Chrome 135 for iOS rolls out auto-deletion of downloads feature to some users

Google has started rolling out the auto-deletion of downloads feature for Chrome on iOS as an experiment, which we reported earlier, to 1% of users with Chrome version 135 which was released recently. Google has stated that it has no plans to roll this out to other platforms.

According to Google, with “Auto-deletion of downloads for Chrome on iOS”, “Users of the Chrome browser on iOS can now choose to automatically delete their browser downloads on a scheduled basis.

This feature is likely to improve device performance related to storage capacity and enhance privacy by automating the deletion of files that users might otherwise forget to delete on their own”

Users participating in the experiment may be prompted to “enable auto-delete” for downloads on Chrome for iOS. This dialog also includes an option to skip the feature. Check the screenshot below.

Here is how the feature works: when you try to download something, it triggers an “Auto delete your downloads” confirmation. Tapping on “Enable auto delete” means that everything you download will be deleted after 30 days.

As we covered before, this was tested behind a flag. You need to enable this flag called “Enable Download Auto deletion” to automatically schedule the deletion of downloads after one month. This feature not only saves space but also protects your privacy.