2 Ways to Stop Downloads From Opening Automatically in Chrome

Method 1: Uncheck Always Open This File Option

Chrome lets you automatically launch certain file types as soon as they’ve finished downloading locally. If you want to stop Chrome from launching a certain file type in its default program automatically, change the settings from the downloads panel. Here’s how.

Step 1: Open Chrome. Once the file is downloaded or has started, click the Download icon in the menu bar.

Step 2: Here, right-click on the downloading or downloaded file. Then, click on the Always open files of this type option.

You can also use the above steps to stop any other file type from opening automatically on Chrome. If the file is still downloading, it will not be automatically opened once the download is finished.

Tip: If you’re running an older version of Chrome, open Settings > Downloads. Click on Clear next to Open certain file types automatically after downloading. This will clear Chrome download preferences.

Method 2: Remove the Relevant Extension

Certain Chrome extensions will automatically launch selected file types, like PDFs, once they finish downloading. To stop that from happening, disable the relevant extension on Chrome. Follow the below steps to do it.

Step 1: Open Chrome and click on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner. Then, go to Extensions and click on Manage Extensions.

Step 2: Here, turn off the toggle for the relevant extension.

Repeat this process and ensure extensions, such as Adobe PDF Reader extension, are turned off. You can also remove the relevant extension from Chrome permanently.

Bonus: Stop Chrome PDF Downloads From Opening Automatically

The Adobe Acrobat Reader Windows app has a setting that allows it to launch PDF files once they have been downloaded in Chrome automatically. To stop this, turn it off from the app’s preferences menu. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Open Adobe Acrobat Reader and click on Menu. Here, click on Preferences.

Step 2: From the side menu, click on General. Then, uncheck the option for Open PDFs automatically in Reader when they are downloaded in Chrome browser.

Scroll down and click on OK to close the window and save the settings. You can also check our guide to learn more about opening PDF documents in Adobe Reader instead of a browser.