Firefox 91 Supports opening downloads automatically, like Chrome

In Chrome, when a download is in progress if you click on it, you’ll see an “opening in x secs” message at the bottom. The download opens once completed. Mozilla is implementing the same behavior in Firefox 91 for downloads as it works to improve the browser’s download Panel.

Firefox download Panel showing open in 7s for download

Here is the current download experience in Firefox:

You start a download and click on “Save File”. Firefox shows download progress information through its download icon on the toolbar.

Once the download is over, you can open the file from the Download panel or in the download containing folder.

If you’re using Chrome, it allows you to click on download, so that file opens itself automatically without you need to wait and return to the download shelf.

Chrome has inspired Firefox browser’s maker to copy this feature.

What you need to know:

Firefox 91 has got the support to automatically open downloads when complete.
The feature is behind a pref and disabled by default
It is part of Mozilla’s work to improve Firefox Download Panel.

Normally, Firefox saves download to temp and from there moves it to the downloads folder.

Now, if you activate the new download Panel improvement in Firefox version 91 and specify Firefox to store downloads in the Downloads folder,

It will now auto-open certain file type downloads by default. Otherwise, certain files will open the Downloads directory.

To enable Chrome’s open when downloading complete behavior in Firefox 91

Visit about: config
Create a new Boolean Pref called browser.download.improvements_to_download_panel and set its value to true.
Start a download
When the Download panel shows download in progress, click on it
Firefox shows a “opens in sec” message.

Setting Pref value to true means save to downloads, provided, you’ve not set Firefox to “always ask”.

False means save to temp and honors the “Always ask where to save files” setting.