The Smart Folder Clutter
The macOS Finder window features a sidebar on the left designed to give you quick access to important locations. By default, Apple includes a “Smart Folder” at the top of this list called “Recents” (or “Recently Added”). This is not a real folder; it is an active search query that constantly scans your hard drive to display every single file you have opened, downloaded, or modified in the last few days.
While this sounds useful in theory, in practice, it is often a chaotic mess of system logs, hidden temporary files, random image downloads, and scattered documents. For users who prefer a clean, meticulously organized file structure, clicking on “Recents” is visually overwhelming and practically useless. You can easily remove it from your sidebar to keep your Finder clean.
How to Remove ‘Recents’ from the Sidebar
You can customize the Finder sidebar directly within the Finder preferences.
- Click the Finder icon (the smiling blue face) in your Dock to open a new Finder window.
- Look at the top menu bar (next to the Apple Logo), click on Finder, and select Settings… (or Preferences).
- In the popup window, click on the Sidebar tab at the top.
- This tab displays a list of every item allowed in your sidebar. Under the “Favorites” section, look for Recents.
- Uncheck the box next to “Recents.”
The “Recents” icon will instantly vanish from all open Finder windows. The files themselves are perfectly safe and remain in their original locations; you have simply removed the chaotic, auto-generated shortcut from your primary navigation menu.