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Permission · downloads.open

What the downloads.open permission means for a Chrome extension

Live Chrome Web Store extensions that declare downloads.open: 273, which is under 1% of the 270 886 whose permissions we have read. Counted after our catalog pass of 2026-10-10.

What it lets an extension do

Open files you have downloaded downloads.open

Worth knowing

Worth knowing about, but limited to one kind of data or one part of the browser.

What Chrome says when you add one

When you add an extension that declares it, Chrome asks you to allow it to:

Derived from the manifest by Chrome's documented rules; the dialog's exact wording depends on your Chrome version and language. Chrome asks again if an update requests more.

How common it is in each category

How common it is in each category
CategoryShare of extensionsExtensions
Make Chrome Yours · Functionalityunder 1%17 of 11 127
Productivity · Workflowunder 1%66 of 45 728
Productivity · Toolsunder 1%142 of 106 524
Lifestyle · Artunder 1%4 of 3 521
Make Chrome Yours · Accessibilityunder 1%9 of 8 075
Productivity · Developerunder 1%17 of 28 347
Productivity · Communicationunder 1%4 of 7 120
Productivity · Educationunder 1%6 of 11 519
Make Chrome Yours · Privacyunder 1%2 of 5 449
Lifestyle · Shoppingunder 1%3 of 8 710
Lifestyle · Entertainmentunder 1%2 of 6 364
Lifestyle · Gamesunder 1%1 of 6 897
Lifestyle · Fun0%0 of 8 489
Lifestyle · Household0%0 of 492
Lifestyle · News0%0 of 1 631
Lifestyle · Social0%0 of 7 160
Lifestyle · Travel0%0 of 855
Lifestyle · Well Being0%0 of 2 878

Counted over the live extensions of each category after our latest full pass of the store. A share is context, not a verdict: what is normal depends on what the extension is for.

Widely installed extensions that ask for it

  1. Online Security Access to every site · 18 permissions, 1 site pattern 11.0M users ★ 3.6
  2. SYTools Access to specific sites only · 9 permissions, 26 site patterns 4.0M users ★ 3.0
  3. Chrono Download Manager Access to every site · 14 permissions, 1 site pattern 800k users ★ 4.4
  4. AIX Downloader(Picture/Video/Music) Access to every site · 12 permissions, 1 site pattern 200k users ★ 4.1
  5. IEability - Open in IE Access to every site · 9 permissions, 1 site pattern 200k users ★ 4.3
  6. DownThemAll! Access to every site · 11 permissions, 1 site pattern 200k users ★ 3.9
  7. Simple mass downloader Access to every site · 10 permissions, 1 site pattern 100k users ★ 4.6
  8. Download Master Access to every site · 13 permissions, 2 site patterns 100k users ★ 3.8
  9. Скачать ВК Видео Access to every site · 5 permissions, 1 site pattern 100k users ★ 3.7
  10. My Downloads Access to specific sites only · 4 permissions, 1 site pattern 100k users ★ 3.8

Each links to what that extension can access and how its permissions have changed.

How to check your own extensions

  1. Type chrome://extensions in the address bar and find the extension in the list.
  2. Open its details. The Permissions section lists what Chrome granted it, in Chrome's own words.
  3. Open its details. The site access setting shows where it can run; set it to run only on click and it reaches a page only after you press its icon.
  4. To uninstall it, choose Remove on the same page.

Other permissions

Figures come from our own daily pass over the public Chrome Web Store. We do not install or audit extensions and publish no contact details for their developers. Catalog pass of .

Browse the catalog

Where the data comes from: how the catalog is built