What is a .DOWNLOAD file?
A .DOWNLOAD file is a kind of file that your computer makes when you're getting something from the internet but haven't finished downloading it yet. Think of it like a bookmark that shows your computer where you stopped downloading. This type of file is mainly made by a program called Apple Safari, which is a way to look at the internet on Apple devices like Mac computers and iPhones.
If you see a .DOWNLOAD file, it means a download is still happening or got stopped before finishing. For example, if you're downloading a video named "funny-cat.mp4", while it's downloading, it will be called "funny-cat.mp4.download". Once the download is all done, the ".download" part goes away, and you can watch your video.
You can open a .DOWNLOAD file by just double-clicking on it if you're using Safari. This might make the download start going again. These files are mostly found in the Downloads folder on your computer.
If a download gets stuck and leaves you with a .DOWNLOAD file, you can try to make it work by double-clicking. If that doesn't help, you might be able to change the file name by removing ".download" and then opening it with the program that's supposed to use it. But, this might not always work, especially if the file didn't finish downloading all the way. If nothing works, you might have to delete the .DOWNLOAD file and try downloading your file again.
Also, it's not just Safari that does this. Some websites where you share files with other people (called P2P or peer-to-peer sites) might also use .DOWNLOAD files in a similar way until your download is complete.
Lastly, there's something similar for people who use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browsers called .CRDOWNLOAD files, and they work pretty much the same way as .DOWNLOAD files.
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