How to Hide Recent Items for Apps in Windows 10

To hide recent files shown when you right-click an app in Windows 10, turn off the system-wide recent-items switch. Open Settings > Personalization > Start, then turn off Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar and in File Explorer Quick Access. The wording can vary slightly by Windows 10 build. This setting applies across apps that use Windows Jump Lists; Windows does not provide a built-in switch for just one app.

What the recent-items setting controls

A Jump List is the menu that appears when you right-click an app on the Start menu or taskbar. Depending on the app, it can show recently opened files, folders, or websites alongside pinned entries and app commands. Windows also uses the recent-items setting for File Explorer Quick Access. Microsoft lists the control under Settings > Personalization > Start and describes it as the way to show or hide recently opened items.

Turning the switch off changes what Windows displays in these places. It does not delete the files themselves, clear a program’s own Recent page, erase browser history, or remove items you pinned. If you need to hide a particular document from every place where it might appear, check the app that opened it as well.

Hide recent items in Windows 10

1. Open Settings. Press Windows+I. You can also open Start and select the gear-shaped Settings icon.
2. Go to Personalization > Start. Select Personalization in Settings, then choose Start in the left pane.
3. Turn off the recent-items switch. Find the option that mentions recently opened items and Jump Lists. On many Windows 10 PCs, its full label is “Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar and in File Explorer Quick Access.” Select the switch so it reads Off.
4. Check an app’s menu. Right-click an app on the taskbar or Start menu. Windows should no longer list recent files in its Jump List. Open File Explorer and check Quick Access too. Pinned items or app-provided commands can still appear.

Can you hide recent items for only one app?

Not with the Windows 10 switch. It controls the Windows recent-items display across apps, so turning it off for privacy in one program also removes recent-item listings from other apps’ Jump Lists and from the Windows surfaces covered by that setting.

For a single app, look for a separate history or privacy option inside that program. Some desktop apps maintain their own “Recent” list in a File or Open menu; that list can be independent of Windows Jump Lists. You can also remove or unpin an individual entry from an app menu when the app offers that command, but doing so only affects that menu entry. It does not remove the original file or necessarily clear the app’s internal history.

Why might something still appear?

• It is pinned. A pinned file or shortcut is intended to stay in a Jump List. The recent-items switch does not remove pinned entries.
• The app has its own history. A program’s Recent screen or browser history may be managed separately from Windows.
• You are looking at a different File Explorer item. Quick Access can also contain pinned folders and other navigation shortcuts; hiding recent files does not remove those folders.
• A work or school policy controls the setting. If the switch is unavailable, changes back on, or does not behave as expected, an administrator may be enforcing the policy.

Group Policy on managed Windows 10 PCs

On editions that include Local Group Policy Editor, an administrator can use Do not keep history of recently opened documents under User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar. Microsoft’s current policy reference also describes the related Hide recent jumplists setting. Enabling a policy can prevent Windows and apps from creating or displaying recent-document shortcuts, and users may not be able to change the behavior in Settings. The editor is not included in every Windows edition, and a company-managed computer may receive its policy from the organization. See Microsoft’s policy documentation before changing a managed PC.

Does turning the switch off erase the old list?

Treat the switch as a display control, not as a secure deletion tool. Windows policy documentation notes that shortcuts saved before a history policy is enabled can reappear if the policy is later removed. App-specific histories may also remain inside their programs. If you are protecting sensitive information, clear the relevant app history separately and review any pinned entries rather than relying on the Windows toggle alone.

Microsoft references

• Microsoft Support: show or hide recently opened items in Start settings
• Microsoft Support: access and control Jump Lists from the taskbar
• Microsoft Learn: policy settings for recent items and Jump Lists
• Microsoft Support: File Explorer and Quick Access