how to delete downloads on chromebook

delete-files-from-chromebook-android-app-manager On Chromebooks that have Play Store enabled, you will now see some new folders if you open the Files app. In the left column, you will see folders named Images, Videos, and Audio. In the past, only the Downloads folder was shown for local files stored on your internal drive. If you open the Files app, you can see the files in these folders, open them, and copy them. But, you cannot delete them. Currently, these folders areread-only for ChromeOS. The files come from Android apps, and the subfolders are created by those apps. They are similar to what you will find on your phone, although the top level folders may be named differently.

Delete files and folders on Chromebook

Click the App Launcher icon in the bottom-left corner. The App Launcher appears.
Locate the Files icon and click it. …
Select the file that you wish to delete by clicking or tapping the file once.
Click the trash can icon located in the bottom-right corner of the Files app window.

Use an Android file manager app to delete files

The first technique is to use an Android file manager app, or the Android app that created the file. Whatever app you used to create the files should also be able to delete any files you don't want to keep. Some apps, however, do not have built in file management functions.

For a more comprehensive solution, install an Android file manager app. If you have an Android phone, you might already have a favorite file manager app. There are dozens of them available in the Play Store. This shows most of them:

Like any app that you install, you should carefully read the ratings and reviews, and make sure the app is being updated regularly. I tend to avoid apps that have not been updated for months. Since ChromeOS is now allowing apps to be resized, you should also look for ones that have that feature, and provide layouts for tablets. They will typically utilize the screen space more effectively. Some of the managers are extremely complex and include links to Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud storage. They might include FTP and other file transfer abilities. To help find the better file manager apps, you can use Google to search for comparisons and "best" lists.

Once you install the file manager app, you can navigate through the Android folders as well as the ChromeOS Downloads folder. This will give you the ability to delete files and also to copy or move files between the Android environment and the ChromeOS environment.

Change ChromeOS Settings

The second solution is to use ChromeOS Settings. This was documented by other experts.

Go to settings > Google Play Store > manage Android preferences. Now you're into the Android settings > click on storage > images. You could also click on apps > click on Instagram for example to delete those images. You can delete them from here by clicking to select > delete icon top right. You can also go to settings > device > storage management > Android storage