safari iconIn Apple's Safari browser in macOS, the Downloads pane is where you can find information on things you've downloaded from the web to your Mac's hard drive.

You can access it from the Safari toolbar by clicking the Show Downloads button, or by selecting View -> Show Downloads from the menu bar. Once it's open, you can click and drag it to a more convenient location on your screen.

The Downloads pane helps you keep track of anything you're currently downloading, as well as any files that you recently downloaded. You can also use it to navigate to the storage location of your downloads by clicking their Show in Finder button, and you can retry failed downloads by clicking the Reload buttons.

safari
By default, the Download pane's file list is cleared after one day, but if you want you can change it so that successfully completed downloads clear immediately, or you can opt to clear the list manually. Here's how.

  1. Launch Safari on your Mac.
    safari

  2. Select Safari -> Preferences… from the menu bar.
    safari

  3. With the General tab selected, click the dropdown next to Remove download list items and choose one of the options: After one day, When Safari quits, Upon successful download, or Manually.
    safari

If you selected the Manually option, use the Clear button at the top of the Downloads pane to remove all downloaded items from the list.

Tag: Safari

Popular Stories

imac video apple feature

Apple Unveils First New Products of 2026

Monday January 26, 2026 1:55 pm PST by
Apple today introduced its first two physical products of 2026: a second-generation AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided Solo Loop for the Apple Watch. Read our coverage of each announcement to learn more:Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More Apple Introduces New Black Unity Apple Watch BandBoth the new AirTag and the Black Unity Connection Braided...
iPhone 5s

iPhone 5s Gets New Software Update 13 Years After Launch

Monday January 26, 2026 3:56 pm PST by
Alongside iOS 26.2.1, Apple today released an updated version of iOS 12 for devices that are still running that operating system update, eight years after the software was first released. iOS 12.5.8 is available for the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 6, meaning Apple is continuing to support these devices for 13 and 12 years after launch, respectively. The iPhone 5s came out in September 2013,...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Just Made Its Second-Biggest Acquisition Ever After Beats

Thursday January 29, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio. Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014. Q.ai has...
Apple Creator Studio

Apple's Next Launch is Today

Tuesday January 27, 2026 2:39 pm PST by
Update: Apple Creator Studio is now available. Apple Creator Studio launches this Wednesday, January 28. The all-in-one subscription provides access to the Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Pixelmator Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps, with U.S. pricing set at $12.99 per month or $129 per year. A subscription to Apple Creator Studio also unlocks "intelligent features" and "premium...
Second Generation AirTag Feature

Apple Unveils New AirTag With Longer Range, Louder Speaker, and More

Monday January 26, 2026 6:07 am PST by
Apple today introduced the second-generation AirTag, with key features including longer range for tracking items and a louder speaker. For those who are not familiar, the AirTag is a small accessory that you can attach to your backpack, keys, or other items. Then, you can track the location of those items in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and iCloud.com. The new...