Learn the simplest way to clear all the downloads in Chrome and how to set up Chrome to always clear downloads automatically.
Whenever you download something in Chrome, it is automatically listed in the Download History. This helps you track the download progress and open completed downloads with just a few clicks. Additionally, the Download History tab also helps you keep track of all your previous downloads on a single page. While this is a good thing, there may be times when you need to clear all download entries from your Chrome browser. Thankfully, Chrome lets you clear download history with just a couple of clicks.
In this quick and easy guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to manually clear all downloads and show you how to configure it to always clear the downloads history automatically. Let’s get started.
Before You Start
- Clearing the download list or download history does not delete the actual downloaded files.
Clear Download History in Google Chrome
- Open the Chrome browser.
- Click the “Menu” (three vertical dots) on the top-right corner.
- Select the “Downloads” option.
- Click the “Clear all” button.
- With that, you’ve deleted the download history in Chrome.
A quick tip: You can also press the “Ctrl + J” shortcut to open the Downloads tab.
Always Clear Download History in Chrome Automatically
To always delete the download history, you must use a free extension. Unfortunately, there is no built-in option to do this.
- First, open the Chrome browser.
- Head over to this “Always clear downloads 3” extension page.
- Click the “Add to Chrome” button.
- Click the “Add extensions” button.
- With that, the extension is installed, and it will automatically delete the download history.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
If the Chrome browser is not yet open, launch it first. Next, go to this extension page and click the “Add to Chrome” button.
The above action displays the installation dialog. Click the “Add extension” button in it.
As soon as you click the button, the extension is installed in your browser. By default, it is hidden in the Extensions menu. To view the installed extension, click the “Extensions” icon next to the address bar. To always show the extension, click the “Pin” icon.
After installing the extension, it automatically deletes your download history every five seconds after you download something.
To modify how long the extension waits before clearing the list, click the “Extensions” icon next to the address bar, click the “More options” icon (three vertical dots) next to the extension name, and select “Options“.
Now, enter the number of seconds you want the extension to wait before clearing the download list and click “Save“. For example, if you want it to wait 30 minutes, enter “1800”.
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That is all. It is that simple to always clear downloads in Chrome. If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
