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There are many ways in which your Mac logs and displays your recent activity to make it easier to find things you’ve been working on. This is usually very useful. However, if you share your Mac with other users, work in a communal area, or just don’t anyone to see your Recents, you may want to clear that recent activity. In this article, we’ll show you how to do that.

There is an easy way to clear recent activity on your Mac, whether it’s Recent Items on your Mac or websites you’ve visited recently in any web browser. CleanMyMac X’s Privacy module can do all of that and protect your privacy in lots of other ways, such as revoking permissions for apps that have access to your webcam or microphone.

What is the Recents folder on your Mac?

As we said, there are several ways in which your Mac allows you to access things you’ve been working on quickly. One of those is the Recents folder that appears in the sidebar of Finder windows, and which, when your Mac is new, is the place where new Finder windows open.

That folder is what’s known as a Smart Folder. It doesn’t exist as a real folder with contents; it contains shortcuts to files according to the smart search parameters used to create the folder. In this case, those parameters are recently-opened files.

You can’t delete the Recents folder since it doesn’t exist. However, you can remove it from the Finder sidebar so that it’s much more difficult to access (Note that it will still be accessible from the Finder’s Go menu or by pressing Command-Shift-F).

How to turn off recents in Finder

  1. Open Finder from the Dock.
  2. From the Finder menu, choose Preferences.
  3. Select Sidebar in the tabs at the top of the window that opens.
  4. Uncheck the box next to Recents.
  5. Click the red button to close the Preferences window.

Now, the Recents tab will disappear from Finder.

How to clear Recent Items on your Mac

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Recent Items may sound similar to the Recents folder, but it is completely different. It’s accessible from the Apple menu and tracks the most recently-opened applications and files, and the servers to which you have most recently connected.

Clearing the list of recent items is easy:

  1. Go to the Apple menu and select Recent Items.
  2. Move the pointer down to the bottom of the list and click Clear Menu.

That will remove all items from the menu. However, it won’t stop the list from filling in again as you use your Mac. You just have to remember to clear it when you’re finished.

How to delete recent searches in a web browser

Your browsing history also gives out your recent activity. So, it’s better to clear the history before someone else will take over your Mac.

Safari

  • Launch Safari and click the History menu.
  • Mouse down to Clear History and select it.

You can also clear history in Safari, by choosing Show History from the History menu and pressing the Clear History button. And you can remove individual items by right-clicking or Control-clicking them and selecting Delete.

Chrome

  • Launch Chrome and click the History menu.
  • Choose Show Full History.
  • Select Clear browsing data from the sidebar.
  • In the window that opens, select Browsing History and press Clear Data.
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Alternatively, to remove individual pages, check the box next to the page in the History tab and press Delete.

Firefox

  • Launch Firefox and click the History menu.
  • To clear all pages from your History, choose Clear Recent History, or
  • To remove individual pages, select Show All History.
  • If you want to delete a page from your history, right-click or Control-click it and choose Delete Page. To remove all the pages associated with a particular site, choose Forget About this Site.

If you use a web browser other than those listed above, the process is very similar. Locate the history menu and look for an option to delete recent sites, or view all history and look for the option there.

You can also remove recent files from Apple apps like Text Edit and Pages.

  1. Click the File menu.
  2. Choose “Open recent.”
  3. Select Clear Menu.

Some-third party apps offer similar features, so if you want to clear recent files in an app, start with the File menu and look for an option to open recent files. There should also be an option to clear them.

How to clear recent files the easy way

CleanMyMac X’s Privacy module has several tools to help you prevent others from tracking your activity on your Mac. Here is how to use it.

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  1. Download CleanMyMac X, install and launch the app.
  2. Choose the Privacy module and press Scan.
  3. Quit open browsers, if asked.
  4. Check the box next to the Recent Items Lists.
  5. To clear browser history, click each browser listed and check the box next to Browsing History.
  6. When you’re done, press Remove.

You will have noticed that the Privacy module also allows you to revoke application permissions to access your camera, microphone, or particular folders on your Mac. You can also clear the list of Wi-Fi networks you’ve connected to. This will prevent your Mac from automatically connecting to the unsecure open hotspots.

Clearing recent items isn’t as simple as it sounds. Those recent items are stored and logged in multiple places on your Mac, depending on what apps and browsers you use. However, by following the steps above, you can clear up most of your activity traces, preventing others who have access to your Mac from tracking your activity. If you use CleanMyMac X, it’s even easier, and you’ll have access to several other privacy tools.

Start up from macOS Recovery

Determine whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps:

Apple silicon

Turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window. Click the gear icon labeled Options, then click Continue.

Intel processor

Make sure that your Mac has a connection to the internet. Then turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Command (⌘)-R until you see an Apple logo or other image.

If you're asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user, click Next, then enter their administrator password.

Reinstall macOS

Select Reinstall macOS from the utilities window in macOS Recovery, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.

Follow these guidelines during installation:

  • If the installer asks to unlock your disk, enter the password you use to log in to your Mac.
  • If the installer doesn't see your disk, or it says that it can't install on your computer or volume, you might need to erase your disk first.
  • If the installer offers you the choice between installing on Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD - Data, choose Macintosh HD.
  • Allow installation to complete without putting your Mac to sleep or closing its lid. Your Mac might restart and show a progress bar several times, and the screen might be empty for minutes at a time.

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After installation is complete, your Mac might restart to a setup assistant. If you're selling, trading in, or giving away your Mac, press Command-Q to quit the assistant without completing setup. Then click Shut Down. When the new owner starts up the Mac, they can use their own information to complete setup.

How Do You Clear Downloads On A Mac

Other macOS installation options

When you install macOS from Recovery, you get the current version of the most recently installed macOS, with some exceptions:

  • On an Intel-based Mac: If you use Shift-Option-Command-R during startup, you're offered the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available. If you use Option-Command-R during startup, in most cases you're offered the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac. Otherwise you're offered the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.
  • If the Mac logic board was just replaced, you may be offered only the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac. If you just erased your entire startup disk, you may be offered only the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.

You can also use these methods to install macOS, if the macOS is compatible with your Mac:

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  • Use the App Store to download and install the latest macOS.
  • Use the App Store or a web browser to download and install an earlier macOS.
  • Use a USB flash drive or other secondary volume to create a bootable installer.