Whether you can recover a deleted Firefox download depends on what was deleted. Clear Downloads removes entries from Firefox’s download history but leaves the files on disk; choosing Delete on an individual download entry removes the file from disk. Firefox’s list is a record, not a file-recovery tool.
First, tell a missing download record from a missing file
Firefox’s Downloads panel shows recent items. To see the broader list, open the panel and choose Show all downloads to open the Library. A completed entry may offer an action to show the file in its folder. If it does, use that action to locate the file. Mozilla’s guide to finding and managing downloads explains the panel and Library.
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Mozilla distinguishes clearing the list from deleting a file: Clear Downloads clears download-history entries without deleting downloaded files. By contrast, choosing Delete from a download entry’s context menu removes that file from disk. The Library entry and the file are separate. Mozilla’s history-clearing instructions describe the history action.
How to find or retrieve the download
- If the entry is still in Firefox: Open the Downloads panel, choose Show all downloads, and use the entry’s folder or show-in-folder action if available. If the action is unavailable, the file may have been deleted, renamed, or moved.
- If the entry is gone but you only cleared the list: Check Firefox’s configured download destination. Search the computer for the filename, or for a distinctive file extension if you do not remember the name. Mozilla says downloads are saved to the configured destination, or to a location selected for an individual download. Mozilla’s download-handling guide explains how Firefox handles downloaded files.
- If the file was deleted from disk: Check the operating system’s Trash or Recycle Bin and restore the file if it is there. Also check backups or cloud storage with version history if you already use them. These options depend on your device and prior backup settings; none guarantees recovery.
- If the original source is still available: Return to the site or account where you got the file and download it again. This may be the simplest route when the file is no longer in its original location.
Can you restore cleared Firefox download history?
Firefox stores download-list information in its profile database, places.sqlite, alongside bookmarks and browsing history. That database records downloads; it is not the downloaded file itself. See Mozilla’s explanation of important profile data and files.
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A 2019 answer in the Mozilla Support forum suggests that a backup of places.sqlite may restore cleared history. This is community guidance, not a guarantee, and restoring the database would not necessarily restore missing file contents. Before attempting a restore, preserve a copy of the current Firefox profile: replacing profile data can also affect newer bookmarks and browsing history.
Is the file in Firefox’s temporary folder?
Mozilla’s current download-handling guidance says, “The files you download will be immediately saved on your disk,” in the configured destination or a location chosen for that download. Firefox downloads should not be assumed to live in a temporary folder.
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If you opened a file in an external application, checking the system temporary folder is a low-confidence lead from an older, 2019 forum answer—not a general recovery method. The suggestion is platform-specific, and there is no established recovery rate. See the forum discussion.
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Choose the next step by what is missing
- Only the Firefox entry is missing: Search the configured download folder and the rest of the computer; the file may still be present.
- The file is missing too: Check the system trash, any existing backup or cloud version history, and the original download source.
- You need the old Firefox record: A backed-up profile database may help restore history, but preserve the current profile first and do not confuse restored records with recovered files.
Firefox interface labels can vary by release and operating system. Mozilla’s cited profile-data page showed a July 18, 2026 update, and its history-clearing page showed June 11, 2026; the download-management page indicated it had been updated four days before the sources were consulted around October 7, 2026.
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