{"id":207316,"date":"2021-03-20T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-20T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/how-to-hide-or-disable-the-recents-folder-on-the-mac\/"},"modified":"2021-03-20T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-03-20T08:00:00","slug":"how-to-hide-or-disable-the-recents-folder-on-the-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-hide-or-disable-the-recents-folder-on-the-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"#How to Hide or Disable the \u201cRecents\u201d Folder on the Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2dc62ce114e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2dc62ce114e\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-hide-or-disable-the-recents-folder-on-the-mac\/#What_Is_the_%E2%80%9CRecents%E2%80%9D_Folder_on_a_Mac\" >What Is the \u201cRecents\u201d Folder on a Mac?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-hide-or-disable-the-recents-folder-on-the-mac\/#How_to_Hide_the_%E2%80%9CRecents%E2%80%9D_Folder_in_Finder\" >How to Hide the \u201cRecents\u201d Folder in Finder<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/how-to-hide-or-disable-the-recents-folder-on-the-mac\/#The_Nuclear_Option_Completely_Disable_the_%E2%80%9CRecents%E2%80%9D_Folder\" >The Nuclear Option: Completely Disable the \u201cRecents\u201d Folder<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p><strong>&#8220;#How to Hide or Disable the \u201cRecents\u201d Folder on the Mac&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<div>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-714046\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/mac_finder_icon_hero_1.jpg\" alt=\"The Apple Mac Finder Big Sur icon on a blue background\" width=\"650\" height=\"300\"\/><\/p>\n<p>By default, new Macs open a \u201cRecents\u201d folder when you open a new Finder window. If you don\u2019t want to see your recent files every time you open a window (or see it on the sidebar), you can hide or disable it. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_the_%E2%80%9CRecents%E2%80%9D_Folder_on_a_Mac\"><\/span>What Is the \u201cRecents\u201d Folder on a Mac?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As you might have guessed, the \u201cRecents\u201d folder in macOS is not an actual folder location. It is a smart folder consisting of an automatic Spotlight search for your most recently used files. Every file you see listed in \u201cRecents\u201d actually lives in different folders across your Mac. You\u2019re only seeing shortcuts to those files in a central location.<\/p>\n<p>You cannot completely remove the \u201cRecents\u201d folder from macOS, but you can take steps to hide it from view or disable the way it works. Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Use macOS&#8217; Spotlight Like a Champ<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Hide_the_%E2%80%9CRecents%E2%80%9D_Folder_in_Finder\"><\/span>How to Hide the \u201cRecents\u201d Folder in Finder<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While you can\u2019t remove the \u201cRecents\u201d folder completely, most people might feel satisfied by hiding it from casual view while using the Finder (although there is a more dramatic step\u2014see the next section).<\/p>\n<p>To do so, focus on Finder by clicking its icon in your dock. This brings Finder to the foreground and makes it the active <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lication.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-716670\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/mac_click_finder_dock.jpg\" alt=\"Click the &quot;Finder&quot; icon in your Dock.\" width=\"650\" height=\"242\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Next, open Finder preferences by clicking \u201cFinder\u201d in the menu bar, then selecting \u201cPreferences.\u201d Or you can press Command+, (comma) on your keyboard.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-716669\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/mac_open_finder_preferences.jpg\" alt=\"Click &quot;Finder&quot; in the menu bar then select &quot;Preferences.&quot;\" width=\"650\" height=\"262\"\/><\/p>\n<p>When Finder Preferences opens, click the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General<\/a>\u201d tab, then click the menu labeled \u201cNew Finder windows show.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-716671\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/click_new_finder_windows_show.jpg\" alt=\"In Finder Preferences, click the &quot;New Finder windows show&quot; menu.\" width=\"650\" height=\"391\"\/><\/p>\n<p>When the menu expands, select a new folder location that you\u2019d like to see every time you open a new Finder window. You can choose any location other than \u201cRecents\u201d depending on your personal preference. In our example, we chose our home folder.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-716667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/select_new_finder_windows_show.jpg\" alt=\"In Finder Preferences, select a new default Finder window location from the menu.\" width=\"650\" height=\"391\"\/><\/p>\n<p>After that, close Finder Preferences.<\/p>\n<p>Next, we\u2019ll remove the \u201cRecents\u201d shortcut located in the Finder sidebar by default. Open a new Finder window and right-click \u201cRecents\u201d in the sidebar. In the menu that appears, select \u201cRemove from Sidebar.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-716666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/recents_remove_from_sidebar_1.jpg\" alt=\"Right-click &quot;Recents&quot; in a Finder window and select &quot;Remove from Sidebar.&quot;\" width=\"650\" height=\"307\"\/><\/p>\n<p>After performing these two steps, you won\u2019t see the \u201cRecents\u201d folder in your day-to-day activities anymore. However, it will still be accessible through Finder\u2019s \u201cGo\u201d menu in the menu bar at the top of the screen.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Instantly Go to Locations and Folders in OS X<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Nuclear_Option_Completely_Disable_the_%E2%80%9CRecents%E2%80%9D_Folder\"><\/span>The Nuclear Option: Completely Disable the \u201cRecents\u201d Folder<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The \u201cRecents\u201d folder is powered by Spotlight. If you want to completely disable the \u201cRecents\u201d folder, there\u2019s the drastic but effective option of disabling Spotlight searches for all of the documents on your Mac\u2019s hard drive. The drawback of this method is that you will no longer be able to use Spotlight to search for your files. However, you can still use it to launch apps and search for messages, contacts, and other types of data.<\/p>\n<p>If that\u2019s all right, open System Preferences by clicking the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen and selecting \u201cSystem Preferences.\u201d When System Preferences opens, click \u201cSpotlight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-716713\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/mac_system_preferences_click_spotlight.jpg\" alt=\"In System Preferences, click &quot;Spotlight.&quot;\" width=\"650\" height=\"195\"\/><\/p>\n<p>In Spotlight, click the \u201cPrivacy\u201d tab, and you\u2019ll see a list labeled \u201cPrevent Spotlight from searching these locations.\u201d By using this, we can prevent Spotlight from putting files in the \u201cRecents\u201d folder. Click the \u201cplus\u201d button (\u201c+\u201d) to add a folder.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-716712\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/spotlight_privacy_plus.jpg\" alt=\"In Spotlight preferences, click the &quot;Privacy&quot; tab, then click the &quot;Plus&quot; button.\" width=\"650\" height=\"498\"\/><\/p>\n<p>In the window that appears, select \u201cMacintosh HD\u201d from the drop-down menu near the top of the window. This will include all of the files on your main hard drive. When it asks for confirmation, click \u201cOK.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-716710\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/choose_macintosh_hd.jpg\" alt=\"Select &quot;Macintosh HD&quot; from the drop down menu, then click &quot;Choose.&quot;\" width=\"650\" height=\"377\"\/><\/p>\n<p>After that, you\u2019ll see \u201cMacintosh HD\u201d in the exclusion list.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-716709\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/spotlight_machd_prevented.jpg\" alt=\"You'll see &quot;Macintosh HD&quot; in the list of locations to exclude from Spotlight searches.\" width=\"650\" height=\"154\"\/><\/p>\n<p>If you want to exclude files from external drives as well, press the \u201cplus\u201d button again and add them to the \u201cPrevent Spotlight from searching these locations\u201d list.<\/p>\n<p>Close System Preferences, then open the \u201cRecents\u201d folder in Finder by selecting Go &gt; Recents. The window should be blank. If there are still files listed, then they are located on external drives. Go back to System Preferences &gt; Spotlight &gt; Privacy and add more drives to the exclusion list.<\/p>\n<p>The good <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> is that you can still use Spotlight to search for other items, including apps, contacts, and messages, but your \u201cRecents\u201d folder will stay empty. Now casual snoopers who might be peeking over your shoulder won\u2019t know what you\u2019ve been working on.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How to Use macOS&#8217; Spotlight Like a Champ<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/716661\/how-to-hide-or-disable-the-recents-folder-on-the-mac\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#How to Hide or Disable the \u201cRecents\u201d Folder on the Mac&#8221; By default, new Macs open a \u201cRecents\u201d folder when you open a new Finder window. If you don\u2019t want to see your recent files every time you open a window (or see it on the sidebar), you can hide or disable it. Here\u2019s how&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":207317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/mac_finder_icon_hero_1.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-207316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207316"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207316\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}