What a download manager extension does, and when you need one
A download manager extension adds tools on top of your browser's own downloads: finding and saving many files from a page at once, controlling downloads from a toolbar popup, and sorting files into folders. If you download a file now and then, the browser's built-in downloads page is enough. If you often save batches of images or documents, an extension saves a lot of clicking.
What your browser already does
Chrome, Edge and Firefox all come with a capable download manager of their own:
- A downloads page (Ctrl + J in Chrome) listing everything you downloaded.
- Pause, resume, cancel and retry.
- Show in folder and open finished files.
- One download location, with the option to be asked where to save each file.
What it doesn't do is help you get files into that list in bulk. That's where an extension comes in.
What an extension adds
Using IDM - Bulk Download Manager Extension as an example, a download manager extension typically adds:
- Bulk downloads from a page. One click lists every image, video, audio file, document and archive on the page, including inside embedded frames.
- Lists of links. Paste the addresses of many files and download them together.
- Filters. Narrow the list by type, minimum image size or name before you download.
- ZIP files. Save the files you picked as one ZIP instead of many separate downloads.
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Folders. Put downloads into a subfolder per website and date, using
{host}and{date}. - Controls in a popup. Pause, resume, retry and cancel from the toolbar, with live speed, time left and a count of running downloads on the icon.
- A queue. Run a few downloads at a time while the rest wait their turn.
- Videos as one file. Many videos that play in a page are saved as one file you can watch.
- Previews. Thumbnails for images and videos, so you can see what you're saving before you download it.
What it doesn't do
- Speed up downloads. IDM - Bulk Download Manager Extension hands files to the browser's own downloader, so they download as fast as the server and your connection allow, no faster.
- Download YouTube or protected videos. Store rules rule out YouTube, and videos protected with encryption, such as films on paid services, can't be saved. See why you can't download YouTube videos.
- Save outside your download location. Browsers keep extensions inside the Downloads folder you chose.
- Crawl a whole website. It works on the page you have open, not on every page of a site.
Extension or desktop program?
Desktop download managers are separate programs with their own downloader. They can be useful for very large files on unreliable connections, but they need to be installed on your computer and kept in sync with the browser.
An extension lives inside the browser. It sees the page you're on, uses the same sign-ins and cookies as your tabs, and saves through the browser's own downloads, so files appear in the usual list and folder. For grabbing files from web pages, that's usually the simpler choice.
When you need one
- You save many images from galleries, product pages or articles.
- You download course material, reports or manuals that are linked one by one.
- You want a page's files as one ZIP to send or archive.
- Your Downloads folder is a mess and you want files sorted by website.
- You'd like to pause and resume big downloads without opening a separate page.
If none of these sound familiar, the browser on its own is probably all you need.
How to choose a safe one
A download manager needs to read the pages you use it on, to find the files. In Chrome that shows up as the warning "Read and change all your data on all websites". It's worth checking what an extension does with that access:
- Does it run all the time, or only when you use it? IDM - Bulk Download Manager Extension's file finder is loaded with each page, but it only lists files when you open the popup, use the right-click menu or press a shortcut.
- Does it send anything anywhere? Look for a clear privacy policy. IDM - Bulk Download Manager Extension has no account, no analytics and no servers; see the privacy policy.
- Is it honest about what it can't do, such as YouTube downloads?
Getting started with IDM - Bulk Download Manager Extension
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Pin the icon
After installing, a short setup guide opens and shows you how: click the puzzle piece in the toolbar, then the pin next to IDM - Bulk Download Manager Extension, so it's always one click away.
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Open it on a page
Go to a page with images or file links and click the icon to see everything it found.
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Check the Downloads tab
Follow progress, pause and resume, and open finished files in their folder.
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Adjust the settings
The setup guide covers the main ones. Later, click the gear in the popup: Saving files has the folder pattern, file names, ZIP name and how many downloads run at once, Page scan the minimum image size, Appearance the theme, Browser the count on the toolbar icon and the right-click menu, and Keyboard shortcuts the shortcuts.
FAQ
Is IDM - Bulk Download Manager Extension free?
Yes. It's free, with no ads, no paid version and no account.
Which browsers does it work in?
It's available for Google Chrome on the Chrome Web Store. Other Chromium browsers that install from the Chrome Web Store, such as Brave, can use it too. Versions for Microsoft Edge and Firefox are coming soon.
Will it change how my normal downloads work?
No. Downloads you start by clicking links are handled by the browser as before. The extension only adds its own downloads and shows all of them in its Downloads tab.