diff --git a/webapp/channels/src/components/file_info_preview/__snapshots__/file_info_preview.test.tsx.snap b/webapp/channels/src/components/file_info_preview/__snapshots__/file_info_preview.test.tsx.snap
index df24ffa536..bb21cce82c 100644
--- a/webapp/channels/src/components/file_info_preview/__snapshots__/file_info_preview.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/webapp/channels/src/components/file_info_preview/__snapshots__/file_info_preview.test.tsx.snap
@@ -4,10 +4,9 @@ exports[`components/FileInfoPreview should match snapshot, can download files 1`
 <div
   className="file-details__container"
 >
-  <ExternalLink
+  <a
     className="file-details__preview"
     href="https://pre-release.mattermost.com/api/v4/files/rqir81f7a7ft8m6j6ej7g1txuo"
-    location="file_info_preview"
   >
     <span
       className="file-details__preview-helper"
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ exports[`components/FileInfoPreview should match snapshot, can download files 1`
       alt="file preview"
       src={null}
     />
-  </ExternalLink>
+  </a>
   <div
     className="file-details"
   >
diff --git a/webapp/channels/src/components/file_info_preview/file_info_preview.tsx b/webapp/channels/src/components/file_info_preview/file_info_preview.tsx
index 67c42dae04..4c8d46edfd 100644
--- a/webapp/channels/src/components/file_info_preview/file_info_preview.tsx
+++ b/webapp/channels/src/components/file_info_preview/file_info_preview.tsx
@@ -5,8 +5,6 @@ import React from 'react';
 
 import type {FileInfo} from '@mattermost/types/files';
 
-import ExternalLink from 'components/external_link';
-
 import * as Utils from 'utils/utils';
 
 type Props = {
@@ -36,17 +34,16 @@ export default class FileInfoPreview extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
         let preview = null;
         if (this.props.canDownloadFiles) {
             preview = (
-                <ExternalLink
+                <a
                     className='file-details__preview'
                     href={fileUrl}
-                    location='file_info_preview'
                 >
                     <span className='file-details__preview-helper'/>
                     <img
                         alt={'file preview'}
                         src={Utils.getFileIconPath(fileInfo)}
                     />
-                </ExternalLink>
+                </a>
             );
         } else {
             preview = (