Lovable storage

Large File Downloads Timing Out in Lovable App

Users trying to download large files (PDFs, exports, media) from your Lovable app experience timeouts, incomplete downloads, or connection resets. The download starts but never completes, or fails with a network error.

This commonly happens with generated reports, data exports, or media files that exceed a few megabytes. The download may work fine for small files but consistently fail for anything larger.

The problem is worse on mobile connections and may appear as a spinning indicator that never completes or a partially downloaded corrupt file.

Error Messages You Might See

net::ERR_CONNECTION_RESET Download failed - network error Function execution timed out Error: The operation was aborted
net::ERR_CONNECTION_RESETDownload failed - network errorFunction execution timed outError: The operation was aborted

Common Causes

  • Serverless function timeout — Edge functions have execution time limits (typically 10-30 seconds) that large downloads exceed
  • File loaded into memory — The entire file is read into memory before sending, instead of being streamed
  • No resume support — If the connection drops, the download must restart from the beginning
  • CORS on storage URLs — Direct storage URLs may not have proper CORS headers for browser downloads

How to Fix It

  1. Use signed URLs for direct download — Generate a temporary signed URL from Supabase Storage and redirect users to it instead of proxying the file
  2. Stream large files — If you must process the file, use streaming instead of loading it entirely into memory
  3. Add download progress indicators — Show users how much has been downloaded so they know the download is working
  4. Set appropriate timeouts — Increase function timeouts for download endpoints, or bypass serverless functions entirely

Real developers can help you.

Pratik Pratik SWE with 15+ years of experience building and maintaining web apps and extensive BE infrastructure Taufan Taufan I’m a product-focused engineer and tech leader who builds scalable systems and turns ideas into production-ready platforms. Over the past years, I’ve worked across startups and fast-moving teams, leading backend architecture, improving system reliability, and shipping products used by thousands of users. My strength is not just writing code — but connecting product vision, technical execution, and business impact. zipking zipking I am a technologist and product builder dedicated to creating high-impact solutions at the intersection of AI and specialized markets. Currently, I am focused on PropScan (EstateGuard), an AI-driven SaaS platform tailored for the Japanese real estate industry, and exploring the potential of Archify. As an INFJ-T, I approach development with a "systems-thinking" mindset—balancing technical precision with a deep understanding of user needs. I particularly enjoy the challenge of architecting Vertical AI SaaS and optimizing Small Language Models (SLMs) to solve specific, real-world business problems. Whether I'm in a CTO-level leadership role or hands-on with the code, I thrive on building tools that turn complex data into actionable value. Tejas Chokhawala Tejas Chokhawala Full-stack engineer with 5 years experience building production web apps using React, Next.js and TypeScript. Focused on performance, clean architecture and shipping fast. Experienced with Supabase/Postgres backends, Stripe billing, and building AI-assisted developer tools. Rudra Bhikadiya Rudra Bhikadiya I build and fix web apps across Next.js, Node.js, and DBs. Comfortable jumping into messy code, broken APIs, and mysterious bugs. If your project works in theory but not in reality, I help close that gap. Simon A. Simon A. I'm a backend developer building APIs, emulators, and interactive game systems. Professionally, I've developed Java/Spring reporting solutions, managed relational and NoSQL databases, and implemented CI/CD workflows. Sage Fulcher Sage Fulcher Hey I'm Sage! Im a Boston area software engineer who grew up in South Florida. Ive worked at a ton of cool places like a telehealth kidney care startup that took part in a billion dollar merger (Cricket health/Interwell health), a boutique design agency where I got to work on a ton of exciting startups including a photography education app, a collegiate Esports league and more (Philosophie), a data analytics as a service startup in Cambridge (MA) as well as at Phillips and MIT Lincoln Lab where I designed and developed novel network security visualizations and analytics. I've been writing code and furiously devoted to using computers to make people’s lives easier for about 17 years. My degree is in making computers make pretty lights and sounds. Outside of work I love hip hop, the Celtics, professional wrestling, magic the gathering, photography, drumming, and guitars (both making and playing them) David Olverson David Olverson Solo dev shipping production apps with AI-assisted development. I specialize in rescuing broken Lovable/Bolt/Cursor builds and taking them to production. 10+ apps shipped including SaaS CRMs, gaming platforms, real estate tools, and Discord bots. Stack: Next.js 16, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, FastAPI, PostgreSQL, Prisma. I use Claude Code with 50+ custom skills for rapid delivery. Average turnaround: 2-4 weeks from broken prototype to production. Yovel Cohen Yovel Cohen I got a lot of experience in building Long-horizon AI Agents in production, Backend apps that scale to millions of users and frontend knowledge as well. Dor Yaloz Dor Yaloz SW engineer with 6+ years of experience, I worked with React/Node/Python did projects with React+Capacitor.js for ios Supabase expert

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the maximum file size I can serve?

There's no hard limit on file size in Supabase Storage, but serverless functions typically have a 50MB response body limit and 10-30 second execution limits. Use signed URLs for files larger than a few MB.

Why do downloads work on WiFi but not mobile?

Mobile connections are slower and more prone to disconnections. Without resume support, a brief connection drop means the entire download fails and must restart.

Related Lovable Issues

Can't fix it yourself?
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