Downloads Folder on Mac Dock Disappeared? How to Add

Why Downloads Folder on Mac Dock Disappeared

Where did your downloaded files go on your Mac? You are supposed to find your downloads and files in the Downloads folder on Mac. Usually, you can find the Downloads folder in the Finder or on the Dock. If you cannot find the Downloads folder on the Mac Dock, the following situations may be involved:

• 1️⃣ You might have accidentally removed it yourself. It may be because you dragged the folder somewhere else or accidentally deleted the Downloads folder on your Mac.
• 2️⃣ The macOS update or system restart can occasionally reset certain dock preferences, causing icons to temporarily disappear.
• 3️⃣ The culprit could be a minor glitch in the Dock process itself. These small software bugs sometimes cause icons to hide until the dock is refreshed.
• 4️⃣ Your Downloads folder is still there, but the icon changed from "a folder" to "files."

Don't worry! No matter what situations you are in, we can offer detailed guides and help you add the Downloads folder back to the Dock on Mac.

How to Add Downloads to the Dock on Mac

Getting your Downloads folder back on the Dock is a quick fix. The process is similar across macOS versions, though the visuals might look slightly different. Here's how to do it:

Step 1. Open the Finder, and you can see the Downloads folder on the left side. (If the Finder is not responding, you need to stop Finder action on Mac.)

Step 2. Right-click the Downloads and choose "Add to Dock". You can also drag the Downloads folder back to the Dock directly.

If the Downloads folder looks different in the Dock, to ensure it displays as a folder icon and not a stack, right-click (or Control-click) the new icon. Navigate to "Display as" and select Folder. Now you have a permanent, classic folder icon for easy access!

Downloads Folder Not Showing in Finder: How to Fix

Let us check how to restore the Downloads folder on Mac to the Dock when the Downloads folder is not showing up in the Finder sidebar:

Step 1. Open the Finder menu and click "System Settings" or "Preferences."

Step 2. Go to the "Sidebar" menu, and show the "Downloads" item in the sidebar.

The Downloads folder possibly disappeared because you dragged it away from the Dock. We have a one-minute video to guide you in returning the Downloads folder to the Dock. Check the highlights of this video first:

⏱️Time Stamp:

• 00:05 Introduction
• 00:35 Method 1. Restore the Downloads Folder to the Dock on the Mac
• 01:13 Method 2. Add the Downloads Folder to the Sidebar in Finder
• 01:37 Method 3. Recover Missing Downloaded Files on Mac with Data Recovery Software

Share this article on SNS to help others whose Download folder disappeared on Mac. If files are missing from the Downloads folder, you can recover them with professional data recovery software.

How to Retrieve Downloads on Mac | 3 Ways

If you cannot find some files in the Downloads folder and need to recover these important files, you should look for some data recovery methods rather than adding the Downloads folder to the Dock. Here are three possible methods that can help you recover files or the entire Downloads folder; check all the tutorials now:

Method 1. Recover Downloads on Mac with Data Recovery Software

If you delete the Downloads folder or the files in the Downloads folder, your files and downloads will not be gone forever. You could use a recovery tool to get them all back. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can recover deleted Mac files in one click.

Check out the following steps to recover deleted downloads on Mac:

Step 1. Select the location and scan

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and choose the disk where you lost data. Then, click "Search for lost files" to start scanning.

Step 2. Filter and preview lost files

After the scan, use the file format filter on the left or upper right corner to find the deleted files you need.

Step 3. Recover lost data or files

You can double-click a file to preview its content, or choose multiple files to recover them at once. Click "Recover" to restore the lost data to a local or cloud drive.

You can share this useful guide on social media and help more Mac users restore missing or deleted downloads.

Method 2. Restore the Deleted Downloads Folder on Mac from Trash

You may drag your Downloads folder to the Trash, so you should check your Trash folder on your Mac. If you don't know how to find Trash on Mac, you should follow the leads below to recover deleted downloads folders or files from Trash on Mac.

Step 1. You can see the Trash on the Dock. Usually, it is on the right side.

Step 2. Open the Trash folder and find the Downloads folder or files you want to return.

Step 3. Right-click them and choose "Put Back" to restore the Downloads folder on Mac.

Suppose the Put Back feature doesn't work; consider the EaseUS software to get back your disappeared Download folder on Mac Dock.

Method 3. Restore the Downloads Folder Disappeared Mac via Time Machine

Time Machine will create hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly backups for Mac users to avoid data loss. If you deleted the files in the Downloads folder, you could recover them with Mac Time Machine backup.

We will show you and get the Downloads folder back:

Step 1. Type in Time Machine in the Spotlight to open it.

Step 2. All the available backups will show up here. If you backed up your Mac with an external hard drive, remember to connect it to your Mac.

Step 3. Find the target file or the Downloads folder from the backup, and click "Restore".

Summary

You should know how to restore the Downloads folder to the Dock on Mac, and we also offered three methods to restore the files and Downloads folder on Mac. It is time to use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard to recover precious files on Mac and avoid data loss.

Restore Downloads Folder on Mac FAQs

Here are four additional questions and answers about restoring the Downloads folder on Mac in the FAQ part:

Why did my Downloads file disappear on Mac?

The most common reason is that you accidentally deleted the Downloads files on your Mac. You should go to the Trash folder to see if your files are there, and you can restore them immediately with the Put-Back option.

How to recover permanently deleted Downloads files on Mac?

You can recover permanently deleted files Mac with EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

1. 1. Scan the Mac disk to find deleted Downloads files.
2. 2. Filter the files and preview them.
3. 3. Click the Recover button to restore the files.

How to make the Downloads folder show up on the Dock?

You can follow this tutorial to make the Downloads folder show up on the Dock:

1. 1. Open the Finder menu and click "Preferences".
2. 2. Go to the "Sidebar" menu, and show the "Downloads" item in the sidebar.
3. 3. Open the Finder, and you can see the Downloads folder on the left side.
4. 4. Right-click the Downloads and choose "Add to Dock".

Does the Downloads folder automatically delete on Mac?

Some files in the Downloads folder will be deleted automatically because you last changed them 30 days ago. We mean changes, not opening them. If you open some files daily but make no changes, the files will always be deleted.