Still cannot download more than one file from any web page. First file succeeds. Clicking to download other files fail. Yes, the workaround to CMD+click on links works (Mac user); however, this is not the desired behavior. Chrome doesn’t suffer from this problem. When examining similar previous questions on the forum, answers are wrong, misleading, not useful, or there is no response at all.
Three small files for testing downloading; the 2 text files are stored here, at the Brave Community (“BC”) (actually at Amazon AWS ← used by the BC):
A simple text (TXT) file. The contents are one word: ‘test’:
- testFile.txt (4 Bytes)
A 2nd simple text (TXT) file. The contents are character string: ‘text 2’:
- testfile2.txt (6 Bytes)
A simple PDF file, courtesy of W3C:
I am using a mid-2020 MacBook Pro (Intel), MacOS 14.8.3 Sonoma, Brave Browser v1.85.116. I just did a right-click (select Save as link in the pop-up window) on each of the files and successfully downloaded with no issues . . . except that I download to a sub-folder of the traditional MacOS user’s home ‘Downloads’ folder:
Within my /Users/username/Downloads folder, I have an additional folder named Firefox_DOWNLOADS → /Users/username/Downloads/Firefox_DOWNLOADS ← that is set to be my default downloads folder.
You might test / try that.
PS 1: The links for each test, text file - the source domains (brave.app) are the same:
- https://community.brave.app/uploads/short-url/o9Crlt3rLRVUnCwprCtih1kVEj1.txt
- https://community.brave.app/uploads/short-url/fyUuxdurNPuKR3MqlDtFnMx9yRh.txt
PS 2: I also tested by (“normal-” ← not “right-”) clicking on the tiny download icon for each test, text file (screenshot):
PS 3: You might study everything at:
‘Downloads on Mac shows digit icon but no download in Downloads folder’
PS 4: I have never enabled “Parallel downloading” but you might test it →
Sorry, but this test is invalid, since the two downloads come from two different domains. The normal circumstance is that subsequent downloads from the same sites fail.
The file type and size does not matter. I’ve dealt with this problem in every version of Brave since I switched about a year ago. Doesn’t matter whether downloads are automatic or set to ask.
I updated my reply above, in order to include a 2nd test, text file; plus, more details about where these 2 test, text files are stored, here at the BC forum.
As I said, 3rd party links are fine, because they are hosted elsewhere. But thanks for posting two local links. As I already stated, the 2nd link doesn’t work for me without reloading the page. If this works for you in Brave, then there may be hope, as in a global setting that is preventing subsequent downloads from working, something a lot of users would love to understand. The question is what and where is that setting. Normal clicking is the objective. PS 3 is not relevant, but thanks for thinking outside the box.
@wavemechanic can you please tell me what macOS version and Brave version you’re using at this time?
Can you also perhaps provide an example website that you’re downloading from so that we can test the exact behavior you’re seeing on your end?
Greetings and thank you for trying to assist me.
Literally, any website whatsoever that hosts its own files in multiple links on a single page.
Mac OS 15.7.3
Current version of brave (always updated)
However, I believe these version details to be irrelevant, because I have had this problem ever since moving from Chrome when they dropped earlier extension support, which was a different Mac OS and much earlier version of Brave.
Since few people have this problem, I wonder if I changed a setting early on that caused this behavior. My mind goes to deeply buried settings or flags, but I really have no idea. I think the most telling observations is that opening subsequent downloads in another tab (CMD + click) always works, but not within the same tab (assuming all downloads are on the same site). This makes me think about the issue being a session limit on downloads.
Brave’s GitHub source of latest Brave Browser stable releases:
‘https://github.com/brave/brave-browser/releases/tag/v1.85.118’
There are many files - large and small sizes - to choose from, for testing downloads. So you and @Mattches have familiar common ground.
You wrote:
“I have had this problem ever since moving from Chrome when they dropped earlier extension support”
So you have installed extensions. Brave Support may ask you to Disable all of them (possibly uninstall them), and then test the downloading issue with each of the extensions, Enabled individually.
Thanks. Using files hosted on that page, the problem persists, even when all extensions are disabled, so it’s not an extension issue.
Also test by uninstalling all extensions. Clear cookies, cache, browsing history - for all time. Then Exit / Quit everything and restart.
If problem persists, create an additional Brave Browser user Profile (do not add, do not import anything) for test purpose.
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@289wk No problem with new profile. With original profile, problem persists with all extensions removed. It’s got to be some kind of setting or flag, I would think.
Good to know:
No problem with new profile. With original profile, problem persists with all extensions removed.
Thanks for testing. @Mattches of Brave Support, likely to continue helping you, after this weekend.
@289wk OK, it works fine after resetting Brave settings without changing anything else whatsoever, so this has got to be a Brave setting somewhere. At least the scope of the problem is drastically reduced, thanks to your suggestions.
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It’s not shield settings. The search continues to find which Brave setting causes this, that are covered by the Reset option. Also, I see no suspicious flags settings. Must be some setting buried in Brave settings other than Shields.
There are settings, that you do not have access to; and there is always a probability of a preferences file / settings file (one or more) being somehow corrupted. The chances of you unraveling “Who done it?” may not be worth your time.
Yet, you should know that extensions are notoriously a contributing factor. Usually 1, but sometimes a combination, or sometimes an order of their being installed . . . is a problem. Despite disabling and uninstalling, some settings, some corruption caused by an extension, can be a source of a browser performance problem.
If you are curious about exploring behind the scenes, in order to get an idea of how complex things are (use a Brave Browser New Window):
brave://extensions-internals/brave://prefs-internals/(mine shows 310 mentions of “extension”)brave://local-state/(mine shows 651 mentions of “extension”)
At each, search for “extension” ← there are so many settings, and therefore much uncertainty, about what was a problem.
I would wait for @Mattches to return after the weekend. He may have some additional tips re your experience.
FOUND IT! This setting (Site and Shields Settings > Additional Content Settings > Automatic Downloads) breaks the functionality when disabled. The meaning of the setting suggests to me it is supposed to block automatic downloads triggered by sites, but it is also preventing me from downloading multiple files on the same page hosted on that site, which is not something I would expect the setting to do. I’m not going to mark this as a solution yet, because to me, it’s a workaround to a bug. At least that is my current impression.
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@289wk What a breath of fresh air. Your suggestion made me realize how easy this was to troubleshoot by keeping a backup of the profile while running tests. It made it drastically easier to experiment without loosing all the effort I’ve put into the profile.
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Yes. Good for you. May interest:
Thanks. I’m used to the file system and anticipated where it would be. But your suggestion made me realize how useful it would be.