Simple Mass Downloader for Google Chrome
Simple Mass Downloader is a browser extension for Google Chrome to download any number of links from open tabs at once in the browser.
The developer of the extension was inspired by the DownThemAll extension for the Firefox web browser (which is no longer developed) which allowed Firefox users to download multiple items from web pages at once.
Mass downloading speeds up the downloading process significantly under certain circumstances, e.g. when downloading all images of a gallery from a web page, torrent files, or any other file type that is linked.
Simple Mass Downloader may be used to download links from a single tab or multiple tabs open in the Chrome browser.
Links means anything that is linked on a page, e.g. files, images, or media.
Simple Mass Downloader
Mass Downloader displays an introductory page after installation and places an icon in the Chrome toolbar. The introduction recommends that users turn off save prompts in Chrome if activated to make the downloading more convenient.
A click on the extension icon displays the interface in an overlay. Hit the "load page links" button to load all links on the active page or the "collect links from open tabs" button next to it to collect links from other tabs open in Chrome.
Activation of the latter opens configuration options to customize tab selection and link selection. Options include collecting links from all tabs, selected tabs, or tabs on the left, and to filter links by text, origin, extension, or images.
All links, e.g. those pointing to png, jpg, htm, or mp3 files are displayed in the file listing afterward. You may use checkboxes to select files that you want to download or filters at the bottom. Just type a file extension or text to filter the listing.
Links are displayed with their name by default; a click on filename in the interface displays options to change the listing to URL, Text, Title, or Alt Text instead.
If you are interested in jpg files, type jpg to only display those files. A click on the image thumbnail icon displays all images as thumbnails in the interface; useful to pick the right images especially since thumbnail view displays image dimensions as well. Thumbnail view supports additional filters such as filtering by width or height.
Advanced users may use regular expressions by typing r: in the filter listing. Regular expressions may be used to filter files listed by the extension
You may add the selection to the passive or active queue. Files are downloaded immediately when they are pushed to the active queue. Files moved to the passive queue on the other hand are not downloaded immediately. Options to rename files -- individually or multiple files at once -- are provided.
Users may set different download directories for file downloads, e.g. an images directory for all image downloads. Automatic rules may save files to specific folders once set up.
First-time users may want to check out the options after installation to customize the extension. Options include adding local directories to the list of favorite download locations, setting up automatic folders, changing download thresholds, or to backup settings.
Closing Words
Simple Mass Downloader is a powerful extension (despite the simple in the extension's name) that you may use to download files from one or multiple tabs open in Chrome.
The extension works as advertised and offers lots of customization and automation options to make the whole process more comfortable.
Users who want to download images may notice that only small resolution thumbnails are displayed on select sites and not the actual linked images; this happened on Reddit, Google Images and Imgur during tests. The extension picked up the full resolution images on other tested sites, however.
Simple Mass Downloader may work in other Chromium-based browsers such as Opera or Vivaldi as well.
Now You: Do you use a download extension in your browser
Was a great extension until it mysteriously started adding my downloads to a “queue” instead of downloading them, which does absolutely nothing for me.
BEST EXTENSION, THANKS FOR SHARE
Heartfelt thanks for introducing the SMD. It’s eased my cyber life greatly! If not for your introduction, SMD would be obscured for unknown reasons why it has been buried deep inside Chrome extension store, never found when I browsed for something like it.
If it offers an option to download in zip pack, eg the lesser Download All Images which appeared in browsing the Chrome extension store, then it deserves a 6-star rating!
You’ve made may day, and my cyber life!
I tried SMD but I no like. Still. SMD is likely as good as it gets with these modern browsers now. Regardless, I’ll keep using DownThemAll! in Basilisk in a sandbox for as long as I can.. That said, I think Firefox (or whomever) should put all the features of DTA into their browser.
It’s funny because I just found this extension a couple weeks ago before this article was posted.
The extension works great and can even “sniff” out videos from streaming sites. The only downside, is that this extension takes over any downloads from Chrome, even if you didn’t click the extension!
To be fair, this isn’t exclusive to this extension, I’ve noticed the same behavior with other download-based extensions for Chrome, but I do wish there was a way to stop it from doing that…
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/simple-mass-downloader/
for Firefox
https://addons.cdn.mozilla.net/user-media/previews/thumbs/114/114384.png?modified=1543519744
^ but it wasn’t only for Tumblr…
Yay, I always wanted something like DTA currently supported. Even better, for Chromium. I’ll give it a try!
There used to be an ext called something like “picture (or image) downloader professional (or pro)” – can’t find it anymore – it had the best solution: One collected images through context menu sending them to the ext’s “gallery” – full tab feature with many features & functionality.
Similar to the “dash” of ext reviewed on this page – but full tab with lot’sa functionality..
Still waiting for a DownThemAll replacement for Firefox
Not doable with WebExtensions APIs. Basilisk is your friend.
The author said there won’t be any replacement for DTA. There will be DTA Lite but it’s almost 2 years since we last heard of it
This worked on almost all of the sites – and still does – but apparently this version isn’t under active dev anymore (the dev was in progress to create new enhanced ext)
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/image-downloader/cnpniohnfphhjihaiiggeabnkjhpaldj
So the future is for “simple mass downloader” – the devs are probably working site compatibility issues.
Simple Mass Downloader also adds context-menu-entry for such as images. Use Imagus
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/imagus/immpkjjlgappgfkkfieppnmlhakdmaab?hl=en
to pop large img version up and then right click it to Simple Mass DL’er.
https://github.com/MalloyDelacroix/DownloaderForReddit
[NOTE] U can use this to make updated/new article.