Provide run / open / save / save as options when downloading files - Discussion

[Elliot Kirk]

Hello everyone and thanks for your significant interest in our feedback item of “Provide run / open / save as options when downloading files”. This has been a very interesting problem to think through. The downloads team would love your thoughts on whether we have identified the main customer needs such a feature would need to address.

We believe that there are three main things being asked for:

1. You would like a way to open a file without having to keep it on your computer so that your downloads folder remains “clean” (eg. You want to view your bank statement, but want it deleted after you are finished looking at it)
2. You would like a way to choose the filename and location to save the downloaded file so that you can better organize your downloads (eg. You download a family photo IMG_1502.jpg and want to rename it to Reunion2019.jpg and save it in your Photos folder)
3. You still want a light-weight downloads process that does not require many clicks (eg. User wants to download multiple photos in succession and move them in bulk afterwards without having to click “Save” each time). This is what our downloads flow currently addresses; one click to download.
4. You would like a way to easily switch between (1), (2), and (3) for different files you are downloading; one size does not fit all (eg. For bank statements, you want to just open it, and have it deleted afterwards. But for family photos, you want to be able to rename and save to a specific location).

Do you think we are thinking in the right direction? We are still exploring possible solutions to this problem and any additional feedback is most welcome!

[#2]

@ppnacho 

Excellent explanation. Thanks. Of course, if someone expects to be downloading several files in the same session, he could always turn off the “ask me” option. But if ask me is not the default, he has to remember to turn it back on again for the next session.

[#3 · Accepted solution]

Hello everyone,

Thanks so much for all the feedback provided regarding Open/SaveAs. We are now introducing an option for users using Edge version 87.0.629.0 and above to choose, for each download, whether they want to Open, Save As, Save, or Cancel a download. To enable this option, navigate to edge://settings/downloads and enable, "Ask me what to do with each download." Once you download a file after enabling that setting, you will have the option to Open, Save As, Save, or Cancel it. If you choose to open it directly, it will be downloaded to a temporary folder.

Additionally, we have exposed an option to directly delete downloaded files from your computer, in the browser so that you can easily clean up after downloading your files without leaving the browser.

To learn more about these features, please check out our post.

[#4]

@i-am-kent 

It's very good

Thanks

[#5]

@ppnacho I'm on can 87.0.636.0 and it now remembers the session, thank god as it was starting to annoy me.

[#6]

@GoldenWolf 

Thank you very much for advising !!

Problem solved!!

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(Spanish)

Muchas gracias por avisar!!

Problema resuelto!!

[#7]

@Elliot Kirk 

I am so glad to see this come back! Thanks for the consideration!

[#8]

@Elliot Kirk 

Hi!

Here's a use case for you. As you well know, a lot of apps download their update installers via default browser. This happens once a week, at least (in my case). Hence, the best default browser is the one that allows you to run the update without bloating your storage or having it to be cleaned manually afterwards. So far the old Edge (and even Explorer before it, as bad as it might be) had no competitiors on my PC as a default browser (you do know how browsers tend to sneak into that position, don't you?) Without that option I have a choice of 3-4 browsers to make my default, and the new Edge has it's pros and cons versus the others. If you want Edge to be a natural choice for the default browser you have to bring back that option.

[#9]

@Zaven, this is working now in Dev build (with some minor issues, like always reverting to Downloads folder for Save As starting point). Just wait for it to make its way to the general release build and you'll have the equivalent to what was in Edge and IE.

[#10]

@Colin -That's excellent news. In fact, you might wanna keep that "minor issue" as a special feature. Reverting to the Downloads folder makes sense, the alternative being some random location from previous download. If you choose some location other than Downloads deliberately every time you might as well set that as a default download folder.

[#11]

@Zaven, I'm just a user like you. I think their intent is to leave that to the setting: Settings -> Downloads -> Ask where to save each file before downloading. If that's unchecked, it will stick with the folder. If it's checked, it should ask and remember the last-used. At least that's my opinion. :)

[#12]

@Colin - Having "save as" remember the last-used folder is really helpful when you have a need to do multiple saves in a browser session. Might also be useful across sessions. How about a checkbox for "recall last used folder"? Or even a short list of them? Might save a lot of time for some people.

[#13]

Good idea. Any idea is good, actually, as long as the brain is applied in the process, with UX in mind. Which is not always the case, to say the least.

[#14]

@Zaven The good part of UX is the ability to modify it for your own needs. The BAD part is the ability to modify it for your own needs and distribute it to the world. 

[#15]

@Zaven @Colin - 

There is an enhanced download experience in Edge canary now

it's great, a horizontal bar no longer appears to take up space, and it also gives you a sidebar, something people are very fond of. makes everything quick as you no longer need to leave the page to manage downloads

[#16]

@HotCakeX 

This looks really nice - would be much better if the default buttons were "Open" and "Save" instead of "Save As". I rarely use Save As, I normally only use "Open" and "Save"

[#17]

@MogZero 

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@MogZero wrote:

@HotCakeX 

This looks really nice - would be much better if the default buttons were "Open" and "Save" instead of "Save As". I rarely use Save As, I normally only use "Open" and "Save"

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yes, same here, right on point, let's also send this using feedback button on Edge

[#18]

@MogZero Perhaps give three buttons as some of us use "Save As" a lot.