How to show or hide Recent Files on Start Menu in Windows 11

Recent files on the Windows 11 Start menu ⊞ appear in the Recommended section at the bottom of the screen to help you quickly jump back into documents and photos you opened lately. Turning off this feature clears the list so nobody else can see what you worked on last.

You can hide recent files by opening the Settings ⚙️ app, going to Personalization, and clicking Start. From there, turn off the switch for “Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer 📁.”

Option 1Using Settings to Show or Hide Recent Files

The Settings app provides a quick way to show or hide recent files. Open Settings, select Personalization, and click Start to locate the visibility controls.

1. Open the Settings app. You can do this by pressing the Win+I on your keyboard.
2. In the Settings ⚙️ window, click on Personalization in the left-hand menu. Then, on the right side, click on Start.
3. Look for the section labeled Layout options. You will see an option called “Show recent and suggested files.”

   • To show recent files: Make sure the box next to this option is checked. This is the default setting.
   • To hide recent files: Uncheck the box next to this option.
4. You can now close the Settings ⚙️ app.

Option 2Using the Registry Editor to Show or Hide Recent Files

If you prefer using the Registry Editor, you can also show or hide recent files on your Windows 11 Start Menu ⊞. Before you start, remember that editing the registry can be risky, so back it up first, and administrator rights are required for these steps.

Open the Run Box

1. Press Windows key + R on your keyboard at the same time. The “Run” box will appear.

Start the Registry Editor

1. In the “Open:” field of the Run box, type regedit.
2. Press Enter or click “OK.”

1. The Registry Editor looks a bit like File Explorer 📁. You need to go to a specific section called a “key.”
2. Carefully type or copy and paste this path into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Start
3. Press Enter after you paste the path. This will take you to the correct spot.

Find or Create “ShowSuggestedFiles”

1. Look at the right side of the Registry Editor window. You are looking for something called ShowSuggestedFiles.
2. It might already be there. If not, don’t worry.

How to create it if it’s missing:

1. Right-click on 🖱️ an empty space on the right side.
2. A menu will appear. Move your mouse over “New.”
3. Click on “DWORD (32-bit) Value.”
4. A new item will appear. Type ShowSuggestedFiles and press .

Set the Value

To show recent files:

Change the value of a setting called ShowSuggestedFiles to 1.

To hide recent files:

Change the value of a setting called ShowSuggestedFiles to 0.

Summary:

Users can control whether recent files appear in the Windows 11 Start menu using the Settings app. For more advanced users, the Registry Editor offers an alternative approach, though caution remains vital.