Telling the computer where downloads should go
Send everything you download straight to a folder you chose, instead of fishing it back out of Downloads afterwards.
You have met the Downloads folder — everything that arrives lands there, and sorting by date brings the newest to the top. Nothing about that has changed.
What that lesson did not say is that the folder is only a default. It is a setting, and it is one you are allowed to change. If everything you fetch is a city form or a bank statement, the browser can put it straight where it belongs and save you the tidying up afterwards.
Key points
- Know that downloads land in Downloads unless somebody changed it
- Use Show in folder the moment something arrives
- Bring the download panel back with the arrow at the top of the browser
- Change the folder, or ask to be prompted each time
What to remember
- The download panel appears for a few seconds and then hides. The arrow at the top of the browser brings it back at any time.
- A (1) on the end of a file name means a second copy. It is safe to delete the ones you do not need.
- This setting suits people who like to file things. If you would rather everything landed in one place, leave it alone.
Try this
Open your browser's settings and find the Downloads section. You do not have to change anything — just see for yourself that the folder is written there as a line you could edit, rather than something fixed by the machine.
Practice: Telling the computer where downloads should go. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.