How to Download PDFs Instead of Viewing Them Using Chrome

RAYMOND OGLESBY @RaymondOglesby2
August 19, 2021

When you click a PDF link in Chrome, the browser opens the PDF in a preview window. If you do not want this, you can change its default behavior.

The Chrome browser has a built-in option to change this default setting. You can instruct Chrome to automatically download the PDF file without opening it in a preview window.

Instead, Chrome will prompt you to save your PDFs. Let’s explore how to set this feature in Google Chrome.

This is for devices running Google Chrome

First, open Google Chrome on your computer. Next, click the Chrome menu (three dots hamburger icon) in the top right-hand corner of your window. Now, select Settings. Refer to below image:

Next, in Chrome settings, click Privacy and security in the left sidebar. Click Site Settings on the right. See below image:

Now, scroll down in Site Settings and click Additional content settings at the very bottom of your screen. See following image:

Next, in the expanded menu, select PDF documents on the left. Refer to below image:

Now, toggle ON the Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome option. Refer to below image:

Chrome will now display the standard save prompt for PDFs.

Quote For the Day

But the fact that some geniuses were laughed at does not imply that all who are laughed at are geniuses. They laughed at Columbus, they laughed at Fulton, they laughed at the Wright Brothers. But they also laughed at Bozo the Clown.

Carl Sagan

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