The Automatic Downloads Permission
As a security measure to prevent malicious websites from silently flooding your hard drive with malware, Google Chrome includes a permission setting that restricts sites from downloading multiple files simultaneously. However, if you previously clicked “Allow” when a legitimate site (like a cloud storage provider or a photo album) asked to download multiple files, Chrome remembers this preference. If that site is ever compromised, or if you simply regret giving it that level of access, it can suddenly initiate dozens of concurrent downloads the moment you visit the page, cluttering your Downloads folder and freezing your browser.
How to Revoke the Multiple Downloads Permission
You can force Chrome to always ask for your explicit permission before any website is allowed to download more than one file sequentially.
1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. In the left-hand menu, click on Privacy and security.
5. Click on Site settings in the main pane.
6. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click to expand the Additional permissions menu.
7. Click on Automatic downloads.
8. At the top of this menu, ensure the default behaviour is set to Don’t allow sites to automatically download multiple files.
Managing Website Exceptions
Just below the default behaviour setting, you will see a list titled “Allowed to automatically download multiple files.” If you see any websites listed here that you no longer trust, click the trash can icon next to their name to remove their permission. From now on, if those sites attempt a bulk download, Chrome will block the action and display a small warning icon in your address bar, giving you the final say over what enters your computer.