How do I delete downloaded files?

Deleting downloaded files frees up storage space on your device and helps keep your downloads folder organized. Here are some quick answers about deleting downloads:

Table of Contents

How to delete files downloaded in Chrome

To delete files downloaded with the Chrome browser on your computer:

Open the Chrome browser and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner to open the menu.

Select “Downloads”. This will open your downloads folder.
Right-click on the file you want to delete and select “Delete”.
Confirm that you want to delete the file by clicking “Delete” again.

How to delete files downloaded on an iPhone

To delete downloaded files on an iPhone:

Open the Files app.
Tap “Browse” at the bottom.

Tap “Downloads”.
Swipe left on the file you want to delete and tap “Delete”.

How to delete files downloaded on an Android

To delete downloaded files on an Android phone or tablet:

Open the “My Files” or “File Manager” app.
Navigate to the “Downloads” folder.
Long press on the file you want to delete.

Tap “Delete” and confirm by tapping “OK”.

How to delete files downloaded in Microsoft Edge

To delete downloaded files when using the Microsoft Edge browser:

Click on the three horizontal dots in the top right corner to open the menu.

Select “Downloads”.
Right-click on the file you want to delete.
Click “Delete”.

Confirm that you want to delete the selected item.

How to delete files downloaded in Firefox

To delete downloaded files in the Firefox browser:

Click the “Library” icon in the top right corner (looks like three horizontal lines).

Select “Downloads”.
Select the files you want to delete and click the “Delete” button.
Confirm that you want to delete the selected files.

How to delete files downloaded via email

To delete an attachment downloaded from an email:

Open the email that contains the attachment.
On a desktop, right-click the attachment and select “Delete”.

On mobile, tap and hold the attachment, then tap “Delete”.

How to delete files downloaded from the internet

Files downloaded directly from the internet can be deleted the same way as browser downloads:

On Windows, open File Explorer, navigate to Downloads and delete.

On Mac, open Finder, go to Downloads and delete.
On iPhone/iPad, find the file in the Files app and swipe to delete.
On Android, open My Files/File Manager, go to Downloads and delete.

How to delete downloads on Windows

To delete downloaded files on a Windows computer:

Open File Explorer (Win key + E).
On the left side, click “Downloads”.

Right-click on the file you want to delete and select “Delete”.
Confirm that you want to move the file to the Recycle Bin.

Alternatively, you can open the Downloads folder and select files to delete, then press the Delete key.

Delete downloads from the Command Prompt

You can also delete downloads from Command Prompt using the del command. For example:

del C:\Users\[user name]\Downloads\[file name]

This will delete the specified file from the Downloads folder.

How to delete downloads on Mac

To delete downloaded files on a Mac:

Open Finder and click “Downloads” in the sidebar.
Drag files from the Downloads folder to the Trash.

Alternatively, right-click on files and select “Move to Trash”.
To permanently delete trashed items, empty the Trash.

Delete downloads from Terminal

You can also use the rm command in Terminal to delete downloads. For example:

rm ~/Downloads/[file name]

This will permanently delete the file from the Downloads folder.

How to delete installation files after installing a program

After successfully installing a program on your computer, you can delete the leftover installation files to free up space.

On Windows:

Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[user name]\Downloads.
Delete the .exe or .msi file you downloaded to install the program.

On Mac:

Open Finder and go to Downloads.

Move the .dmg file to the Trash.
Empty the Trash to permanently delete it.

On iPhone/iPad:

Go to Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage.

Find and delete the installer under Apps.

On Android:

Open My Files/File Manager.
Go to Downloads and delete the .apk file.

How to delete downloads on Nintendo Switch

To remove downloaded games or software on a Nintendo Switch:

From the Home screen, tap the Nintendo Switch Online icon.
Select “Redownloadable Software”.

Find the game or software you want to delete and press “+”.
Select “Delete Software” and confirm.

How to clear the downloads folder

If you want to delete all files in the downloads folder at once, you can clear or empty the folder entirely:

On Windows:

Open File Explorer and navigate to Downloads.
Press Ctrl + A to select all files.
Press Delete to move them to the Recycle Bin.

On Mac:

Open Finder and go to Downloads.
Drag all files to the Trash.
Empty the Trash to permanently delete.

On iPhone/iPad:

Open the Files app and go to the Downloads folder.
Tap Select in the top right corner.
Tap the download files to select them all.

Tap the trash icon to delete.

On Android:

Open My Files/File Manager and navigate to Downloads.
Tap and hold on a file, check Select All, then Delete.

How to stop files from downloading in Chrome

If you want to stop a file download in Chrome, there are a couple options:

Click the X icon next to the downloading file in the bottom bar to cancel it.
Right-click the file in the downloads list and select “Cancel”.

Clear your browsing data to remove any pending downloads.
Pause unneeded downloads so they do not continue downloading.

How to stop files downloading in other browsers

To stop a file download in other major browsers:

Mozilla Firefox

Click the X next to the downloading file in the top right corner.
Right-click and select “Cancel” in the downloads list.

Microsoft Edge

Click the X icon next to the downloading item in the bottom bar.

Right-click and select “Cancel” in the downloads list.

Apple Safari

Click the X icon next to the downloading item in the top left corner.
Right-click the file in the downloads list and select “Cancel”.

What happens when you delete a downloaded file?

When you delete a downloaded file, here is what happens:

The file is marked as free space and becomes available to overwrite.
The file’s data still physically exists on the storage device until new data overwrites it.

File listings and indexes that track downloads no longer include the deleted file.
On many operating systems, deleting sends a file to the trash/recycle bin before permanent deletion.

So deleting a file removes it from your downloads and frees up its storage space without immediately wiping its raw data.

How to permanently delete downloaded files

If you want to permanently delete downloaded files so they cannot be recovered, here’s how:

On Windows:

Delete the files then empty the Recycle Bin.
Use Shift + Delete to bypass the Recycle Bin when deleting.

Use a file shredder program to overwrite file data.

On Mac:

Drag downloaded files to the Trash then empty the Trash.
Use Command + Delete to permanently delete without Trashing.

Use a file shredder program to overwrite file data.

On iPhone/iPad:

Delete files using the Files app or iTunes.
Restore iPhone to factory settings, which erases all data.

On Android:

Delete files from My Files/File Manager.
Use a file shredder app to overwrite data.
Factory reset your device to permanently erase all contents.

Are deleted files really gone? Data recovery options

In some cases, you may be able to recover “deleted” files using data recovery software or tools:

Recovery software can scan storage devices and find files marked as deleted.
Cloud backup services like iCloud or Google Photos may have copies of deleted files.

Files in the Recycle Bin or Trash may still be retrieved.
Data recovery services can attempt to recover deleted files from storage devices.

However, recovery becomes very difficult or impossible if a file is:

Overwritten by new data.
Securely deleted with a wipe or shredder program.
Lost due to hardware damage or failure.

So while deleted files can often be recovered, permanent deletion that overwrites data will prevent this.

Can you recover a deleted download? How to restore lost downloads

It may be possible to recover deleted downloads in certain cases using file recovery methods:

Scan with recovery software to find deleted files that were not overwritten.

Restore from a backup, like iCloud or Time Machine, if it stored the deleted files.
Retrieve files from the trash or recycle bin before they are permanently deleted.
Use professional data recovery services for an attempt at retrieving lost data.

However, preventing file overwrite is key for increasing chances of recovery. The longer the period between file deletion and recovery attempt, the lower your odds of restoring that file become.

Why can’t I delete a file? Troubleshooting tips

Some common reasons you may be unable to delete a downloaded file include:

File is open or in use by another program.

You have insufficient permissions to delete the file.
File is marked as read-only.
File is locked by the system or another process.

Anti-virus software is blocking the deletion.
File system errors or drive issues are preventing deletion.

To troubleshoot:

Close any programs using the file and try deleting again.
Log in as an admin user or take ownership of the file.
Disable read-only status on the file properties.

Restart your device and check if the file can now be deleted.
Add exceptions for the file in your security software.
Run a system file check and disk check to fix file errors.

Best practices for managing downloads

Here are some tips for keeping downloads organized and storage optimized:

Delete files you no longer need so they do not take up space.
name files descriptively so you can find them easily.

Store downloads in cloud storage like Google Drive or iCloud.
Back up important downloads to an external drive or cloud.
Disable autodownloads to avoid clutter from unneeded files.

Clear browser history and caches to delete temporary files.
Move downloads from your device to a PC for long-term storage.

Following best practices allows you to take control of your downloads and ensure valuable storage is available.

Conclusion

Deleting unwanted downloaded files helps free up storage space and reduces clutter in your downloads folder. Make sure to permanently erase sensitive files when necessary by overwriting data.

Recover deleted downloads promptly from backups or trash if needed. With proper file management habits, you can effectively handle downloads while optimizing device storage.