MEGA Downloads: Location?

Here’s where MEGA downloads files to:

Typically, MEGA will download files to your downloads folder or whatever default location is set up for your device.

Sometimes, MEGA downloads get disrupted, and that will cause the downloaded file to stay in temporary folders.

The exact place you can find those folders depends on your operating system and web browser.

So if you want to learn all about where the MEGA download location is on your system, then this article is for you.

Let’s dig into it!

MEGA Downloads: Location? (Everything to Know)

What Is MEGA?

If you’re looking for MEGA files, then you might want a better idea of what that really means.

If you’re already familiar with MEGA and use it regularly, you can skip down a few sections.

I outline where MEGA downloads files according to the operating system and/or browser you are using in later sections.

If you’re not that familiar with MEGA yet, then let’s start with some brief explanations.

At its core, MEGA is a cloud-based storage provider.

Like Google, Dropbox, and many others, MEGA allows you to upload files to its cloud servers.

This provides professional storage that you can access with any device, as long as it is connected to the internet.

MEGA claims to have the largest free cloud storage that is fully featured.

It didn’t take the time to fact-check that claim, but MEGA does offer 20GB of cloud storage for free accounts, and that’s not shabby.

The company was launched in 2013, and it is based in New Zealand.

That concludes your brief background information for MEGA.

How Does MEGA Work?

Since we’re going to be hunting for downloaded files, it’s also going to help you understand the concepts to know a little more about how MEGA works.

Like any cloud storage service, MEGA allows you to upload, download, and share files as you see fit.

Those controls are most easily found in MEGA’s various apps, which they have for Windows, iOS, and Android (among other systems).

One important thing to understand about MEGA is encryption.

MEGA uses encryption to secure your files so that hackers cannot easily read them, but MEGA does this a little differently.

MEGA does not store encryption keys on its servers.

That means that the company actually can’t read your files.

It can only store them.

You need your own device and account to access the encryption keys in order to read the files.

Data Security

This further leads to MEGA’s interesting take on data security.

Alongside using encryption and industry best practices to protect your data from hackers, the company uses cloudRAID technology.

This technology means that your files are split up and stored on multiple servers in different locations.

This technique protects you in two ways.

First, an attacker that is trying to steal your files is going to have a hard time.

In order to read any file, they have to successfully penetrate multiple server locations.

Plus, they can’t get the encryption keys from those servers, so they also have to hack your account.

It makes things a lot more difficult.

The second issue has to do with government spying.

In order for a government to subpoena files from MEGA, it has to access data on servers in different countries.

So, no single government has enough authority to read even a single file stored on MEGA.

In order to see all of your stuff, the government in question would have to get cooperation from multiple other governments.

It’s a huge hurdle that is unlikely to be overcome.

Where Does MEGA Download Files To? (8 Systems)

These security measures are important to understand because they feed into the unique way that MEGA handles downloads.

MEGA aims for temporary data storage during a download, and it then moves all of that information to a final download location after everything is complete.

This is for a few reasons.

The reason we care about is this.

MEGA is downloading your file from multiple different servers at the same time.

That means there are more opportunities for parts of the download to be interrupted.

MEGA stabilizes this by keeping things in temporary locations until the download finishes, so if there is any disruption, the MEGA systems can double-check everything rather than leave you with a broken download.

All of this leads to a final result.

MEGA downloads don’t always end up where you expect them.

By default, the downloads should finish and move to the usual location (like your downloads folder).

But, because MEGA does things differently, this sometimes doesn’t happen.

When you can’t find your download, then you’re going to want to know where to look, and that depends on the systems you are using.

So, I’ll break it down according to those systems.

#1 Android

Android is going to have the simplest download paths of anything else we look at today.

That’s because Android is the only operating system designed to work natively with Chrome.

So, things just go a little smoother.

If you use a different web browser, then it’s possible that your downloads could get moved around, but I didn’t see any complaints related to that during my research.

So, stick with Chrome, and you’ll find that your MEGA downloads go right into your downloads folder in Android.

Specifically, they should be located according to this file path: Download > MEGA Downloads folder.

#2 iPhone

On iOS, things are a bit different.

As a quick note, you’ll find that the process for finding MEGA downloads is the same on iPhones and iPads.

So, you’ll want to find your MEGA field in the Files app on iOS.

But, it won’t work by default. What you need to do is give MEGA access to this app.

Here are the steps:

  • Open the Files application
  • Tap on the three-dot menu
  • Choose edit
  • Toggle the switch for MEGA

This enables MEGA in the Files app, and it gives MEGA the access it needs.

Once this is done, you can view MEGA files in that app, and you can download them as you see fit.

Whether you are viewing them as cloud files or downloaded, you’ll see them in the same place.

#3 Mac

With a Mac, downloads go to the downloads file by default.

This will typically be the case if you use Safari with MEGA.

But, sometimes errors occur, and even though you use Safari, it will try to save the files in a Chrome folder.

It’s a bit weird.

Similarly, if you use Chrome with your Mac, then the files will download into the Chrome folder.

In either case, you’ll find missing downloads in your user library.

If you’re not sure how to view the user library (it’s hidden by default), you can follow these steps to pull it up.

Once you’re in that library, here’s the full file path that you need: 

~/library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/File System

Once in that folder, you might have a few options.

Depending on how they are named, you might have to look through the remaining folders one at a time, but it shouldn’t be too hard.

#4 PC

When things work correctly on a PC, you get to choose where a file is saved when you try to download it.

You’ve probably seen this before. A dialogue box will pop up on your screen, and within the information in that box is a drop-down menu that lets you choose where the file downloads.

If you use that box, then that’s where you’ll find the download.

Sometimes, you won’t get the box.

This is when the download isn’t working as intended (as I explained before).

In that case, the file’s location will depend on the browser you use.

You’ll find instructions for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera in the following sections.

I did not run into problems with Internet Explorer or Edge, so those seem to always get the dialogue box to pop.

#5 Chrome

At this point, we’re assuming you’re using Chrome on a PC.

If that’s not the case, then you’ll find similarities to where the files are located, but there will be differences in the path name.

To keep this simple, Chrome is storing these downloads in temporary folders (the same place it keeps cookies).

In Windows, you’ll find the downloads according to the following file path:

C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\File System

The folders with your downloads will have names 011 through 015.

As I just mentioned, this is also where cookies are stored, so if your MEGA files are missing, be careful about clearing your cookies.

You’ll want to move these downloads somewhere else before you clear your cookies, or you could potentially lose the downloads.

#6 Firefox

Firefox, like everything else, usually brings up the dialogue window.

When that happens, the downloads go to the destination you choose.

When things get weird, this is the file path to check in Windows:

%AppData%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\Myprofile\Storeage\Temporary\https+++mega.co.nz

#7 Opera

Opera is the same as the two browsers already mentioned.

Here is the file path for Windows:

C:\Users\K4TTO\AppData\Roaming\Opera Software\Opera\File System\OOOO\P\PP

#8 Linux

Linux provides an entirely different experience.

MEGA is compatible with the most common Linux web browsers, and you should be able to choose where downloads go with any of those browsers.

A quick note: you’ll need to use the MEGA plugin for any of those browsers before it will all work correctly.

You can also use the MEGA desktop app for Linux.

If you do, then the desktop app will manage your downloads, and you should be able to browse them by using that app.

It makes things a little simpler.

Author

  • Theresa McDonough

    Tech entrepreneur and founder of Tech Medic, who has become a prominent advocate for the Right to Repair movement. She has testified before the US Federal Trade Commission and been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, helping influence change within the tech industry.