iTunes 12: How to Open a Separate Window for iTunes Downloads

Have you ever wondered how to view your iTunes downloads in a separate window? It can be frustrating when you’re trying to browse the iTunes Store or manage your library, and the downloads keep popping up in the main window. But fear not, because I’m here to show you a simple trick to solve this problem!

First, open iTunes on your computer. Once it’s launched, go to the “iTunes” menu at the top of your screen. You’ll see a list of options – click on “Preferences” from that menu.

A new window will appear, giving you access to all the settings you can customize in iTunes. Don’t worry, we won’t be getting lost in this virtual maze! Go ahead and click on the “Downloads” tab at the top of this window.

Now, here’s where the magic happens. You’ll notice a checkbox that says “Display downloads window when downloading a file.” By default, this option is unchecked, which is why you’ve been seeing your downloads in the main iTunes window. But we’re going to change that!

Simply click on the checkbox to enable this feature. When it’s checked, a separate window will open every time you start a download in iTunes. This means you can finally say goodbye to those annoying interruptions while you’re exploring the iTunes Store or managing your music library.

One thing to note: you won’t see the separate downloads window if you’re not actively downloading something. It only appears when there’s a file being downloaded – it’s a window that knows when it’s needed!

And that’s it! You’ve successfully learned how to open a separate window for iTunes downloads. No more distractions from your main iTunes window – now you can effortlessly manage your library and explore the iTunes Store without interruptions.

I hope this little trick brings you joy and enhances your iTunes experience. Enjoy your downloads and happy music listening!

If you’ve been using iTunes for a while, you probably remember that in the past, there was a special section in the sidebar where you could keep track of your downloads. Alternatively, you could also open a separate window by double-clicking on that sidebar entry.

Back in the day, when iTunes was a bit different (I’m talking about iTunes 10), you could effortlessly open up a whole separate window just for your downloads. It was pretty handy.

However, Apple decided to shake things up with iTunes 12. They made some major changes, like getting rid of the sidebar and moving the downloads to a fancy pop-up menu. To access this menu, all you have to do is click on the “Downloads” icon up there in the top-right corner of the iTunes toolbar. Yeah, they moved it.

The Downloads button in the toolbar of iTunes 12 is not very noticeable.

It’s useful for quickly checking the progress of your downloads, but lots of people like to have their downloads in a separate window. This way, they can keep an eye on long or multiple downloads while they work on other things, both inside and outside of iTunes.

In iTunes 12, you can view your downloads in a separate window by following a simple trick. At first, it seemed impossible to do so, using common techniques like double-clicking the download icon or trying to click and drag the pop-up menu away from the main application. However, there is a way to achieve this, and it only requires an extra keystroke.

To access a separate downloads window in iTunes 12, first start a download of any kind within iTunes. You won’t see the download button until there is an active or pending download. Then, hold down the Option key (Mac) or the Shift key (Windows) on your keyboard while clicking the button.

By doing this, you will open a separate iTunes downloads window. You can move it around or view it independently from the main iTunes app. In OS X, you can even give it its own full-screen view in Mission Control. To go back to the pop-up view, simply close the separate window. Subsequent clicks on the Downloads button in the iTunes toolbar (without holding the Option or Shift key) will bring back the default pop-up display.

Keep in mind that the separate iTunes downloads window will only remain open until you close it. It won’t stay open if you quit and relaunch the main iTunes app. Unfortunately, we haven’t found a way to make the separate window the default behavior without holding the Option or Shift keys. If you have any ideas or know a Terminal command that does the trick, feel free to share it in the comments.

For longtime iTunes users, Apple’s recent changes to the app have been a mixed blessing. Although iTunes now performs much better overall, with faster scrolling for large libraries, many users have expressed disappointment with the company’s UI modifications, such as the removal of the sidebar and changes to the Get Info window. While this trick for a separate iTunes downloads window is only temporary and needs to be enabled each time you launch the app, it’s still an option for those who prefer a dedicated way to keep track of their downloads.