diff --git a/App/App_iOS.swift b/App/App_iOS.swift
index 1a06d9bd..c0a946e5 100644
--- a/App/App_iOS.swift
+++ b/App/App_iOS.swift
@@ -73,7 +73,14 @@ struct Kiwix: App {
                     if url.isFileURL {
                         NotificationCenter.openFiles([url], context: .file)
                     } else if url.isZIMURL {
-                        NotificationCenter.openURL(url)
+                        switch url {
+                        case DownloadActivityAttributes.downloadsDeepLink:
+                            if FeatureFlags.hasLibrary {
+                                navigation.showDownloads.send()
+                            }
+                        default:
+                            NotificationCenter.openURL(url)
+                        }
                     }
                 }
                 .task {
diff --git a/App/CompactViewController.swift b/App/CompactViewController.swift
index d64003d5..f301aaa7 100644
--- a/App/CompactViewController.swift
+++ b/App/CompactViewController.swift
@@ -137,11 +137,15 @@ private struct CompactView: View {
     @EnvironmentObject private var library: LibraryViewModel
     @State private var presentedSheet: PresentedSheet?
 
-    private enum PresentedSheet: String, Identifiable {
-        case library
+    private enum PresentedSheet: Identifiable {
+        case library(downloads: Bool)
         case settings
         var id: String {
-            rawValue
+            switch self {
+            case .library(true): return "library-downloads"
+            case .library(false): return "library"
+            case .settings: return "settings"
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -161,7 +165,7 @@ private struct CompactView: View {
             }
             Content(tabID: tabID, showLibrary: {
                 if presentedSheet == nil {
-                    presentedSheet = .library
+                    presentedSheet = .library(downloads: false)
                 } else {
                     // there's a sheet already presented by the user
                     // do nothing
@@ -183,7 +187,7 @@ private struct CompactView: View {
                         Spacer()
                         if FeatureFlags.hasLibrary {
                             Button {
-                                presentedSheet = .library
+                                presentedSheet = .library(downloads: false)
                             } label: {
                                 Label(LocalString.common_tab_menu_library, systemImage: "folder")
                             }
@@ -200,8 +204,10 @@ private struct CompactView: View {
                 .environmentObject(browser)
                 .sheet(item: $presentedSheet) { presentedSheet in
                     switch presentedSheet {
-                    case .library:
+                    case .library(downloads: false):
                         Library(dismiss: dismiss)
+                    case .library(downloads: true):
+                        Library(dismiss: dismiss, tabItem: .downloads)
                     case .settings:
                         NavigationStack {
                             Settings().toolbar {
@@ -216,6 +222,16 @@ private struct CompactView: View {
                         }
                     }
                 }
+                .onReceive(navigation.showDownloads) { _ in
+                    switch presentedSheet {
+                    case .library:
+                        // switching to the downloads tab
+                        // is done within Library
+                        break
+                    case .settings, nil:
+                        presentedSheet = .library(downloads: true)
+                    }
+                }
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/App/SplitViewController.swift b/App/SplitViewController.swift
index c13cfffe..8c134186 100644
--- a/App/SplitViewController.swift
+++ b/App/SplitViewController.swift
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import UIKit
 final class SplitViewController: UISplitViewController {
     let navigationViewModel: NavigationViewModel
     private var navigationItemObserver: AnyCancellable?
+    private var showDownloadsObserver: AnyCancellable?
     private var openURLObserver: NSObjectProtocol?
     private var hasZimFiles: Bool
 
@@ -74,6 +75,16 @@ final class SplitViewController: UISplitViewController {
                     self?.preferredDisplayMode = .automatic
                 }
             }
+        showDownloadsObserver = navigationViewModel
+            .showDownloads
+            .receive(on: DispatchQueue.main)
+            .sink(receiveValue: { [weak self] _ in
+                if self?.traitCollection.horizontalSizeClass == .regular {
+                    self?.navigationViewModel.currentItem = .downloads
+                }
+                // the compact one is triggered in CompactViewController
+        })
+        
         openURLObserver = NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(
             forName: .openURL, object: nil, queue: nil
         ) { [weak self] notification in
diff --git a/Common/DownloadActivityAttributes.swift b/Common/DownloadActivityAttributes.swift
index e894c9b3..69e2ad18 100644
--- a/Common/DownloadActivityAttributes.swift
+++ b/Common/DownloadActivityAttributes.swift
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import ActivityKit
 
 public struct DownloadActivityAttributes: ActivityAttributes {
     
+    static let downloadsDeepLink = URL(string: "zim://downloads")
+    
     private static func progressFor(items: [DownloadItem]) -> Progress {
         let sumOfTotal = items.reduce(0) { result, item in
             result + item.total
diff --git a/ViewModel/NavigationViewModel.swift b/ViewModel/NavigationViewModel.swift
index 37b88768..e4f9939e 100644
--- a/ViewModel/NavigationViewModel.swift
+++ b/ViewModel/NavigationViewModel.swift
@@ -15,12 +15,15 @@
 
 import CoreData
 import WebKit
+import Combine
 
 @MainActor
 final class NavigationViewModel: ObservableObject {
     let uuid = UUID()
     // remained optional due to focusedSceneValue conformance
     @Published var currentItem: NavigationItem? = .loading
+    private(set) var showDownloads = PassthroughSubject<Void, Never>()
+    
     #if os(macOS)
     var isTerminating: Bool = false
     
diff --git a/Views/Library/Library.swift b/Views/Library/Library.swift
index 99e52acb..c999cb0c 100644
--- a/Views/Library/Library.swift
+++ b/Views/Library/Library.swift
@@ -21,16 +21,19 @@ import Defaults
 /// Tabbed library view on iOS & iPadOS
 struct Library: View {
     @EnvironmentObject private var viewModel: LibraryViewModel
-    @SceneStorage("LibraryTabItem") private var tabItem: LibraryTabItem = .categories
+    @EnvironmentObject private var navigation: NavigationViewModel
+    @State private var tabItem: LibraryTabItem
     @Default(.hasSeenCategories) private var hasSeenCategories
     private let categories: [Category]
     let dismiss: (() -> Void)?
 
     init(
         dismiss: (() -> Void)?,
+        tabItem: LibraryTabItem = .categories,
         categories: [Category] = CategoriesToLanguages().allCategories()
     ) {
         self.dismiss = dismiss
+        self.tabItem = tabItem
         self.categories = categories
     }
 
@@ -70,6 +73,8 @@ struct Library: View {
             viewModel.start(isUserInitiated: false)
         }.onDisappear {
             hasSeenCategories = true
+        }.onReceive(navigation.showDownloads) { _ in
+            tabItem = .downloads
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Widgets/DownloadsLiveActivity.swift b/Widgets/DownloadsLiveActivity.swift
index e3aee799..1ce8dce5 100644
--- a/Widgets/DownloadsLiveActivity.swift
+++ b/Widgets/DownloadsLiveActivity.swift
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ struct DownloadsLiveActivity: Widget {
                     .progressViewStyle(CircularProgressGaugeStyle(lineWidth: 5.7))
                     .frame(width: 24, height: 24)
             }
-            .widgetURL(URL(string: "zim://downloads"))
+            .widgetURL(DownloadActivityAttributes.downloadsDeepLink)
             .keylineTint(Color.red)
         }.containerBackgroundRemovable()
     }