The Cluttered Explorer
Windows 11 redesigned the File Explorer, placing a heavy emphasis on the “Home” or “Quick Access” view. By default, this landing page doesn’t just show your pinned folders; it also aggressively populates a “Recommended” or “Recent” section with individual files you have recently opened or that the operating system thinks you might want to work on next. While this can speed up returning to a document, it creates a massive privacy issue if you share your computer or frequently present your screen in meetings, as highly sensitive or private files are immediately broadcast the second you open File Explorer.
Cleaning Up Quick Access
To maintain your privacy and stop Windows 11 from automatically suggesting and displaying recent files in your File Explorer Home view, you must disable the recent files tracking feature.
Open File Explorer (Windows Key + E). Click the three horizontal dots (…) located on the top menu bar, on the far right side, and select Options from the dropdown menu. A new “Folder Options” dialogue box will appear. Ensure you are on the General tab. Look down to the Privacy section at the bottom. You will see checkboxes for “Show recently used files,” “Show frequently used folders,” and “Show files from Office.com.” Uncheck all of these boxes. Click the Clear button next to “Clear File Explorer history” to wipe the current slate clean, then click Apply and OK. Your File Explorer Home page will now only show the folders you explicitly pin to it.