# Cannot download from desktop in mac **URL:** \ **Category:** Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [April 13, 2023, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671 "2023-04-13T18:38:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wojtek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@Wojtek](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/Wojtek)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/1 "2023-04-13T18:38:55Z")
When I try to download an attachment - I get an error "canceled ![Screenshot 2023-04-13 at 14.38.19](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/mattermost/original/2X/c/cd15d7193eaae092e43ca15e83a1eff2ab2b0ba0.png) " Why is that? Thnx ---
**Author:** ![agriesser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/agriesser/32/5644_2.png) [@agriesser](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/agriesser)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2023, 3:16am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/2 "2023-04-14T03:16:34Z")
Hi @Wojtek , this seems to be related to the default download location - at least from what I’ve read in the community forums. Can you please try to change the default download location of the app and see if the problem also persists with the new location? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![julius.garbe](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/julius.garbe/32/6689_2.png) [@julius.garbe](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/julius.garbe)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2023, 11:12am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/3 "2023-04-14T11:12:10Z")
I can confirm the problem. Downloading any files from the Mattermost desktop app to my Mac fails since just recently. The download fails immediately with a red “cancelled” warning. Clicking on the three dots on the right in the ‘Downloads’ popup and then clicking on “Show in Finder” opens an error message: “Mattermost has no permissions for opening ‘Downloads’”. I changed the default download location, but without any luck… The folder permissions are definitely fine and downloading the same file to the same location using the web browser works without a problem. I could resolve the problem by uninstalling and re-installing the app, but now the same problem just appeared again… which is quite annoying. I’d appreciate any kind of help! PS. I’d liked to append screenshots, but uploading them here continuously fails with the message “Sorry, there was an error uploading that file. Please try again.” ---
**Author:** ![agriesser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/agriesser/32/5644_2.png) [@agriesser](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/agriesser)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 3:40am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/4 "2023-04-17T03:40:54Z")
Hi @julius.garbe and welcome to the Mattermost forums! So do I understand you right, you can fix this problem temporarily by reinstalling the app, which makes it work for some time but then it breaks again and does cancel downloads immediately again? ---
**Author:** ![julius.garbe](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/julius.garbe/32/6689_2.png) [@julius.garbe](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/julius.garbe)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2023, 8:20am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/5 "2023-04-17T08:20:03Z")
Yes exactly. To be a bit more specific: after reinstalling the app, the problem is fixed for a couple of times at most. It’s definitely no proper solution… ---
**Author:** ![agriesser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/agriesser/32/5644_2.png) [@agriesser](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/agriesser)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 5:40am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/6 "2023-04-19T05:40:56Z")
That’s strange, thanks for confirming - will see what I can find out. When you use the non-appstore version, do these problems go away? You can download the DMG file directly from [GitHub](https://github.com/mattermost/desktop/releases). ---
**Author:** ![agriesser](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/agriesser/32/5644_2.png) [@agriesser](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/agriesser)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 1:47pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/7 "2023-04-19T13:47:52Z")
Hi again, there’s a known issue with regards to the downloads: [https://mattermost.atlassian.net/browse/MM-52139](https://mattermost.atlassian.net/browse/MM-52139) The workaround described here in the ticket also worked for one of my workmates - please give it a try (so just pick something else and then switch back to Downloads). ---
**Author:** ![FrankGaillard](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/frankgaillard/32/6725_2.png) [@FrankGaillard](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/FrankGaillard)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 4:59am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/8 "2023-04-24T04:59:54Z")
Hi everyone… I have looked and looked but cannot find where to change the download location on Mac for Mattermost. No such option seems to exist in my settings menu. ---
**Author:** ![julius.garbe](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/julius.garbe/32/6689_2.png) [@julius.garbe](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/julius.garbe)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2023, 8:46am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/9 "2023-04-26T08:46:50Z")
Hi @agriesser, thanks for taking on this issue. It indeed seems like the non-appstore version from Github fixes the missing permissions problem of the downloads location. At least I didn’t encounter it anymore since I installed it some few days ago. Any chance the issue might get fixed in the Appstore version as well soon? ---
**Author:** ![davee3db](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@davee3db](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/davee3db)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2023, 12:56pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/10 "2023-04-27T12:56:35Z")
I am also having this problem with version 5.3.1 on Mac. I tried changing the default directory, same problem. Switched back to Downloads and same problem. I have not tried the non-app store install, but it’s a little concerning that they would behave differently. ---
**Author:** ![cobenash](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/cobenash/32/6758_2.png) [@cobenash](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/cobenash)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2023, 7:22am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/11 "2023-05-06T07:22:19Z")
I confirmed the error on version 5.3.1 ---
**Author:** ![just-nkt](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/just-nkt/32/6759_2.png) [@just-nkt](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/just-nkt)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/12 "2023-05-06T21:42:45Z")
Having the same issue. Changing the default location does not help. **The application “Mattermost” does not have permission to open “Documents.”** I gave Mattermost Full Disk Access and that also did not help. ---
**Author:** ![anitaschuettler](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mattermost.com/anitaschuettler/32/6857_2.png) [@anitaschuettler](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/anitaschuettler)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 9:43am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/13 "2023-05-25T09:43:17Z")
I had the same problem. A colleague (who did as well) found out that it’s fixed if you go to your Mattermost settings, scroll to your download folder and click “edit” (you don’t have to change the directory, just picking the standard one again works fine). ---
**Author:** ![dtb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/41988e/32.png) [@dtb](https://forum.mattermost.com/u/dtb)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2023, 9:36am UTC](https://forum.mattermost.com/t/cannot-download-from-desktop-in-mac/15671/14 "2023-07-12T09:36:29Z")
Hi. Our team is having the same problem on Mac (MM version 5.3.1). Every single time Mattermost is closed and restarted, he needs to go again into preference and set again the download folder to prevent this error to happen. It looks like Mattermost application get the permission to write in this folder when selected through the UI, but that this permission is not retained between sessions. EDIT: oh, we just saw a new version 5.4.0 was available and has a workaround implemented: it asks again to set the download folder every time user has restarted MAttermost. It’s not perfect (why is the permission retained?) but it’s better than before.