How to Clear Recents Folder on Mac [4 Effective Methods]

Written by

Ojash

Reviewed by

Hashir Ibrahim

Last updated: August 12, 2024

Expert verified

Seeing your sensitive files pop up in the Recents folder can be annoying, especially when you want to keep certain things private. I’ve run into this issue myself and needed a way to keep those files hidden. After some digging, I found simple methods to clear and manage the Recents folder. In this post, I’ll share what worked for me, so you can keep your Mac organized and your files out of sight.

How to Clear Recents Folder on Mac

To clear the Recents folder on a Mac, you can turn off Spotlight indexing, hide specific files or folders, rename files using Terminal, or move files to an encrypted drive. These actions prevent the files from appearing in the Recents folder, helping you maintain privacy and keep your Mac organized.

Here is the detailed step-by-step guide to clear Recents folder on Mac:

1. Turn off Spotlight Indexing for Your Startup Disk

The quickest method to clear Recents folder on Mac involves using Spotlight Search, an app that continuously operates in the background to monitor file modifications. It generates an index of all files on the disk and keeps track of recently modified files.

To search for a particular file, simply press the Command ⌘ button with space bar to bring up Spotlight Search.

In the search window, enter the name or a portion of the file name, and it will promptly display a list of files that match the search criteria. However, you can turn Spotlight indexing off to prevent it from gathering data. It also reduces CPU usage and serves well if your Mac is running slow.

To turn off Spotlight indexing for your startup disk on macOS, you can follow these steps:

1. Click the Apple icon in the menu bar and select System Settings.

2. In the System Settings window, click Siri & Spotlight.

3. Scroll down the right pane and click the Spotlight Privacy button.

4. Click the + button at the bottom left of the Privacy window.

5. A new window will appear, showing your file system. Select your startup disk (usually named Macintosh HD or similar) from the list, and click Choose.

6. Once you have added your startup disk to the Privacy list, Spotlight will stop indexing its contents.

2. Hide Files from Appearing in Recents Folder

Instead of excluding the entire disk, you can create a specific folder and exclude it to appear in the Recents folder. Suppose you have private images you prefer not to appear in the Recents folder, while allowing other non-sensitive files to be displayed in the list.

To achieve this, follow these steps:

1. Click the Apple icon in the menu bar and select System Settings.

2. In the System Settings window, click Siri & Spotlight.

3. Scroll down the right pane and click the Spotlight Privacy button.

4. Click the + button at the bottom left of the Privacy window.

5. Navigate to the destination where your folder is present. Select the folder and click Choose.

6. By placing files in this designated folder, they will remain hidden from Spotlight Search and the Recents folder in the Finder.

3. Rename Files Using Terminal to Hide Them from Recents Folder

macOS uses a specific method to conceal system files on Mac—by adding a dot (.) at the beginning of the filename. Generally, files prefixed with a dot remain hidden within the Finder and the Recents folder. However, the Finder interface on Mac doesn’t let you add a dot symbol at the start of a filename. But you can use the Terminal to do it.

To rename files using the Terminal and hide them from the Recents folder on macOS, you can follow these steps:

1. Open the Terminal application. You can find it in the Utilities folder within the Applications folder, or you can use Spotlight Search (Command ⌘ + Space) to quickly find and open it.

2. Navigate to the directory where the files you want to rename are located. Use the cd command followed by the path to the directory. For example, if your files are in the Documents folder, you can use the following command:

cd Documents/Excluded\ Files

3. Once you’re in the desired directory, use the mv command to rename the files and add a dot to their names. The syntax for the mv command is as follows:

mv my\ hidden\ file.png .my\ hidden\ file.png

Replace my\ hidden\ file with the current name of the file you want to hide.

4. Press Enter to execute the command. The file will be renamed accordingly.

By renaming the files, you effectively hide them from being easily recognizable in the Recents folder. However, this method does not prevent the files from being accessed through other means, and it primarily serves to obfuscate the filenames in the Recents list.

4. Move Your Files to an Encrypted Drive

The ultimate method to prevent files from appearing in the Recents folder is by moving them to an Encrypted Drive, where Spotlight search cannot index them and they will remain secure.

Here are the step-by-step instructions to move your files to an encrypted drive:

1. Go to the Applications directory and locate the Utilities folder.

2. Launch the Disk Utility application from the Utilities folder.

3. Once you have opened Disk Utility, click the File option in the menu bar. Click New Image and select Blank Image…

4. Fill in all the necessary information for the new image and save it.
5. Make sure to set the Image Format option to read/write disk images.

By following these steps, you can create an encrypted drive where files can be stored securely, preventing them from being indexed by Spotlight and subsequently appearing in the Recents folder.

Common Misconceptions About Clearing the Recent Folder on Mac

You can find many well-known methods online to clear the Recents folder on your Mac, but not all of them work as you’d hoped. Some can even lead to frustration or accidental file loss. Before you try to clear your Recents folder, learn which methods to avoid.

• ⚠️ Deleting Items from the Recents Folder: Deleting files from the Recents folder sends them to the Bin, permanently removing them from your disk. This action doesn’t just hide files; it deletes them entirely. If you empty the Bin, those files will be lost for good, so proceed with caution.
• 🛑 Clearing Recent Items on Mac Using Apple Menu: Clearing the Recent Items list from the Apple menu helps remove clutter. However, it doesn’t actually clear the Recents folder in Finder. The Recents folder continues to display recently modified files because it is a smart folder, not a traditional folder.
• ❌ Clearing Recents in Finder: Deleting items from the Recent Folders list in Finder removes them from the menu but leaves the Recents folder intact. This method doesn’t fully clear your Recents folder, so your recently accessed files and folders remain visible, which could compromise privacy.

How to Prevent Recents from Listing Recent Items on Your Mac

If you do not want to view your recent folders or other items on your Mac and in the Finder app, you can entirely get rid of them. This means you won’t see any recent files, folders, and other items in the Recents section. So, to completely disable Recents on your Mac, follow these steps:

1. Disable Recents on Mac

Disabling the Recents feature on Mac can protect your privacy by preventing recently opened files and folders from being displayed in Finder, applications, and other system settings. It can also declutter your system and make it more organized.

Here’s how to disable Recents on Mac:

1. Click the Apple icon and select System Settings.

2. Click Desktop & Dock in the left sidebar of System Settings. 

3. Go to the Menu Bar section and select None next to Recent documents, applications and servers to disable Recents.

2. Remove the Recents Folder from Finder

If you prefer not having your recent files visible for privacy reasons or to maintain a clean workspace, removing the Recents folder from your Finder can be useful.

Follow these steps to remove the Recents folder from your Finder on your Mac:

1. Open the Finder app on your Mac and navigate to the Recents folder.

2. Hold the Control ⌃ key and click the Recents folder.

3. From the menu that appears, select Remove from Sidebar.

Now, you won’t see Recents in your Finder.

Wrap Up

Clearing recent items on Mac can protect your privacy and keep your system running smoothly. Here are some more tips to keep in mind for future use:

• It’s a good practice to clear cache files on Mac and organize files regularly to keep your system clutter-free.
• You can use Mac keyboard shortcuts to delete recent items in Finder and various applications quickly.
• You should install and activate MacKeeper to protect, manage, and optimize your Mac without any problem. 

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