Firefox will automatically download files with version 97

Firefox will react differently with version number 97 by default when users click on a download link. Rather than asking users what to do with a download, the browser automatically downloads the file, similar to Chromium browsers.

With the current Firefox 96 version, when pressing a download link, users are asked whether they want to open a file with a particular program or if they just want to save a file. With version 97, the browser defaults to download files automatically. When downloading, the download panel will appear, letting users know that a file is being downloaded. In this panel they can open the downloaded file.

Users can choose to go back to the old way of working, choosing whether to open a file right away or just save it. Firefox says the extra dialog is usually nothing more than an unnecessary interruption, because downloads are usually intentional.

The upgrade to Firefox 97 also fixes a bug that prevented certain files from always being opened with an external program, even if the user had chosen this in the settings. This bug has been going on for fourteen years and has to do with files sent with the header content-disposition: attachment. In Windows and Linux, files that are still being downloaded are no longer placed in the Temp folder by default, but in the Downloads folder. For example, these downloads should be easier to find for users.

The new download features are included in the Nightly build of Firefox 97. The stable version of this browser is scheduled for February 8.