6 Efficient To Find Where Do Downloads Go On Android Phone

Android phones are almost used by 90% of people in the world. Most of the time, finding the downloaded files is a tedious problem for new and older users. And the worst part is newer users will have no idea where the downloaded files go into the system. 

Sometimes older users might clean up and free up the storage devices they still find it difficult to open or delete the downloaded files. Don’t worry. We understand the issue you are facing. We have suggested 6 different solutions for you to find where do downloads go on android phones. 

Differences Between Download and Upload

That method is called uploading when adding web pages and media files. An example of this would be posting a status on WhatsApp. 

That method is called downloading when you save any media files or web pages from a website server to your phone or any other device. An example of this would be downloading music from the Gaana app. 

Solutions to Find Where Do Downloads Go On Android Phone

  1. Check the Downloads Folder
  2. Check the App Settings
  3. Download Another File
  4. From Google Drive
  5. From Windows PC
  6. Use Google Chrome to Find Downloads

1. Check the Downloads Folder

Android has a built-in downloads folder to store all your downloaded files. But you can’t find this as an app. It will be available in the default file manager app as a folder. Open the File Manager app on your android phone. Click on the downloads tab to access your downloads folder. 

File Manager - Find Where Do Downloads Go On Android
Downloads

It will show all the downloaded files with the most recent file downloaded on top. At the top right corner, there will be three dots available. When you click on it, it will provide you with a menu of options like download history, sort by, edit, and share.

Select

To find the downloaded files more accessible, you can use the sort by option, which will sort them according to their name, time, size, type, ascending, or descending order. It also allows you to select individual files. 

All you need to do is tap the three dots next to that file which will provide options like delete, rename, share, and so on. If you want to delete multiple files in your downloads, click on the first and select the files you want to delete. At the top, click the delete button.

2. Check the App Settings

Some of the apps will have downloads in the settings app. You can find the Settings app on your home screen. They are sent to the app’s download folder instead of sending to the download folder in the file manager app. For example, WhatsApp will have a folder to keep the images and videos on your phone. 

When you open the file manager app, it will have a separate folder for WhatsApp images and WhatsApp videos. When you use any third-party explorer, the WhatsApp downloads will be stored in internal memory/ WhatsApp/ media. 

To keep your files organized in one place, you can check your app’s settings and change the place where the files need to be downloaded to the default download location. This will help you to access all your downloaded files easily.

3. Download Another File

You might wonder why you need to download another file. But when you download a new file, a new notification will appear for that newly-downloaded file. That notification panel will look like a checkmark. When you tap on it, it will take you to the downloaded file. 

notification panel

This means you will be able to check where the download came from. It will contain all the downloaded files like Word, pdf, audio, etc. This is one of the easy ways to check where downloaded files are stored by default.

4. From Google Drive

This is one of the easiest methods to open downloaded files from your android device. If you are an active user of GSuite apps, you would have understood the convenience of using Google Drive. 

Not only your downloaded files, but whatever you edit in google docs, google slides, google sheets, and so on will be saved automatically in your google drive. Follow the steps below to open the downloaded files from the Google Drive app.

  • Open Google Drive on your android phone. 
Drive
  • At the bottom right, locate the files category. 
locate the files category
  • It will show all your files along with downloads. 
  • If you already know the file, click on the search bar and search for that file.
  • If you don’t remember the name of the file, scroll through the files and locate the file. 

5. From Windows PC

If you find it difficult to access the files downloaded from your android phone, you can view the downloads from your Windows PC. Follow the steps provided below to find android downloads from Windows PC.

  • With the help of a USB cable, connect your android phone. 
  • It will give a notification on your android phone asking what you want to do with the USB cable. 
  • Click on the File Transfer option.
  • Open Windows Explorer on your PC and click on the phone option. 
  • It will redirect you to the downloads folder, where you will be able to see all the downloaded files. 

Note: This method can also transfer files from your android device to Windows PC. 

6. Use Google Chrome to Find Downloads

  • Open the Chrome app on your android phone. 
Chrome
  • At the top right corner, you can see 3 dots. Tap on that.
3 dots
  • From the list of options, click on downloads. 
downloads
  • It will show all the files downloaded from the internet, including recent downloads. 
downloads

Conclusion

I hope the above solutions have helped you access the downloaded files. All these methods help track and locate the downloaded files. Try all the ways and find the one that is suitable for you. 

FAQs

Where Do Files Go When Downloaded On Android?

Downloaded files on android may go to either the file manager app or download in the settings app. You can also change the default place where the files need to be downloaded instead of having them in the file manager and settings app. 

How Do I Open A File App On Android?

Open the File Manager app on your android phone. Click on the downloads option. It will display all the downloaded files. To open a file, click on it. 

Where Is The My Files App?

Swipe from the bottom of the screen. Check for my files or file manager icon and tap on it. If you cannot locate it, tap on the Samsung icon, which has many icons inside it. Among them, my files will be one. 

Why Are Downloads Not Opening?

There could be reasons like you don’t have the permissions to view the file, you are signed into the Google account that doesn’t have access, or the correct app is not installed on your android phone. Â