents folder with the time and date as the file name.
    • Clipboard – This will allow you to paste the screenshot to another app which can edit or view images.
    • Mail – This lets you compose a new email in the Mail app with the screenshot attached.
    • Messages – This will attach the screenshot to a message which you can send to a contact.
    • Preview – This will launch Preview, a photo editing app. Your Mac will temporarily name the image file as Untitled until you change it to a different file name.
    • Other Location – This will allow you to navigate outside of the locations previously listed to a folder of your choice. You can save to an existing folder or create a new one.
  3. Choose a Save To option. Your Mac will remember the last one you have selected and will apply this to subsequent screenshots.

How to Change the Default Screenshot Save Location in macOS High Sierra or Earlier

  1. Open Terminal. You can find the Terminal app in the Utilities folder.
  2. Type the following command, followed by a space:

    Note: Make sure to put a space after the word location, otherwise the command won’t work.

  3. Drag the folder you want to save to into the Terminal command box. You will see that the file path will now be inserted as another command line in Terminal.
  4. Press Enter on your keyboard.
  5. Then type the following command:
  6. Press Enter or Return. The next time you take a screenshot, it will be saved to the new folder you have created instead of the desktop.

How to Change a Screenshot to JPG and Other File Formats

By default, Macs save screenshots as PNG files, which are usually larger than JPG files. Both can be used for social media, but JPGs are more universally accepted. To save a screenshot as a JPG, use the Terminal to override the default format setting.

  1. Open Terminal.
  2. Type the following command, followed by a space: You can also choose to save your screenshots as other formats by default. You can save them as PDF files if you want to edit or open the image in Adobe. You can save them as TIFF files if you want to retain their original image data even after manipulating the image. Or you can save them as GIF files if you want the image to load quickly on the web. Just choose any of the following commands, followed by a space:

    Note: Make sure to put a space after the file type, otherwise the command won’t work.

  3. Hit Enter. The command will be saved to Terminal.
  4. Test to see if the default option has been changed. Take a screenshot then right-click on the image. Choose Get Info from the contextual menu, then check what is written under “Kind” in the General section.

Once you know how to change the default screenshot settings on your Mac, you’ll be able to customize and improve the way you work with screenshots. Taking a screenshot on a Mac also takes some getting used to, especially for Windows users who are used to hitting the Print Screen key. If you need to improve your screenshot skills, check out our article about how to take a screenshot on a Mac.

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How To Change Default Download Location On Mac Windows 10

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