What is the keyboard shortcut for Downloads on a Mac?

In Finder, ⌥⌘L opens the Downloads folder. In Safari, ⌥⌘L shows the downloads list.

Can I change the Downloads folder location?

You can’t move the Downloads folder itself safely, but every browser lets you save to a different folder: Safari › Settings › General, or Chrome › Settings › Downloads.

Is it safe to delete everything in Downloads?

Mostly; it’s copies of things you fetched. Check for files you saved only there, like signed documents and receipts, before you empty it.

Mac file guides

Where are my downloads on a Mac?

By Vishva Variya · Updated October 31, 2026 · 3 min read

Short answer

Downloads go to the Downloads folder in your home folder (/Users/your-name/Downloads). Open it from the Finder sidebar, from the Downloads stack on the right of the Dock, or in Finder with ⌥⌘L. If a file isn’t there, check where your browser saves files: Safari and Chrome can each be set to save somewhere else.

How do I open the Downloads folder?

1Click Finder in the Dock, then Downloads in the sidebar.
2Or, with Finder active, press ⌥⌘L (Go › Downloads).
3Or click the Downloads stack at the right end of the Dock.

Downloads is missing from the Finder sidebar or Dock. How do I get it back?

1Finder sidebar: Finder › Settings › Sidebar, then tick Downloads.
2Dock: open your home folder in Finder (⇧⌘H) and drag the Downloads folder to the right side of the Dock, next to the Trash.

Where does my browser save downloads?

Safari: Safari › Settings › General › File download location. Safari › Show Downloads (⌥⌘L in Safari) lists recent ones; the magnifier next to each shows it in Finder.
Chrome: Settings › Downloads › Location. Turn on “Ask where to save each file” if you want to choose every time.
Mail attachments you open without saving land in a hidden Mail Downloads folder, not in Downloads. Drag them out or use File › Save Attachments.

I downloaded a file and can’t find it. What now?

1Open Downloads and switch to list view (⌘2), then sort by Date Added: the newest file is at the top.
2Search with Spotlight (⌘Space) for a word from the file name.
3Check the browser’s own downloads list; it shows where each file went.
4If the download was a .zip, look for the unzipped folder next to it.

Downloads, sorted by where they came from, in Peekaboo

Peekaboo groups everything in Downloads by the site or app it came from (Gmail, Google Drive, ChatGPT, Slack, WhatsApp and any other site), so a lost attachment is one click away. The newest ten also sit in the menu bar, ready to drag into an email or a chat.

1Open Downloaded From and pick a source.⇧⌘J
2Or search it: “pdfs from gmail last week”.⌘F
3Grab the latest download from the menu bar and drag it where it needs to go.

Questions

What is the keyboard shortcut for Downloads on a Mac?: In Finder, ⌥⌘L opens the Downloads folder. In Safari, ⌥⌘L shows the downloads list.
Can I change the Downloads folder location?: You can’t move the Downloads folder itself safely, but every browser lets you save to a different folder: Safari › Settings › General, or Chrome › Settings › Downloads.
Is it safe to delete everything in Downloads?: Mostly; it’s copies of things you fetched. Check for files you saved only there, like signed documents and receipts, before you empty it.