How to stop files from opening after download mac

For more help getting the most out of your Apple devices, check out our how to guide as well as the following articles:. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:. The Mac runs macOS for its operating system. A collection of tutorials, tips, and tricks from the 9to5Mac team helping you fix and get the most out of your favorite gear.

Stop automatically opening downloads in Safari Open Safari on your Mac and then follow these steps to stop automatically opening downloads from the web. Do more in Safari For additional tips and how-tos for Safari, check out these additional tutorials for both Mac and iOS. Changing where files you download in Safari go on your Mac 3 ways to reopen recently closed tabs in Safari for Mac How to manage bookmarks in Safari on iOS and Mac How to add Favorites in Safari on iPhone, iPad and Mac How to delete your Safari web browsing history for specific days How to always open Safari in a private window Wrapping it up By changing one simple setting for Safari on Mac, you can have complete control over your downloads.

It can be very frustrating when downloads from the web automatically open on your Mac. Part of the reason is that some web files are not safe and may be infected with malware.

Also, when downloads are in the form of pictures, video, or other types of media, they can cause disruptions when they open.

In this article, we will not only show you how to disable your Mac from automatically opening downloads from the web, but also provide tips on how to protect your computer and data in general. To stop your Mac from opening downloads automatically, you will have to adjust your browser settings. The native browser of Macs, Safari, has a default feature that automatically opens all downloaded files that are considered safe. You have to disable this. Pro Tip: Scan your Mac for performance issues, junk files, harmful apps, and security threats that can cause system issues or slow performance.

Better yet, follow the instructions below:. This will prevent files from being automatically opened once they are downloaded to your computer. Some versions of Chrome have a setting that asks Always open files of this type instead.