4 Best Ways to Restore Downloads Folder on Mac

Why My Downloads Folder Disappear on My Mac

Where did your downloaded files go on your Mac? You are supposed to find your downloads and files in the Downloads folder on Mac. Usually, you can find the Downloads folder in the Finder or on the Dock. If you don't, it may be because you dragged the folder somewhere else or accidentally deleted Downloads on Mac.

Don't worry! The next part will show you how to restore the Downloads folder on Mac to the Dock.

1. How to Restore Downloads Folder on Mac to the Dock

The Downloads folder possibly disappeared because you dragged it away from the Dock. We have a one-minute video to guide you to put the Downloads folder back into the Dock. Check the highlights of this video first:

• 00:05 Downloads folder disappeared on the Dock
• 00:09 Open the Finder
• 00:22 Add the Downloads folder to the sidebar
• 00:31 Add the Downloads folder to the Dock

Here comes the written tutorial. Let us check how to restore the Downloads folder on Mac to the Dock.

Step 1. Open the Finder menu and click "Preferences".

Step 2. Go to the "Sidebar" menu, and show the "Downloads" item in the sidebar.

Step 3. Open the Finder, and you can see the Downloads folder on the left side. (If the Finder is not responding, you need to stop Finder action on Mac.)

Step 4. Right-click the Downloads and choose "Add to Dock".

2. How to Restore Deleted Downloads Folder on Mac with Software

If you delete the Downloads folder or the files in the Downloads folder, your files and downloads will not go forever. You could use a recovery tool to get them all back. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can recover deleted files Mac in one click.

Note: You can create a backup of your Mac by clicking the "Disk Backup" on the left first. The software will recover the deleted files from the backup image. It can prevent further damage to your disk and data, making it safer and more reliable.

Step 1. Select the location and scan

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and choose the disk where you lost data. Then, click "Search for lost files" to start scanning.

Step 2. Filter and preview lost files

After the scan, use the file format filter on the left or upper right corner to find the deleted files you need.

Step 3. Recover lost data or files

You can double-click a file to preview its content, or choose multiple files to recover them at once. Click "Recover" to restore the lost data to a local or cloud drive.

3. Restore Deleted Downloads Folder on Mac from Trash Folder

You may drag your Downloads folder to the Trash, so you should check your Trash folder on your Mac. If you don't know how to find Trash on Mac, you should follow the leads below to recover deleted downloads folders or files from Trash on Mac.

Step 1. You can see the Trash on the Dock. Usually, it is on the right side.

Step 2. Open the Trash folder and find the Downloads folder or files you want to return.

Step 3. Right-click them and choose "Put Back" to restore the Downloads folder on Mac.

4. How to Restore Downloads Folder on Mac with Time Machine

Time Machine will create hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly backups for Mac users to avoid data loss. If you deleted the files in the Downloads folder, you could recover them with Mac Time Machine backup.

We will show you and get the Downloads folder back:

Step 1. Type in Time Machine in the Spotlight to open it.

Step 2. All the available backups will show up here. If you backed up your Mac with an external hard drive, remember to connect it to your Mac.

Step 3. Find the target file or the Downloads folder from the backup, and click "Restore".

Summary

You should know how to restore the Downloads folder to the Dock on Mac, and we also offered three methods to restore the files and Downloads folder on Mac. It is time to use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to recover precious files on Mac and avoid data loss.

Restore Downloads Folder on Mac FAQs

Here are four additional questions and answers about restoring the Downloads folder on Mac in the FAQ part:

Why did my Downloads file disappear on Mac?

The most common reason is that you accidentally deleted the Downloads files on your Mac. You should go to the Trash folder to see if your files are there, and you can restore them immediately with the Put-Back option.

How to recover permanently deleted Downloads files on Mac?

You can recover permanently deleted files Mac with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

1. 1. Scan the Mac disk to find deleted Downloads files.
2. 2. Filter the files and preview them.
3. 3. Click the Recover button to restore the files.

How to make the Downloads folder show up on the Dock?

You can follow this tutorial to make the Downloads folder show up on the Dock:

1. 1. Open the Finder menu and click "Preferences".
2. 2. Go to the "Sidebar" menu, and show the "Downloads" item in the sidebar.
3. 3. Open the Finder, and you can see the Downloads folder on the left side.
4. 4. Right-click the Downloads and choose "Add to Dock".

Does the Downloads folder automatically delete on Mac?

Some files in the Downloads folder will be deleted automatically because you last changed them 30 days ago. We mean changes, not opening them. If you open some files daily but make no changes, the files will always be deleted.