Whenever you open a new Finder window on a Mac, you are likely greeted by the “Recents” folder. This dynamic folder aggregates every single file, photo, document, and download you have recently opened or created, regardless of where it is actually saved on your hard drive.
For many users, this is a massive privacy risk, especially in an office environment or if you frequently share your screen over Zoom. One click on the Finder icon instantly exposes your most confidential spreadsheets, personal photos, and recent web downloads to anyone looking at your screen. You can completely remove this folder from the Finder sidebar to protect your privacy.
How to Remove the Recents Folder from the Sidebar
You can customize the Finder sidebar to hide the Recents shortcut completely.
- Click on the Finder icon (the smiling blue face) in your Mac Dock to open a new Finder window.
- Look at the very top of your screen (the macOS menu bar) and click on Finder.
- Select Settings… (or Preferences… on older macOS versions) from the drop-down menu.
- A small settings window will appear. Click on the Sidebar tab at the top of this window.
- You will see a list of checkboxes controlling what appears in the left column of your Finder windows.
- Locate the checkbox labelled Recents (usually at the very top of the list).
- Uncheck the Recents box.
The change is instantaneous. The “Recents” shortcut will vanish from the left-hand column of all open Finder windows, ensuring your recent activity remains private.
How to Stop Finder from Opening ‘Recents’ by Default
Even if you remove it from the sidebar, opening a new Finder window might still default to showing the Recents view. You must change the default starting folder as well.
- In the same Finder Settings window, click on the General tab at the top.
- Look for the setting labelled New Finder windows show:.
- Click the drop-down menu next to it (which is likely currently set to “Recents”).
- Select a safer, static folder instead, such as your Desktop, your Home folder (your username), or Documents.
Now, whenever you click the Finder icon, it will open to a standard directory, keeping your recent file history completely hidden.