Where Do Downloads Go on PC, iPhone, or Android Phones?

Can't find downloaded images

What happens to my downloaded files? How do I access and open my downloads? Do you have the same problem as the user above? After you downloaded some files from websites or apps, you can’t find the downloaded files on your devices.

In this post, you’ll find your downloads easily on different devices. Besides, if the downloads folder is not showing, you can follow the steps below to get rid of this problem via feasible methods.

How to find your downloads?

Where do downloads go? Ways to find your downloads depend on your operating system and applications. Usually, your downloads folder is named Downloads under your home folder.

In fact, if you don’t want to find the downloads folder, the fastest way to find your downloaded file is to download it again. But at this time, you need to select “Save as” or similar words to save it to a known location. In this way, you can quickly access the downloaded file.

For different operating systems, the location of the Downloads folder is not the same. Check the detailed information on "where do downloads go" on different devices.

Where do my downloads go on Windows computers?

If you downloaded files via a browser or application, you can check the settings to see the default directory where the downloaded files are saved. Usually, files you’ve downloaded are saved in the Downloads folder. Follow the steps below to find downloads on your PC:

Step 1. Press Windows + E keys to open Windows File Explorer.

Step 2. Click “This PC” and double-click Downloads to open. Alternatively, you can find the Downloads folder under Quick access.

If you find you can’t find the Downloads folder or specific files in it, you may accidentally delete the Downloads folder or it is hidden. You can get the Downloads folder back via professional data recovery software.

Where do downloads go on iPhone/iPad?

Are you wondering how to find downloads on iPhone or iPad? Accessing downloaded files on iPhone might be confusing. Because different kinds of files will be saved in different places.

If your iPhone/iPad is running iOS 11 or later, the File app is automatically installed on your device. You can search the Files app via the Search feature.

If you want to locate the Download folder on iPhone and iPad, you can follow the steps below.

Step 1. Open the File app.

Step 2. Tap “Browse” > “On My iPhone” > “Downloads”. Then you can see all of your downloaded files on your iPhone or iPad.

Step 3. You can hold on to the specified file to check the menu to modify it.

Usually, downloaded photos will be saved directly in the Photos app and you can check the downloaded music files in the Music app. If you accidentally deleted downloaded photos, videos, and other files on your iPhone, you can attempt to recover deleted iPhone data from iTunes or iCloud backup. 

How to find downloaded files on Android phones?

For Android phones, you can access your internal storage directly to find your downloaded files. This method lets you manually navigate through the file manager on your device. You can edit, copy, move or delete files, which can assist you in remaining neat and organized.

No matter which brand of phone you use, finding downloads on other Android phones is very similar. The app name may differ depending on the models and manufacturers involved.

Look at where you can find downloads for your Android phone. You need to find the File app on your phone.

Step 1. Open the File app, and tap “Browse” at the bottom of the screen.

Step 2. Tap “Internal storage” under the Storage devices section.

Step 3. Then scroll down, and you will find the Download folder.

Step 4. If you want to perform actions to downloaded files, you can tap the three-dot menu to copy, move, or delete them.

Why are my downloads not showing?

If your downloads not showing, the Downloads folder may be hidden or deleted. If your Downloads folder is hidden, you can make it visible again:

Step 1. Press Windows + E keys to open Windows File Explorer.

Step 2. Go to the View tab and click “Options” > “View”.

Step 3. Tick “Show hidden files, folders, and drives”. Then you can see the hidden Downloads folder again.

If the method above doesn’t work, the Download folder would be lost or deleted accidentally. To recover your Download folder, the easiest way is to use a third-party data recovery tool. There are many data recovery software to choose from, but which one is the best?

It’s recommended to use MyRecover due to its easy operation, fast scanning speed, and high recovery rate. It supports recovering deleted or lost files from HDD, SSD, USB drives, and other storage devices.

★Tips:

As an efficient data rescue tool, it scans for deleted and missing files from internal/external HDD/SSD/USB/memory cards.

Deleted files can keep their original filenames, formats, paths, etc.

Scans and restore 200+ types of data, recovering deleted Word documents, photos, videos, compressed files, etc.

Support deleted/lost data recovery from Windows 11/10/8/7 & Server and NTFS/FAT32/exFAT/ReFS, etc.

Don't hesitate to download MyRecover to start your Download folder and downloaded files recovery.

Step 1. Download and install the software > connect your external storage device to the PC > hover the mouse over the drive saved deleted files before, and click Scan.

Step 2. It automatically finds deleted files on the C drive with Quick Scan & Deep Scan. You don’t need to wait for the scanning process to complete if you find the Downloads folder or downloaded files.

Step 3. When you found the downloads folder or downloaded files you want to recover, choose them and click “Recover X files” to save them to another place.

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