“One of the most preferred Mac cleaning utilities in 2021” Compatibility: Mac OS X El. This wikiHow teaches you how to clear the cache of temporary system files that your Mac stores as you use it, as well as how to clear the Safari browser's cache of temporary Internet files. Keep in mind that clearing the system cache can cause your Mac to freeze or crash unexpectedly; this is a normal response to clearing the cache. If you opened those files in the download folder and changed/edited them and didn't do a SAVE AS, you just saved them, then they got resaved ubnder the original file names and to the download folder. So check all those files for your edits/changes and if those are the files you changed then don't delete them.

• Clear All Downloads On Mac
• Clean Downloads Folder Mac

When you download a file from the Internet, it is saved in your operating system's downloads folder. Additionally, there is a record of it in your Internet browser. When a file is in the downloads folder, it can take up unnecessary storage space. Also, as it shows the files you've downloaded, it could be a security or privacy risk. To clear your downloads folder or download history, click a link in the list below and follow the instructions.

Windows Vista, 7, 8, and 10

To clear the files in the Downloads folder in Windows, follow the steps below.

1. Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Downloads, and press Enter.
2. In the window that opens, highlight all the downloaded files using your mouse or press Ctrl+A. If you do not want to delete all files only select the downloaded file you want to delete.

3. Press Delete to send the files to the Recycle Bin.
4. To permanently delete the files, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin in the drop-down menu that appears.

If there isn't a Recycle Bin icon on your desktop, you can restore it. For help with getting the Recycle Bin back, see: Missing Windows desktop Recycle Bin icon.

macOS and Safari

To clear the files in the Downloads folder on your Mac computer, follow the steps below.

As it's built in to macOS, these steps are the same for those using the Safari browser.

1. Select Finder from the Dock at the bottom of your desktop.

2. In the window that opens, select Downloads from the list on the left side of the screen.

3. Right-click each entry and select Move to Trash in the drop-down menu.

You may also clear download history entries by highlighting them and pressing Delete.

Google Chrome

To clear the files in the Downloads folder for Google Chrome, follow these steps.

1. Open the Google Chrome browser.
2. Click the Customize and control Google Chrome button in the upper-right corner of the screen.
3. Select Downloads from the drop-down menu that appears.
4. In the new window that opens, click next to each entry you want to remove.
5. To clear all entries, click the More actions icon in the upper-right corner of the screen and select Clear all.

In Chrome, press Ctrl+J (Windows) or Command+Shift+J (macOS) to view a list of your downloaded files.

If you're using Microsoft Windows, you can also see our Windows steps for deleting downloads using Windows.

Mozilla Firefox

To clear the files in the Downloads folder for Firefox, follow these steps.

1. Open the Mozilla Firefox browser.
2. Click the Library icon near the upper-right corner of the screen.
3. Select Downloads in the menu that appears.

4. At the bottom of the expanded menu, click Show All Downloads.

5. You may delete each file individually using the Delete key. To remove them all at once, right-click in the downloads section and select Clear Downloads in the drop-down menu.

In Firefox, press Ctrl+J (Windows) or Command+J (macOS) to view a list of your downloaded files.

If you're using Microsoft Windows, you can also see our Windows steps for deleting downloads using Windows.

Microsoft Edge

To clear the files in the Downloads folder for Microsoft Edge, follow these steps.

1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. Click the Settings and more icon in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
3. In the drop-down menu, select Downloads.
4. You can remove files individually by clicking the icon, or delete all files by clicking Clear all.

In Edge, press Ctrl+J to view a list of your downloads.

If you're using Microsoft Windows, you can also see our Windows steps for deleting downloads using Windows.

Microsoft Edge Legacy

To clear the files in the Downloads folder for Microsoft Edge Legacy, follow these steps.

1. Open the Microsoft Edge browser.
2. In the upper-right corner, select the Hub button.
3. Click the icon that looks like a down arrow.
4. You can delete each file individually by clicking next to the file entry, or click Clear all to delete all files.

In Edge Legacy, press Ctrl+J to view a list of your downloads.

If you're using Microsoft Windows, you can also see our Windows steps for deleting downloads using Windows.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

To clear the files in the Downloads folder for Internet Explorer, follow these steps.

1. Open the Internet Explorer browser.
2. Click the Gearicon in the upper-right side of the window.
3. Click View downloads in the drop-down menu that appears.
4. You may delete each file individually by clicking the X next to the file entry, or click Clear list to delete all files.

In Internet Explorer, press Ctrl+J to open your Downloads folder.

If you're using Microsoft Windows, you can also see our Windows steps for deleting downloads using Windows.

Opera

To clear the files in the Downloads folder for Opera, follow these steps.

1. Open the Opera browser.
2. Click in the upper-left corner of the window.
3. In the drop-down menu that appears, select Downloads.
4. In the tab that opens, you may delete each entry individually by clicking the icon on the right side and selecting Remove in the menu. To delete all files, click the button in the upper-right corner.

Clear All Downloads On Mac

In Opera, press Ctrl+J (Windows) or Command+J (macOS) to view a list of your downloaded files.

If you're using Microsoft Windows, you can also see our Windows steps for deleting downloads using Windows.

Clean Downloads Folder Mac