Key Points
- To manage automatic file downloads, navigate to Settings > Privacy & security > Automatic file downloads, then select the apps you want to block.
- Advanced users can also use the Registry Editor to allow or block automatic file downloads via the Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\CloudFiles\BlockedApps
- Blocking automatic file downloads helps save bandwidth and storage, but it’s not a security feature and may affect app performance.
This guide provides instructions on how to allow or block automatic file downloads for apps in Windows 10 and Windows 11. It demonstrates how to block app downloads by managing file download permissions in the Windows Settings app as well as using the Registry.
If you prefer a visual guide, watch How to Allow or Block Automatic File Downloads for Apps in Windows.
Step-by-step: How to manage automatic file downloads in Windows 10 and Windows 11
OneDrive, Dropbox, and other cloud storage providers integrate with Windows 10 and Windows 11, allowing for files stored in the cloud to be automatically downloaded when an app needs them. This enables apps to request access to files that are not stored locally on your PC, for example, when you choose to use online-only cloud storage to save disk space.
If an app attempts to download an online-only file, you’ll receive a notification allowing you to effectively cancel the in-progress download and optionally prevent the app from making additional attempts to automatically download files from the cloud storage.
How to block automatic file downloads for a single app
To block this behavior for a single app, you will need to wait for it to attempt to download an online-only file from cloud storageand block it using the button in the displayed notification. You may also trigger this event yourself by opening an online-only file.
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Using the Windows settings app to allow automatic file downloads
Once an app has been blocked from automatically downloading files, it will appear in the Windows Settings app where you can unblock it from automatically downloading files:
- Right-click on the Start button and select Settings.
- Navigate to Privacy & security > Automatic file downloads.
- In the list of blocked apps, click Allow to unblock apps from showing automatic file download notifications.
When the Allow button appears disabled or greyed out, it means you haven’t blocked any apps yet.
⚠️Important: The Automatic file downloads permission may not appear in specific Windows 10 builds. You may need to control this setting through OneDrive settings or by editing the Registry.
Editing the Windows Registry to enable or disable automatic file downloads (advanced users)
You can also use the Windows Registry Editor to configure automatic file downloads for particular apps.
- Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
- In the Registry Editor, navigate to Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\CloudFiles\BlockedApps (if this location does not exist, it means no apps are currently blocked.)
- Each application that has been blocked will have its own subkey or folder.
- In each subkey, look for the Enabled DWORD value:
- 1 = Blocked
- 0 = Allowed
- Double-click the Enabled DWORD value to change its value.
⚠️ Important: This method is intended for advanced users only and requires administrator privileges. Be sure to back up your registry before making any edits.
Disabling automatic download notifications
To disable automatic file download notifications:
- Open Settings > System > Notifications
- Scroll to Automatic file downloads (if listed) and toggle it off or disable notifications for the specific application that triggered the alert.
Additional notes for managing automatic file downloads
Preventing apps from automatically downloading files is not a security feature and is not designed to prevent apps from accessing sensitive data.
Most users choose to block apps from automatically downloading files from cloud storage to avoid unexpected bandwidth usage that could lead to increased data charges or limit the bandwidth available to other applications,especially on mobile connections. Stopping apps from automatically downloading files can also be useful on devices with limited disk space.
Once an app has been blocked from automatically downloading files, it will be prevented from showing any further notifications and will simply not have access to online-only files. This may cause unexpected behavior, so if an app is not working correctly, check whether it has been blocked. If necessary, unblock the app to allow access to the required files.
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