Whenever you open a document, watch a video, or view an image in Ubuntu Linux, the GNOME desktop environment automatically records that action and saves a shortcut to the file in a hidden database. This data is then used to populate the “Recent” tab in your file manager, allowing you to quickly jump back to files you were recently working on.
While this feature is convenient for productivity, it is a significant privacy concern if you share a computer or frequently present your screen in meetings. Anyone who opens your file manager will instantly see a chronological list of every single file you have looked at recently, including personal documents, financial spreadsheets, or private photos.
If you want to maintain your privacy, you can instruct Ubuntu to permanently stop recording your file history.
How to Disable the “Recent Files” Tracking
You can turn off file tracking entirely from the GNOME Privacy settings.
- Open the Settings application in Ubuntu.
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar, click on Privacy.
- In the right pane, click on File History & Trash.
- Look at the top of the window for a toggle switch labeled File History.
- Turn this toggle to the Off position.
- To immediately purge the existing database, click the Clear History… button located just below the toggle switch. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
From this moment forward, the “Recent” tab in your Nautilus file manager will remain completely blank. The operating system will no longer log the media or documents you open, ensuring your digital footprints are thoroughly erased the moment you close a file.