stop safari downloading automatically

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How do I get Safari to stop auto-downloading PDFs?

I don't want Safari automatically opening all "safe" files because that list is too long. I would like it to view PDFs in the browser, however, instead of dumping them in downloads folder. How do I do that? I'm running Safari 14.1.2 on Mojave.

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Aug 24, 2021 11:57 AM

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Aug 25, 2021 10:34 AM in response to Ememqut

To See a PDF in Safari on Mac follow the steps below:

• Move the pointer to the bottom center of the PDF page to see controls. You can zoom in and out, open the PDF document with Preview, or save the PDF document on your Mac.

Have a nice day.

Aug 25, 2021 11:58 AM in response to Ememqut

If Safari isn't automatically displaying PDF documents, follow the steps found in the Apple resources below, then check to see if the problem is still there after each one:

• Quit and reopen Safari:  Quit apps on Mac
• Restart your Mac: Log out, sleep, wake, restart, or shut down your Mac
• If features on a webpage don’t work in Safari on Mac
• If Safari on Mac doesn't open a webpage or isn’t working as expected
• Back up:  How to back up your Mac  and  Update macOS on Mac  

Aug 25, 2021 10:22 AM in response to jdo_apple

NO. Sorry to be unclear. Currently I have that turned off already. What is happening is when I click a PDF link, Safari downloads it. I want Safari to display it instead. How do I get Safari to display PDFs using the Apple native PDF displayer?

Aug 25, 2021 9:42 AM in response to Ememqut

Hi Ememqut, 

Thank you for using the Apple Support Communities. 

It sounds like you want to stop Safari from automatically opening Safe files and we’re happy to help! 

To turn off Open “safe” files after downloading, go to Safari > Preferences > General. If you want to have Safari always ask where you want to save downloads, go to Safari > Preferences > General > File download location. 

For more information check out the Apple Support articles below.

Change General preferences in Safari on Mac - Apple Support . 

Download items from the web using Safari on Mac - Apple Support

Let us know if this helps.

Take care. 

Aug 26, 2021 9:32 AM in response to gladyc

Did all things, no change. I somehow set this up many, many years ago. I've had this computer for 9 years. Upgraded OS several times, also the hard drive and ram. Safari isn't broken, it is somehow set to automatically download a PDF instead of displaying it. Safari does everything else right. I changed the setting 7-8 years ago, and now I want it to display PDFs normally.

Is there a terminal command for this?

Aug 25, 2021 10:36 AM in response to barberlives123

You seem not to understand my situation. I click on the PDF link and the PDF automatically downloads to my Downloads folder. I get an empty tab. Safari is not displaying the PDF.

Aug 26, 2021 10:19 AM in response to Ememqut

If you're still having problems with Safari displaying PDF documents, then you should contact Apple Support for further assistance.

Best regards.

How to disable your Mac from automatically opening downloads from the web

Do you find it frustrating when downloads from the web automatically open on your Mac? Follow along for how to turn off this default feature.

If you’re using Safari on your Mac , the default setting for downloads from the web is for them to automatically open. This can be a distracting feature, especially if your workflow includes regularly downloading content from the web.

• Open Safari and click  Safari in the menu bar
• Click  Preferences…
• Make sure the  General  tab at the top is selected
• Uncheck the box next to Open “safe” file after downloading

Here’s how these steps look:

Under the General tab, look for the box at the bottom of the window and uncheck it.

For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:

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How to Stop Safari from Automatically Extracting the Downloaded ZIP File

Safari is the default web browser on Mac devices. If you are new to Mac and use Safari as your main web browser, you might be surprised with a fact that Safari automatically extracts the ZIP files you downloaded from the internet. This default setting is quite annoying if you often download ZIP files (e.g., WordPress plugins). Can it be disabled?

The reason why Apple makes Safari automatically extract ZIP files maybe is regarding the security issue. By automatically extracting a ZIP file, you can easily find suspicious files contained in a ZIP file.

If you are convinced that the ZIP files you downloaded never contain suspicious file, you can disable the default setting on Safari that automatically extract the downloaded ZIP file. First off, launch Safari. Go to the Safari menu on the menu bar and select Preferences .

On the appearing settings window, uncheck the Open “safe” files after downloading option on the General tab.

That’s it. From now on, Safari will save your ZIP file instead of extracting it every you download it from the internet.

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Disable Safari's 'Open Safe Files After Downloading' Feature

Protect your privacy by turning off this option

Adjust the settings on your Mac to prevent it from opening downloads automatically. This settings change protects your privacy, even if it requires that small sacrifice of convenience.

Instructions in this article apply to Safari for Mac and Safari 5.1.7 for Windows. Safari is no longer available for Windows PCs, and Apple no longer supports the Windows version.

How to Stop Mac From Opening All Downloads

The Safari browser  contains a default feature that open all files it considers safe when the download is finished. Although it is convenient while enabled, this feature may adversely affect your online security. Safari considers the following file types to be safe files:

• Text documents
• Disc images, such as DMG files
• Some other archive types

It's safer to manually open downloaded files and scan them with antivirus software , but you must first disable the Open Safe Files setting in Safari.

Disable Safari's 'Open Safe Files' Setting on MacOS

To disable the "Open Safe Files" setting on a Mac through Safari's preferences on a macOS computer:

Open Safari on your Mac.

Click the Safari menu and select Preferences .

You can also open the preferences by pressing Command + comma on your keyboard.

Click the General tab.

Clear the  Open "safe" files after downloading  checkbox.

Close the window to save your setting.

Disable Safari's 'Open Safe Files' Setting on Windows

Apple discontinued its Windows version of Safari in 2012. Windows 10 does not support any version of Safari, but Windows 8 , Windows 7 , Vista , and Windows XP SP2 and SP3 support the last version, which was 5.1.7.

Unlike the setting in macOS Safari, the Windows option does not open the file automatically. Still, you can adjust a similar setting to prompt Windows to ask you before it downloads a file. This option inserts an extra step to consider if you want a file on your computer.

Click the  Gear icon.

Go to the  General  tab.

Clear the Always prompt before downloading checkbox.

There is no way to configure Safari for Windows to automatically open downloaded files.

Checking this box means that Safari will ask if you want to download a file. No check means that Safari automatically downloads safe files to the folder you specify in the Save downloaded files to field on this same screen.

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How to Stop Mac from Unzipping Downloads Automatically?

Do you ever stop your Mac from unzipping downloads and find it annoying when it automatically unzips files after downloading them? While this default behavior is intended to make accessing downloads quicker and more convenient, there are times when you may want to turn off auto-unzipping.

In this post, I’ll explain why Macs unzip downloads automatically, how to prevent this in Safari, and the benefits of keeping files zipped. Whether you want to reduce clutter or easily share compressed archives, customizing your auto-unzip settings can help.

The key takeaways are:

• Macs default to expanding archives to enable quick access
• This can cause clutter and prevent easy sharing/storage
• Uncheck “Open ‘safe’ files” in Safari Preferences
• Manual extraction gives more control over clutter & zips

Table of Contents

Understand Why Macs Unzip Downloads Automatically

After downloading, Macs are configured by default to expand ZIP archives automatically.

This auto-unzipping behavior has some benefits:

• Provides quick access to a file’s contents without extra steps
• This prevents inexperienced users from struggling with manual file extraction
• Works for most common file types like documents, images, videos, and music

However, there are some situations where automatically unzipping downloads may be undesirable:

• It creates clutter if you don’t need immediate access to extracted files
• Prevents easily sharing or storing downloaded zip files
• It can be slower on extensive archives or strain system resources
• Loses original compressed file, which may be helpful for storage

So, if keeping downloads neatly bundled, sharing archives without extraction, or preserving your Mac’s performance is essential, you’ll likely want to turn off auto-unzipping.

Disable Automatic Unzipping in Safari

The easiest way to stop Safari from automatically unzipping downloaded files is to adjust Safari’s preferences relating to compressed files.

Here is the quick process:

• Open Safari settings ( Safari > Settings )
• Go to the General tab
• Uncheck the box next to “ Open ‘safe’ files after downloading .”
• Restart Safari for the changes to take effect

The Open ‘safe’ files after downloading settings determine what Safari does when you download what it deems to be common safe file types – like Movies, Photos, Documents, and Archives.

By unchecking this option, Safari will no longer automatically pass downloads to the Archive Utility app, which extracts and opens the contents. Instead, your Mac will save the original compressed archive wherever your downloads are set to save.

This prevents Safari from auto-unzipping while allowing you to easily access downloads and manually extract only what you need when you need it.

Benefits of Keeping Files Zipped

Beyond simplifying Safari’s download handling, there are good reasons you may want to keep files zipped rather than automatically expanded intentionally.

Some benefits of preserving zipped downloads include:

• Reduced clutter – Keeping files compactly bundled cuts down on desktop clutter and folder crowding from unneeded extractions.
• Easier sharing & storage – You can easily attach or upload zipped files without extracting and re-compressing content. Zipping also often yields smaller archive sizes.
• Original archive preserved – The default Mac auto-unzipping behavior loses the original .zip or .rar file, which may be helpful for storage or transmission purposes.

Here are some examples showing the advantages of disabling auto-unzipping for certain users:

So, while automatic unzipping seems handy on the surface, there are situations where you’ll want to stop Mac from automatically unzipping files.

I hope this post has helped explain how to stop Mac from decompressing zip files and provided helpful guidance on customizing Safari’s auto-unzipping behavior.

Don’t hesitate to tweak your auto-unzip settings based on your personal needs. With the Stop Mac unzipping downloads tips above, you can control how Safari and your Mac handle your downloaded compressed archives.

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How to Change Where Safari Files Download in iOS

By default, Safari's Download Manager saves files in the "Downloads" section of the Files app, but you can easily customize the storage location by following these steps.

• Launch the Settings app.
• Scroll down and tap Safari .
• Tap Downloads .
• Choose to store downloaded files in iCloud Drive , On My iPhone , or in another location of your choosing ( Other... ).

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How to stop Safari from unzipping downloaded files automatically on Mac

Nowadays, Macs are widely used for different tasks. It’s convenient to use them for work and entertainment. Developers have managed to make the device user-friendly and filled it with many features. As you may know, Mac, like any other Apple device, has storage limits which may cause some bugs while using the laptop. That’s why it’s better to save the storage.

If you use Mac for your work, you’ll definitely need to save some downloaded files. Zipping the downloads can greatly affect the storage of your device, as it saves a great number of megabytes. However, sometimes, especially, in Safari, you may face issues that the downloads are being unzipped automatically. However, you shouldn’t worry, there’s a way to prevent the browser from this action.

Table of Contents

What are zipped downloaded files in Safari on Mac

Safari is the built-in browser on Apple devices. Like any other popular platform like Firefox or Google Chrome, Safari has tonnes of information and files that can be downloaded . However, you should understand that the more files there are downloaded on your Mac, the less storage you’ve left.

As there are some storage limits on each device, the developers have managed to provide users with a feature of zipping files. However, what are zipped files? The option is also known as a compressed file, zipped folder, compressed folder, and zipped archive. So, the main purpose of creating a zipped file is to collect several files into one folder and save it on a computer disk which significantly reduces the usage of the storage of your mac.

So, it means, that if you can collect several files to one using less storage, you can also take them out of there and download them separately whenever you want or have enough storage. These are called unzipping files. However, this may cause some problems in case your browser makes this automatically.

Read also :

• How to disable split screen on iPad in Safari
• How to clear search history in Safari on Mac, iPhone or iPad
• How to turn off Privacy Report in Safari

How to prevent Safari from unzipping downloaded files automatically

A ZIP file is the most convenient way to deal with a large amount of information. It’s a good idea to use it when you need to free some storage not only in Safari but on your phone and computer also. ZIP files can contain several downloads which may be received from your colleagues, friends, relatives, or certainly the Internet. That’s why it can cause some problems when your Mac unzips them automatically. So, if you want to prevent Safari from unzipping downloaded files automatically, you should follow the steps which would be mentioned in the section below:

• First of all, you should switch on your Mac.
• After that, you should open the Safari browser.
• Then, you should head to the top bar and click on the “ Safari ” option.
• Next, you should tap on the “ Preferences ” tab in the drop-down list.

• After that, you’ll see a pop-up window displayed. There you should head to the “ General ” section.
• To complete the process, you should uncheck the “ Open “safe” files after downloading ” option.

Since then, the files wouldn’t be unzipped automatically anymore. You’d be able to save all the dedicated files in one place. In addition to this, you’ll be able to save more files and use less storage which can significantly improve your productivity .

How to change the place where the downloaded files are kept

If you use your Mac often for everyday work, you may download many files from time to time. Usually, the initial place they’re saved to is the desktop of your Mac. However, this may cause some inconvenience, as you may feel disappointed when you see your desktop fully covered with the downloads. That’s why there’s a method to change where files would be kept. So, to do that, you should follow the steps which would be mentioned in the section below:

• Then, you should tap on the “ Safari ” tab on the top bar and click on the “ Preferences ” option.

• Next, you should head to the “ General ” section and open the drop-down list of the “ File Download Location ” option.

• After that, you should click on the “ Other ” option.

• To complete the process, you should tap on the desired folder and click on the “ Select ” option.

Since then, instead of saving the files to the default “Downloads” folder, you may choose the one you like the most. Moreover, you won’t be disappointed that all your desktop is messy and you’ll be able to easily find the files, as you’ll know where they’ve been saved. Moreover, to notice the folder better, you can also change its icon . In this way, you’ll definitely not be lost.

• How to disable split screen in Safari
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How to remove downloads in Safari on Mac

As many files can be downloaded on Mac every day, it’s very important to clear your storage. That’s why, when you open the downloads in Safari, you may be shocked by the number of files that have been downloaded. In order not to spend a lot of time removing thousands of files, you should do this from time to time. So, to delete the downloads in Safari on Mac, you should follow the prompts which would be mentioned in the section below:

• After that, you should tap on the “ Show Downloads button ” on the toolbar.

• Then, you should right-click on the download.
• To complete the process, you should click on the file and choose the “ Remove from the list ” option from the menu.

Since then, there would be more storage on your Mac and the cache of the Safari would be cleared . This would lead to the more efficient and productive usage of your device. There would be fewer bugs and the Mac would run better and quicker. In this way, you’ll be able to complete your tasks in the most convenient and fast way as nothing would distract you from doing your job. So, as you can see, even the simple option of the downloads may have a significant meaning in managing your device.

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This will bypass opening the link in the associated app, but you'll have to use the context menu each time. If you find yourself doing this all the time, uninstalling the service's app may save you some time.

In Private Browsing mode, Safari's behavior changes to protect your privacy. Safari will never open a private browsing link in its associated app before asking you first. This helps protect your privacy---after all, you may be signed into the app and it may reveal personal information.

When in Private Browsing mode , you'll receive an "Open in [App]?" prompt after tapping a link if that link would normally open in an app. Tap "Cancel" and Safari will open the link in a normal Private Browsing tab.

However, there is still that extra step after enabling Private Browsing mode---you have to tap "Cancel" rather than just instantly opening the link.

Related: How to Use Safari Private Browsing on an iPhone or iPad

Guided Access mode is a feature on your iPhone or iPad that lets you "lock" your iPhone to a specific app. For example, you might enable this if you want a child to use a specific app on your device (like a game or video player) without accessing anything else (like your email or online banking.)

This feature can stop Safari from opening apps, too: With Guided Access enabled, you can't leave Safari until you disable Guided Access mode. Safari won't even try to open links in other apps.

To set up Guided Access mode, head to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access. (You can use the search box to search for the Guided Access page in settings, too.) Activate "Guided Access" here.

Next, switch to Safari and triple-click the side button, as explained on the Guided Access settings screen. Tap "Start" to enable Guided Access mode. You'll be prompted to enter a PIN the first time you do this. You'll need this PIN to leave Guided Access mode.

You can now browse and Safari won't offer to open any apps. To leave Safari, you'll have to exit Guided Access mode by triple-clicking the side button once again and entering your PIN. You can tap "Passcode Settings" on the Settings screen where you enabled Guided Access to enable other authentication methods like Touch ID and Face ID.

None of these methods are perfect. You'll either have to uninstall the associated app or do some extra tapping around to avoid opening its links in Safari.

Ideally, Apple would offer a Settings screen that lets you control which apps can take over links just as you can control other app features like location access and notification permissions.

How to fix Safari not downloading files on iPhone, iPad, and Mac

You may, at times, encounter an issue where Safari refuses to download photos, videos, audio, PDFs, documents, and other files from a website. In this article, we’ll explore common reasons why Safari may not be downloading files on iPhone, iPad, or Mac and provide solutions to help you get back to downloading with ease.

The issues you may be facing

• Clicking the download link opens a new blank tab, and no file download starts.
• Safari is refusing to begin file downloads from one or all sites.
• File download starts, but it fails immediately in a second or two.
• The download happens up to a point and then fails midway or just before completing.
• Safari downloads a file but opens it and then deletes the original files (this happens with ZIP and other compressed files).

The solutions below should help fix all the above issues and also ones similar to them.

Before you begin

It’s possible that you’re not following the right steps to download the file. On Mac, it’s super easy, but on iPhone and iPad, downloading files may not be as obvious. With that said, even if the file has been downloaded, you may not know where it’s saved and how to find it. So, look at these tutorials, if needed:

• How to download videos from Safari on iPhone and iPad
• How to download files and documents to iPhone or iPad
• How to access downloaded files on iPhone and iPad

Retry the download

In many cases, initiating the download again does the trick. Try hitting the download link again, and it should work. If not, refresh the webpage and click the download button again.

Note: Some websites put downloads behind a login wall. So, make sure to honor that.

Pause and resume the download

The download may look like it has started, but it will pause or fail in a few seconds. If that happens, hit the tiny retry button a few times, and it should start the download. If not, hit the download link again on the website.

Check your internet

Make sure your iPhone, iPad, or Mac is connected to a stable Wi-Fi, Cellular Data, or Ethernet connection and the internet is working properly.

Some useful tips

• Turn off VPN if you’re using one.
• Restart your Wi-Fi router.

Troubleshooting internet problems

• How to fix cellular data not working on iPhone or iPad
• What to do when your iPhone or iPad can’t connect to Wi-Fi
• Internet not working on your Mac? Here are 16 solutions to fix it

Allow the website to download files

When you try to download a file from a website for the first time, it doesn’t start immediately. Instead, you will see an alert asking your permission to allow this site to download and save files locally or not. Make sure you allow that. If you choose to block the download, follow these steps to fix it:

On iPhone and iPad: Hit the download link again on the website and tap Allow or Download when asked. If you don’t see the Allow button, clear your browser data.

On Mac: Open Safari and click Safari > Settings from the top menu bar. Now, go to Websites > Downloads > click the drop-down menu next to the website name and choose Allow . While you’re here, also make sure it says ‘ Ask ‘ or ‘ Allow ‘ next to ‘ When visiting other websites .’

Force Quit and reopen Safari

On iPhone and iPad: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen and hold or double-press the Home button to enter App Switcher. From here, drag the Safari app card all the way up to close it .

On Mac: Save your work in any other open Safari tabs. Next, click the Apple icon  and choose Force Quit . Here, select Safari and click Force Quit .

Now reopen Safari and try downloading the file again.

Use alternate download links

You may see more than one download link on a website. If one link fails to work, try the other one. Note: Sometimes, picking a different download quality (for a video, audio, or image) should do the trick.

Set Safari download location to anything other than iCloud Drive

If you have set Safari to download files to iCloud Drive,  switch it to any other local storage folder using the steps below:

On iPhone or iPad: Settings > Safari > Downloads > On My iPhone or Other .

On Mac: Open Safari and click Safari > Settings from the top menu bar. From the General section, select Downloads , Desktop , or any local folder next to ‘ File download location .’

Stop Safari from automatically opening files after download

By default, Safari on Mac is set to open files after downloading them. That means if you download a ZIP file, Safari will automatically unzip it after downloading. In rare cases, this may cause the download to fail, not complete successfully, or not even start in the first place if the file you’re trying to download is incompatible. Therefore, it’s best to turn it off from Safari Settings > General > uncheck ‘ Open “safe” files after downloading .’

Restart your device

If Safari is unable to download files due to minor glitches, save your work and do a restart .

Make sure your device has sufficient free space

New file downloads will only succeed if your iPhone, iPad, or Mac has enough free space. So go to Settings, and check how much free storage you have. If it’s full, use these tutorials to free up space:

• 50+ tips to free space on your iPhone and iPad
• 30+ ways to free storage space on your Mac

Clear Safari history and cache

One of the most reliable solutions to fix Safari issues is clearing its history and website data .

On iPhone and iPad, you can do this from Settings > Safari > Clear History and Website Data .

On Mac, click History from the top menu bar and select Clear History .

Try disabling a recently installed Safari extension

If you could download files earlier but can’t after installing an extension, then that extension is likely the culprit. Remove it, restart your device, and now you should have no problem downloading files.

On iPhone and iPad: Head over to this guide on installing and removing Safari extensions .

On Mac: Go to Safari Settings > Extensions > select the extension and click Uninstall .

Update Safari

Safari updates are tied to system updates on iPhone and iPad. So, go to Settings app > General > Software Update and get the latest version of the operating system.

On Mac, you can update Safari from System Settings .

Update your Mac

If you’re on an older version of macOS, consider updating to the latest version, which should improve your computer’s overall working and stability.

On macOS Ventura and later, go to System Settings > General > Software Update . And on macOS Monterey and earlier, go to System Preferences > Software Update .

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How to Stop Safari from Automatically Unzipping Downloaded ZIP Files

WordPress plugins are typically distributed in compressed ZIP file format. If you are using Safari on a Mac computer, you might notice that after clicking the download link, instead of receiving a .zip file, you get a folder. This can make it impossible to upload the plugin to your WordPress dashboard.

This issue occurs because Safari automatically unzips downloaded ZIP files. To resolve this, you can either use a different web browser, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, to download the plugin file, or you can configure Safari to stop automatically unzipping downloaded ZIP files.

To prevent Safari from automatically unzipping downloaded ZIP files, go to the Safari top menu and click on Preferences.

In the Preferences window, navigate to the General tab and uncheck the option 'Open safe files after downloading'.