How to Clear Recents from Finder on Mac
Are you tired of seeing a cluttered list of recently opened files in your Mac’s Finder? The “Recents” feature can be convenient for quickly accessing files you’ve recently worked on, but it can also be overwhelming when it’s filled with unnecessary items. If you’re looking to clear the Recents list in Finder on your Mac, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll guide you through the simple steps to clear your recent items and keep your Finder organized.
Understanding the Recents List
Before we dive into the steps, it’s important to understand what the Recents list is and how it works. The Recents list is a feature in Finder that keeps track of the files and folders you’ve recently opened. This list is stored locally on your Mac and is designed to provide a quick way to access files you’ve been working on. However, it can become a hindrance if it’s not managed properly.
Clearing Recents from Finder on Mac
Now that you understand the Recents list, let’s move on to the steps to clear it. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Open Finder: To begin, simply open the Finder on your Mac. You can do this by clicking on the Finder icon in the Dock or by pressing Command + Space and typing “Finder” in the Spotlight search bar.
2. Go to the Finder Preferences: Once Finder is open, click on the “Finder” menu at the top left corner of the screen, then select “Preferences” from the dropdown menu.
3. Navigate to the General Tab: In the Finder Preferences window, you’ll see several tabs at the top. Click on the “General” tab to access the settings related to the Recents list.
4. Clear the Recents List: In the General tab, you’ll find a section labeled “Show these items in the sidebar.” Uncheck the box next to “Recents” to hide the Recents list from the sidebar. This will not remove the list from your Mac, but it will prevent it from being displayed in the sidebar.
5. Manually Clear the Recents List: If you want to completely remove the Recents list from your Mac, you’ll need to manually clear it. To do this, open the “Macintosh HD” folder by clicking on it in the sidebar. Then, navigate to the “Library” folder, which is typically hidden by default.
6. Locate the Recent Items Folder: Inside the Library folder, you’ll find a folder named “Recent Items.” This is where the actual list of recently opened files and folders is stored. Open this folder to view the contents.
7. Delete the Recent Items Folder: To clear the Recents list, simply drag the “Recent Items” folder to the Trash. You may be prompted to enter your administrator password to confirm the deletion.
8. Restart Finder: After deleting the Recent Items folder, you’ll need to restart Finder for the changes to take effect. You can do this by opening the Terminal application, typing “killall Finder” (without quotes), and pressing Enter. Alternatively, you can simply restart your Mac.
By following these steps, you should now have a clear Recents list in your Finder on Mac. This will help you maintain a clutter-free and organized Finder experience.
