downloads.removeFile()

The removeFile() function of the downloads API removes a downloaded file from disk.

This API removes the file from disk, but does not remove it from the browser's downloads history, therefore a call to downloads.search() will still return the item as a DownloadItem, but its exists attribute will be false.

To remove a file from the downloads history, you need to use downloads.erase().

This is an asynchronous function that returns a Promise.

Note: If you want to remove a downloaded file from disk and erase it from history, you have to call removeFile() before you call downloads.erase(). If you try it the other way around you'll get an error when calling removeFile(), because the browser will no longer have a record of the download.

Syntax

js
let removing = browser.downloads.removeFile(
  downloadId      // integer
)

Parameters

downloadId

An integer representing the id of the DownloadItem you want to delete from disk.

Return value

A Promise. If the request was successful, the promise will be fulfilled with no arguments. If the request failed, the promise will be rejected with an error message.

Examples

Remove the most recently downloaded file:

js
function onRemoved() {
  console.log(`Removed item`);
}

function onError(error) {
  console.log(`Error: ${error}`);
}

function remove(downloadItems) {
  if (downloadItems.length > 0) {
    let removing = browser.downloads.removeFile(downloadItems[0].id);
    removing.then(onRemoved, onError);
  }
}

let searching = browser.downloads.search({
  limit: 1,
  orderBy: ["-startTime"],
});

searching.then(remove, onError);

Example extensions

Browser compatibility

desktop mobile
Chrome
Edge
Firefox
Opera
Safari
Firefox for Android
Safari on iOS
removeFile
Chrome – Full support
Chrome 30 (Release date: 2013-10-01)
footnote Full support
Edge – Full support
Edge 79 (Release date: 2020-01-15)
footnote Full support
Firefox – Full support
Firefox 48 (Release date: 2016-08-02)
footnote Full support
Opera – Full support
Opera 17 (Release date: 2013-10-08)
footnote Full support
Safari – No support
Safari
footnote No support
Firefox for Android – No support
Firefox for Android 48 – 68 (Release date: 2016-08-02)
footnote Removed in 79 and later
Safari on iOS – No support
Safari on iOS
footnote No support

Legend

Tip: you can click/tap on a cell for more information.

Full support
Full support
No support
No support

Note: This API is based on Chromium's chrome.downloads API.