This wikiHow teaches you how to download a file from the Internet to your computer or mobile device.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: On a computer
Step 1. Click on the URL bar
This is the bar at the top of the browser window where the web address is displayed (for example, https://www.wikihow.com/). When clicking on the URL bar, its content should be highlighted.
Step 2. Enter the name of an item that you want to download
The item could be a photo, document, or setup file to install a program.
Step 3. Press the ↵ Enter key (Windows) or Return (Mac).
Doing so will search for the item you specified.
Step 4. Click on a search result
This will take you to the item's page.
- If you are looking for a photo, please click the link first Images which is below the search bar on this page.
- Never download a file from an untrusted site.
Step 5. Click the download link
There is no universal "Download" icon, so look for a button that says "Download [program name]" or a link that says the same. Doing so will open a pop-up window.
- If you download a photo, right-click (or a two-finger click on Mac) the photo and click Save Image As.
- When downloading an installation file, you will usually see the name and version number of the file written in the button. Download.
Step 6. Select a download folder if indicated
Some browsers, such as Internet Explorer, will ask you to click on a folder (for example, the desktop) in which to save the file.
- Chrome, Firefox, and Safari will start downloading the file immediately by default.
- In Safari, you can click the down arrow at the top right of the browser window to see the progress of the download.
Step 7. Open the downloaded file
You can do this by clicking the file name in the bar at the bottom of the browser window (or the down arrow window in Safari) or by going to your computer's default download location, which normally it's a folder called "Downloads".
You can find the "Downloads" folder by typing "downloads" in the "Start" menu (Windows) or in Spotlight (the magnifying glass icon at the top of your Mac screen)
Method 2 of 3: On iPhone
Step 1. Open a navigation application
The default browser for iOS devices is Safari, which is a white app with a blue compass icon. You cannot download installation files or text files to your iPhone, but you can download photos.
You can also use Google Chrome or Firefox on your iPhone, although you must first download them from the App Store
Step 2. Go to a photo that you want to save
To do this, press the bar at the top of the screen and type the name of an item you want to see. Then press To go.
Step 3. Press the PICTURES tab
It should be just below the search near the top of the screen.
Step 4. Tap a photo that you want to save
Doing so will open the photo.
Step 5. Press and hold the photo
After a moment, a menu will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Step 6. Press Save Image
It's at the top of the pop-up menu. This will download the photo to your iPhone.
You can find the photo in the Photos application of your iPhone
Method 3 of 3: On Android
Step 1. Open a navigation application
Android's default browser looks like a blue world, but you can download browsers like Chrome or Firefox from the Google Play Store if you want.
Step 2. Press the search bar
It's either at the top or in the middle of the page, depending on the browser.
- If you don't see a bar in Chrome, first tap ⋮ in the upper-right corner of the screen, and then tap New tab.
Step 3. Enter the name of an item you want to download
This could be an HTML document or a photo.
Step 4. Tap a search result
Doing so will take you to the page for that item.
- If you are looking for images, look for a tab Images somewhere on the search results page. When pressed, only images will be displayed.
Step 5. Press and hold the item you want to download
You should see several buttons appear across the top of the screen, although in some cases a pop-up menu will appear.
Step 6. Press the "Download" button
It is usually a downward arrow. Doing so will download the file to your Android storage.
Step 7. Look at the downloaded file
For files other than images, you can do this by opening the Files application on non-Samsung devices, or by opening the My Files application on Samsung devices.
- You can view the saved images by opening the photos app on your phone.
- Third-party file explorers like Solid Explorer will also allow you to explore downloaded files from your Android.