Fixing the Missing Chrome Download Bar Issue: A Guide
Download Bar at Bottom of Chrome Missing: How to Fix It
Have you ever downloaded something from the internet using Google Chrome and noticed a bar at the bottom of the browser window that shows the progress and status of your downloads? This is called the download bar or the download shelf, and it can be very handy for accessing and managing your downloaded files. But what if the download bar suddenly disappears or stops showing up? How can you get it back or prevent it from happening again?
download bar at bottom of chrome missing
In this article, we will explain what causes the download bar to go missing in Chrome, how to restore it using different methods, how to change the download settings in Chrome, and how to use a download manager for Chrome to enhance your downloading experience. Read on to find out more.
Introduction
What is the download bar and why is it useful?
The download bar is a feature of Google Chrome that appears at the bottom of the browser window when you start downloading a file from the internet. It shows you the name, size, speed, and remaining time of your downloads, as well as options to pause, resume, cancel, open, or show them in folder. You can also access your entire download history by clicking on the three-dot icon on the right side of the bar.
The download bar is useful because it lets you quickly and easily monitor and manage your downloads without having to switch to another tab or window. You can also drag and drop files from the download bar to your desktop or other folders. The download bar also helps you avoid opening malicious or unwanted files by showing you their source and type.
What causes the download bar to disappear?
There are several possible reasons why the download bar may not show up in Chrome. Some of them are:
You are in full-screen mode. When you press F11 or click on the green circle on a Mac, Chrome will enter full-screen mode and hide the toolbar, address bar, tabs, and download bar. To exit full-screen mode, press F11 again or hover over the top-left corner on a Mac and click on the green circle.
You have enabled a flag or an extension that disables or hides the download bar. Chrome has some experimental features called flags that you can access by typing chrome://flags in the address bar. Some of these flags may affect how the download bar behaves or looks. Similarly, some extensions may also modify or remove the download bar for various purposes.
You have a bug or a glitch in Chrome. Sometimes, Chrome may not work properly due to corrupted cache, outdated version, incompatible settings, or other issues. This may cause some features like the download bar to malfunction or disappear.
How to restore the download bar in Chrome
Method 1: Exit full-screen mode
The easiest way to restore the download bar in Chrome is to exit full-screen mode if you are in it. As mentioned above, full-screen mode hides all the elements of the browser window, including the download bar. To exit full-screen mode, follow these steps:
Press F11 on your keyboard if you are using a Windows PC.
Hover your mouse over the top-left corner of the screen if you are using a Mac. A menu bar with a green circle and a red circle will appear.
Click on the green circle to exit full -screen mode.
Alternatively, you can also exit full-screen mode by clicking on the Chrome menu icon (three horizontal lines) on the top-right corner of the browser window and selecting Exit full screen from the drop-down menu.
Method 2: Enable download bubble or notification
Another way to restore the download bar in Chrome is to enable a flag that shows a download bubble or a notification instead of the download bar. This will not bring back the download bar, but it will give you a similar functionality. The download bubble is a small pop-up that appears on the bottom-right corner of the browser window when you download a file. It shows you the name and progress of your download, and you can click on it to open or show the file in folder. The download notification is a message that appears on the bottom-left corner of the screen when you download a file. It also shows you the name and progress of your download, and you can click on it to open or show the file in folder.
To enable the download bubble or notification flag, follow these steps:
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Type chrome://flags in the address bar and press Enter.
Search for Enable download notification or Enable download bubble in the search box.
Select Enabled from the drop-down menu next to the flag.
Click on Relaunch to restart Chrome and apply the changes.
Now, when you download a file, you will see a download bubble or notification instead of the download bar. You can also disable this flag by selecting Disabled from the drop-down menu if you want to revert to the default behavior.
Method 3: Use an extension to disable or hide the download bar
A third way to restore the download bar in Chrome is to use an extension that disables or hides the download bar. This may sound counterintuitive, but some extensions may actually interfere with the download bar and cause it to disappear. For example, some extensions may automatically hide the download bar after a certain time or when you click on it. Some extensions may also replace the download bar with their own interface or functionality. If you have installed any extension that affects the download bar, you may want to disable or remove it to see if that fixes the problem.
To disable or remove an extension that affects the download bar, follow these steps:
Click on the Chrome menu icon (three horizontal lines) on the top-right corner of the browser window and select More tools > Extensions from the drop-down menu.
Find the extension that affects the download bar and toggle off the switch next to it to disable it. Alternatively, you can also click on Remove to uninstall it completely.
Restart Chrome and check if the download bar is back.
If you are not sure which extension is causing the problem, you can also try disabling all extensions and enabling them one by one until you find the culprit. You can also use Chrome's incognito mode to test if any extension is interfering with the download bar, as incognito mode does not load any extensions by default.
How to change the download settings in Chrome
How to change the default download folder
By default, Chrome saves all your downloaded files in a folder called Downloads in your user profile. However, you can change this folder to any location you want. To change the default download folder in Chrome, follow these steps:
Click on the Chrome menu icon (three horizontal lines) on the top-right corner of the browser window and select Settings from the drop-down menu.
Scroll down and click on Advanced to expand more options.
Under the Downloads section, click on Change next to the Location field.
Select the folder you want to use as the default download folder and click on OK.
You can also create a new folder by clicking on Make New Folder and naming it as you wish. You can also check or uncheck the option to Ask where to save each file before downloading if you want to have more control over where to save each download.
How to choose where to save