stop chrome mobile from downloading files How to Resume an Interrupted Download in Google Chrome. Brady Gavin has been immersed in technology for 15 years and has written over 150 detailed tutorials and explainers. He's covered everything from Windows 10 registry hacks to Chrome browser tips. Brady has a diploma in Computer Science from Camosun College in Victoria, BC. Read more. An internet connection can be unpredictable at times, and a sudden drop of the connection while downloading a large file can be frustrating. However, Google Chrome lets you resume downloads if they unexpectedly stop. Resume Downloads Using Chrome’s Download Manager. Google Chrome uses a built-in download manager to display all your downloads—active, failed, canceled, and completed. The manager opens in its own tab and shows a list of every file you’ve ever downloaded in Chrome. Note: Some websites don’t allow for you to resume a download if it fails to complete the first time around. Certain web servers don’t remember your request to download the file, forcing it to start from the beginning all over again. To open the download manager, type chrome://downloads into the Omnibox and hit the Enter key. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+J on Windows or Command+J on macOS. In the list of downloads, find the failed item and click “Resume”. If everything goes right, your download will resume from where it left off before you were disconnected. Resume Downloads Using WGet. If the download fails to resume after pressing the button, you have one more method to try. It uses the command line, a piece of free software, and requires the partially downloaded file. While the command line can be a bit daunting for some, we will go over it step-by-step so you can follow along with ease. WGet is an open-source application for Linux, macOS, and Windows, part of the GNU project that retrieves files over the internet. It’s a command-line tool that lets aborted downloads resume directly from web servers. Head over to the WGet downloads page and get the package that’s right for your system. We’ll be using the Windows version for this guide, but it should work identically on all operating systems. After WGet finishes downloading, install/extract the contents to a folder that’s easy to remember. Because it’s primarily used to resume Chrome downloads and uses the partially downloaded file, we put it in Chrome’s default download folder for convenience. Open the downloads manager with Ctrl+J (Windows) or Command+J (macOS), locate the file, right-click the source file’s website, and then select “Copy Link Address.” Now, click More (three dots) and then choose the “Open Downloads Folder” option. Locate the file, right-click it, and then select “Rename.” Remove the “.crdownload” extension from the end of the file and hit the Enter key. Sometimes, Chrome gives a download a default name of “Unconfirmed.crdownload.” If this happens, you will have to rename the whole file. You can get the original filename from the source’s URL you copied earlier. For instance, our source URL is http://website.com/your/file/here/6.7.1.9.exe which means “6.7.1.9.exe” is the filename. A message will open warning you the file might become unusable if you change the extension. Click “Yes.” Now, open Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (macOS) and navigate to the downloads folder (i.e. C:\Users\User\Downloads ) where the file and the extracted WGet executable is located. Type wget -c . It should look something like this: Hit the Enter key and, if the server allows for it, the file will resume from where it left off in Chrome. Otherwise, the download will start from the beginning again. After the download completes, you can close Command Prompt or Terminal and open the file normally as you would if it had finished downloading properly the first time. How to Unblock Downloads in Google Chrome. If you’re concerned about security on the web, you might have searched around Google Chrome to see what privacy features it offers. The popular browser’s security measures are many, and preventing you from downloading suspicious files from the internet is one thing it can do. This can be a handy warning in many instances, but what if you want to download the file anyway? Can you uninstall this feature in Google Chrome? Why does it even block you from downloading stuff from the internet? Keep reading this article to learn all about it. Unblocking Downloads in Google Chrome. Google Chrome is well-known for enabling not only an excellent user experience but also ensuring safe browsing for anyone with a computer or smartphone. It keeps your data safe by preventing you from either downloading, modifying, or opening files containing malware. But suppose you’re still determined to download a specific file because you consider it safe (and browsers can make mistakes – they’re not perfect). In that case, there’s a way around this Chrome feature. The way you can unblock downloads depends on whether it’s the website itself that’s causing the issue or the file you’re trying to download. How to Unblock a Website. If Google Chrome has blocked a specific website and doesn’t let you download files from it, here’s what to do. Launch Google Chrome on your computer. Select the three-dot icon in the top right corner to see more options. Click on “Settings.” Scroll to find “Privacy and security.” Select “Security” and choose “Standard protection” on the new page. That means you’ll be protected from any known dangerous websites, extensions, and downloads. Check if your downloads are unblocked now. If not, you can opt for the “No protection” option, but keep in mind that this setting is not recommended. Unlocking that option may put your computer at risk. If your downloads are still blocked after you perform these steps, try the following: Once again, open “Privacy and security” in “Settings” and navigate to “Site Settings.” From there, choose “Site Settings.” Click on “Additional permissions” under “Permissions.” Select “Automatic downloads.” Switch the toggle to disable this option: “Do not allow any site to download multiple files automatically.” You can also try adding a specific website to the “Allow” list below – just click on the “Add” button on the right. How to Unblock a File. Have you managed to download a file from the web, but can’t open it or unpack it on your computer or smartphone? Here are two ways to overrule the security feature. You can do this: Open the “Downloads” folder on your computer, or wherever the location of the download file is located. Right-click the desired file. Select “Properties” from the pop-up menu. Go to the “General” tab and find “Unblock” under “Security.” Check the box and select “Apply.” Click “OK” to keep your changes. Don’t see the “Unblock” option? Then your Windows operating system may not be the reason your downloaded file is blocked. If you’ve downloaded multiple files but they’re all blocked from opening, it may be time-consuming to unblock them manually one by one. Here’s what you can try. Navigate to your taskbar and right-click the “Start” button. From the menu that appears, choose “Windows PowerShell.” Type in the following: “get-childitem “PATH” | unblock-file.” However, instead of the word “path,” type in (or copy) the path name belonging to the folder where the files you’re trying to unblock are located. Press “Enter” and try to access the files. How to Enable Downloads in Google Chrome. Google Chrome’s default settings will allow you to download different files from the internet. All you have to do is open your browser, find something you’d like to download, and save the file. Usually, you’ll do it by clicking on the download link and allowing Chrome to download the file if asked to do so. Sometimes, you may need to right-click the file and select the “Save as” option. You may also need to choose the download location folder where you want the file to be saved. Even while your files are being downloaded, you can still pause it or cancel the download altogether if you change your mind. If, for any reason, your Chrome downloads are disabled, follow the instructions below to enable them. Launch Google Chrome on your device and navigate to the upper right corner. Click on the three dots to open a menu with more options. Select “Settings.” Scroll to find the “Privacy and Security” section. Under that section, click on “Security.” Here, you’ll find three types of protection against malware, data leakage, and more. “Standard” protection should be selected by default, but you can select an upgraded version, too. However, to enable any downloads in Google Chrome, select the “No protection” option. You should know that it’s not recommended, since it doesn’t keep you away from dangerous websites. But it’ll allow you to download your desired files, whether or not Google Chrome considers them safe. Note: Make sure you turn on the “Standard” protection after you’ve downloaded the blocked files. How to Unblock Downloads in Google Chrome on Android. If you wish to unblock downloads using your Android phone, you have two options. You can enable automatic downloads to your smartphone or allow the “No protection” mode. To enable automatic downloads, follow the steps below. Tap on the Chrome icon to launch the app. Select the three-dot “More” icon in the top right corner of the screen. Navigate down to find “Settings” and tap to open the menu. Locate “Site settings” and select it. Find “Automatic downloads” and tap the option to open them. Tap the toggle to disable the “Ask first” feature. To turn on the “No protection” mode, do the following. Open Google Chrome on your mobile device. Tap the three-dot icon to see “More.” Choose “Privacy and Security.” Tap on “Safe Browsing.” Select “No protection” to enable downloading any file type. How to Unblock Downloads in Google Chrome on iPhone. If you’re Team iOS and want to unblock downloads on an iPhone or iPad, you can follow the same steps as for Android devices. The only difference may be where the unblock downloads button is located. For instance, if you’re looking to change site settings and enable automatic downloads, you’ll find the “More” button in the top right corner of the screen. The permissions will be located under “Content Settings.” How to Enable RealPlayer Downloader in Google Chrome. You can use RealPlayer to download any type of file in any browser, and if you want to enable it in Chrome, here’s how. Go to the RealNetworks website and download the RealPlayer. Install the software and open it on your device. Select the “RealPlayer” tab and then click on “Preferences.” On this screen, select “Download & Recording” to designate a folder where you want to keep the downloads. On the same screen, choose “Enable Web Downloading & Recording” and then open Google Chrome. Select the puzzle icon in the upper right corner of the window to see the extensions. Find RealPlayer and check the item to enable it. How to Enable Orbit Downloader in Google Chrome. Here are the instructions to follow if you want to use Orbit Downloader to download files in Chrome. Download the Orbit Downloader and install it on your device. Once the installation is completed, navigate to the system tray in the right corner of your taskbar. Right-click the Orbit Downloader icon and click on “Preferences” once a context menu opens. Choose “Monitoring” from the panel on the left. Navigate to the menu on the right and make sure the Chrome checkbox is selected. It’s located under “Browser integration.” If asked, select other browsers. Select “OK” to confirm your changes and open Chrome. You may need to restart both your device and the Orbit Downloader to ensure the integration process is successful. Then you can move on to using the program to download files. Additional FAQs. Do you have more questions related to downloads in Google Chrome? Here are a few that may be of help to you. How Do I Unblock Dangerous Files in Google Chrome. You can unblock harmful files on your computer using one of the methods described in the previous sections. However, you should be 100 percent sure that you’re ready to take on the risk of possible damage to your data. The file you want to unblock might contain a virus that can destroy or leak information you have on your computer. Why Is Google Chrome Blocking My Downloads? There are several reasons why Google Chrome may be blocking a file you’re trying to download. • The file isn’t secure, although the website you’re downloading from is marked as safe. You might be able to proceed with the download. • The file contains a virus or other malware that may damage your computer. • The file may be trying to make undesired changes on your computer or mobile phone. You might believe you’re downloading simple software when it actually requires access to key computer operations. • Chrome doesn’t recognize the file you’re trying to download and cannot access its security. • The file is coming from a website that’s been known for distributing false or malicious files. How Do I Stop Windows from Blocking My Downloads in Chrome? Your Chrome settings may not be the issue. If the files you’d like to download are blocked by your operating system, you can try unblocking them using a method from the “How to Unblock a File” section. Both methods are straightforward, but Windows PowerShell is more useful if you have multiple files to unblock. If Windows considers a file you want to download dangerous, you may see a “Virus scan failed”, or “Virus detected” message on your screen. If you have an antivirus program installed on your computer, it may have blocked the file, and therefore, prevent you from downloading it. Download Anything but Stay Safe. Are you sure you want to unblock your downloads? Chrome is programmed to block specific files from your devices, but it can make mistakes. If you believe Chrome is stopping you from downloading files to your computer or smartphone without a valid reason, you can use one of our suggested methods to unblock the files and ensure access to them. Has Chrome mistakenly blocked safe files from being downloaded? Do you know any other unblocking methods? Let us know in the comments section below. 3 Best Ways to Stop Down​loads From Open​ing Auto​mat​i​cal​ly in Chrome. Google Chrome doesn't automatically open downloaded files by default. But it does give you the option—via the download shelf—to auto-launch files by type. So if certain files keep opening after each download, you must have specified the browser to do so (intentionally or accidentally) in the past. Likewise, you can also stop Chrome from opening your downloads automatically. There are several ways to prevent Google Chrome from launching a file in its default program once it finishes downloading to your PC or Mac. You can either reconfigure the browser to stop it from launching a certain file type, clear all auto-open download preferences, or use Guest mode to override profile-specific download settings. Let's check them out. 1. Stop File Type From Opening Automatically. Chrome's download shelf lets you automatically launch files by type as soon as they've finished downloading locally. You can do that for almost all file formats out there; exceptions include executables (for security reasons) and PDFs (which have their own separate set of auto-open preferences). If you want to stop the browser from launching a certain file type in its default program automatically, you must access the download shelf settings during a file download and re-configure your preferences for that particular file format. Step 1: Open Chrome, and then initiate a download of the same file type (ZIP, MP3, FLV, etc.) that you want to stop opening automatically. Step 2: Once the file shows up on the download shelf, quickly click the tiny arrow next to the downloading file. Act quick before the download finishes—otherwise, it will open automatically and hide the download shelf. Note: If the file launches before you can do anything, try downloading a file with a larger file size or from a site where downloading a file takes a while. Step 3: Click 'Always open files of this type' to uncheck the option. And voila! Chrome should no longer open the file type automatically after downloading. If it still does, simply restart the browser, and you should be good. Just remember that you have to repeat the process for any other file types that you want to prevent Chrome from launching automatically. 3 Best Ways to Stop Down​loads From Open​ing Auto​mat​i​cal​ly in Chrome. Google Chrome doesn't automatically open downloaded files by default. But it does give you the option—via the download shelf—to auto-launch files by type. So if certain files keep opening after each download, you must have specified the browser to do so (intentionally or accidentally) in the past. Likewise, you can also stop Chrome from opening your downloads automatically. There are several ways to prevent Google Chrome from launching a file in its default program once it finishes downloading to your PC or Mac. You can either reconfigure the browser to stop it from launching a certain file type, clear all auto-open download preferences, or use Guest mode to override profile-specific download settings. Let's check them out. 1. Stop File Type From Opening Automatically. Chrome's download shelf lets you automatically launch files by type as soon as they've finished downloading locally. You can do that for almost all file formats out there; exceptions include executables (for security reasons) and PDFs (which have their own separate set of auto-open preferences). If you want to stop the browser from launching a certain file type in its default program automatically, you must access the download shelf settings during a file download and re-configure your preferences for that particular file format. Step 1: Open Chrome, and then initiate a download of the same file type (ZIP, MP3, FLV, etc.) that you want to stop opening automatically. Step 2: Once the file shows up on the download shelf, quickly click the tiny arrow next to the downloading file. Act quick before the download finishes—otherwise, it will open automatically and hide the download shelf. Note: If the file launches before you can do anything, try downloading a file with a larger file size or from a site where downloading a file takes a while. Step 3: Click 'Always open files of this type' to uncheck the option. And voila! Chrome should no longer open the file type automatically after downloading. If it still does, simply restart the browser, and you should be good. Just remember that you have to repeat the process for any other file types that you want to prevent Chrome from launching automatically. How to cancel a download on Android 4.4 KitKat. I (accidentally) started downloading a 350 MB file from Google Chrome and I can't find the option to stop it, the downloads app just shows the files that have already finished but not the downloads in progress. The notification on my top bar just opens the downloads app. 4 Answers 4. I just reproduced the steps needed to do this, last two steps may be the interesting ones: Open Google Chrome (v39) Start a large download (http://ipv4.download.thinkbroadband.com/1GB.zip) Wait a moment (it took some seconds for a notification to appear) Pull down the notification bar and click on the download entry You are taken to the download manager Long click on the corresponding entry Choose the trash bin from the top action bar. In case this does not work for you: Please edit your answer with your exact device model, Chrome and Android version number. If you are doing a lot of downloads on your Android device consider installing a download manager like share downloader. It also supports pause and resume.