MacOS – How to move the Downloads toolbar button in Safari 5.1 and newer on OS X

customizationmacossafariui

In Safari 5.1 on my Mac, the Downloads button appears on the toolbar at the right of the search bar when you download a file for the first time:

I want to move that button elsewhere on the toolbar, so I open View > Customize Toolbar… and drag it to where I want it. The other toolbar controls move to make way for the new spot, but when I drop it, nothing changes; the Downloads button returns to its original position.

Interestingly, I don't have this problem on Safari 5.1 on Windows; I can move the button anywhere I want. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with these observations:

  • The list of downloads appears as a window on Windows, but as a popover on OS X.
  • The Downloads button appears by itself in the Customize Toolbar window on Windows, but not on OS X, where it only appears in the default toolbar set instead.

How can I reposition the Downloads button in Safari on OS X?

Best Answer

Drag the other controls around it; as long as you don’t grab the Downloads button itself this will work.