index.md

---

title: downloads.removeFile()
slug: Mozilla/Add-ons/WebExtensions/API/downloads/removeFile
page-type: webextension-api-function
tags:
  - API
  - Add-ons
  - Extensions
  - Method
  - Non-standard
  - Reference
  - WebExtensions
  - downloads
  - removeFile
browser-compat: webextensions.api.downloads.removeFile

---

{{AddonSidebar()}}

The removeFile() function of the {{WebExtAPIRef("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 {{WebExtAPIRef("downloads.search()")}} will still return the item as a {{WebExtAPIRef("downloads.DownloadItem", "DownloadItem")}}, but its exists attribute will be false.

To remove a file from the downloads history, you need to use {{WebExtAPIRef("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 {{WebExtAPIRef("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

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

Parameters

• downloadId

  • : An integer representing the id of the {{WebExtAPIRef("downloads.DownloadItem", "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.

Browser compatibility

{{Compat}}

Examples

Remove the most recently downloaded file:

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);

{{WebExtExamples}}

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