How to Hide Recent Files on Mac
Are you concerned about the privacy of your recent files on your Mac? Whether it’s for personal or professional reasons, hiding recent files can be a great way to protect your data from prying eyes. In this article, we will guide you through the steps to hide recent files on your Mac, ensuring that your private documents and files remain secure.
1. Using the Finder Preferences
One of the simplest ways to hide recent files on your Mac is by adjusting the Finder preferences. Here’s how you can do it:
1. Open the Finder application on your Mac.
2. Click on the “Finder” menu at the top left corner of the screen.
3. Select “Preferences” from the dropdown menu.
4. In the “General” tab, you will see an option called “Show these items in the sidebar.” Uncheck the box next to “Recent Items.”
5. Close the preferences window and exit the Finder.
This method will prevent the recent items from appearing in the Finder sidebar.
2. Using the Terminal
If you’re comfortable using the Terminal, you can hide recent files on your Mac by editing a specific file. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open the Terminal application on your Mac.
2. Type the following command and press Enter:
“`
defaults write com.apple.finder FXShowRecentFiles -bool false
“`
3. Restart the Finder application by opening the Finder and pressing Command + Option + Escape, then select “Force Quit” for the Finder process.
4. The recent items should now be hidden.
To unhide the recent items, follow the same steps and replace `false` with `true` in the Terminal command.
3. Hiding Individual Files
If you only want to hide specific files from appearing in the recent items list, you can do so by changing their file extensions. Here’s how:
1. Find the file you want to hide in the Finder.
2. Right-click on the file and select “Get Info.”
3. In the “General” tab, you will see the “Name and Extension” section. Click on the file extension (e.g., “.txt”) and drag it to the name field, effectively changing the file extension.
4. Rename the file to something else, such as “hidden.txt.”
5. The file will now be hidden and won’t appear in the recent items list.
Remember to change the file extension back to its original format if you want to access the file in the future.
Conclusion
Hiding recent files on your Mac is a simple and effective way to protect your privacy. By following the methods outlined in this article, you can ensure that your sensitive documents and files remain secure. Whether you choose to adjust the Finder preferences, use the Terminal, or hide individual files, you now have the knowledge to keep your data private on your Mac.
