What to Know

When downloading files from Safari, a Downloads button will appear, which shows any files you’ve downloaded in the past day.
Open the Settings app, then tap Apps, Safari, Downloads to choose whether your downloads are stored on your iPhone or in iCloud.

Like any web browser, you can use Safari to download files to your iPhone. But you need to know how to find downloads on Safari after you save them. In this article, we'll go over where to see downloads in Safari on your iPhone and iPad.

How to Find Downloads in Safari

Finding your downloaded files on iPhone can be a bit challenging since the Downloads button in Safari only appears when downloading files. Now, here’s how you can see the files that you downloaded in the last day.

Open Safari, and download something.
Tap the Page Settings button in the address bar. The icon is a rounded rectangle with two horizontal lines underneath.
Tap Downloads.
You’ll see your recently downloaded files.
The Downloads icon will disappear after the download completes, but you can still access your Downloads by tapping the Page Settings button, then tap Downloads again.

By default, Safari is set up so that this list will be cleared out after one day. This does not remove the downloaded file from your phone, but it will remove the downloads list from Safari. If you haven’t downloaded anything else in the last day, you likely won’t see it here. To access all of your downloads, you’ll need to head over to the Files app.

How to Find Safari Downloads on iPhone

If you haven’t downloaded anything recently or if you use another web browser, you can access your downloads in the Files app. But first, you need to check your Safari settings to find out if your Downloads folder is stored on your iPhone or in iCloud:

Open the Settings app, and tap Apps.
Tap Safari.
Tap Downloads.
Here, you can choose to store your Downloads folder on your iPhone or in iCloud Drive. If you choose On My iPhone, the downloads will be stored locally and won't be available on other devices. If you choose iCloud Drive, you'll be able to access the file on any of your Apple devices as long as you're signed in with the same Apple ID.
You can also tap Remove Download List Items to change how long the downloads list stays in Safari. This does not remove the downloaded files from your iPhone; it will only remove them from the list.

Note: If you use another web browser, you will see a folder for it in the On My iPhone folder (e.g. you will see a Firefox folder or a Chrome folder if you use those browsers). Your downloads from those browsers will be stored there.

That’s how to view downloads on Safari on your iPhone! For more ways to master Safari, be sure to sign up for our Tip of the Day newsletter.

FAQ

What's the quickest way to find downloads on iPhone? The quickest way to access your downloads is by going to the Files app.
How do I send files on iPhone or iPad? There are many ways to send files on your iPhone or iPad. Learn how to AirDrop large files, share videos via iCloud, and compress files.