Essential privacy management includes being able to clear your history. How do I erase the list of recent files that one sees when going the menu route in Finder: Go -> Recents (CMD-SHIFT-F) ?
I never use this anyhow. Is there a means to remove this un-secure menu item for good? Better yet: how do I stop macOS from making spying easy by indexing those into 'recents' in the first place?
You can't. It is just a search folder. You would have to remove the kMDItemLastUsedDate metadata from the files to remove them from the Recents search folder.
Anyone can just type a * in the search field of a Finder window, sort by date modified, and see all of your recent files. There is no bit of privacy management that can prevent that, either, short of disabling your Spotlight index.
Even then you can just open folders and sort by date modified which is file system data, so no way to disable or hide it.
The simplest way to prevent unwanted "spying" is to not let other people use your account.
Add on for useful information purposes Only
1 - If your Mac is lost or stolen - Apple Support (CA)
2 -
3 - Clear the Go to Folder History
In Terminal, run these two commands:
defaults delete com.apple.finder GoToField
defaults delete com.apple.finder GoToFieldHistory
Credit or above Terminal Command to @VikingOSX
P. Phillips wrote:
Add on for useful information purposes Only
1 - If your Mac is lost or stolen - Apple Support (CA)
2 -
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/50b6c9d2-05ef-4c02-b530-996a9404e267
3 - Clear the Go to Folder History
In Terminal, run these two commands:
defaults delete com.apple.finder GoToField
defaults delete com.apple.finder GoToFieldHistory
Credit or above Terminal Command to @VikingOSX
Those commands only disable the Go -> Recent Folders item. How does one re-enable it?
Jürgen-Lorenz Simon wrote:
P. Phillips wrote:
Add on for useful information purposes Only
1 - If your Mac is lost or stolen - Apple Support (CA)
2 -
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/50b6c9d2-05ef-4c02-b530-996a9404e267
3 - Clear the Go to Folder History
In Terminal, run these two commands:
defaults delete com.apple.finder GoToField
defaults delete com.apple.finder GoToFieldHistory
Credit or above Terminal Command to @VikingOSX
Those commands only disable the Go -> Recent Folders item. How does one re-enable it?
The operative Word is " Clear " the Go to Folder History.
No Mentioning of Disabling
The next time the User goes to a Normally Hidden Folder in the Home Folder - the History will reappear
If you're worried about your browser history then do you browsing in Private mode, Shift+Command+N gives you private window with will not be retained in the browser history.
You can remove the browser history with the History ➙ Clean History menu option:
and in the next window:
Tell Apple what missing features you'd like restored or new features added to the system via Feedback - macOS - Apple.
Reversing a Terminal Command, sorry to mention.
This is outside my area of expertise
There are some very Knowledgeable Contributors with way more experience in such matters
That is, if it can be even reversed
If fortunate enough, one or more of these More Expert Contributor may drop in with some insights
I find the recent folders tab useful, in that it's tucked at the bottom and requires a few steps to open.
For me what is obnoxiously intrusive is the "Recents" listed at the top of the list. I've removed it from the sidebar and yet whenever I click on finder it opens to reveal that entire tab. I have a brand new computer and I'm assaulted with a list of private files over ten years old with no clue how to clear. Someone at apple needs a punch in the face.
@Randall_2023 thanks! I already tried that, it had no bearing whatsoever on the content of the Go -> Recents list.
Barney-15E wrote:
Use mdls
Thanks! I can't seem to use this tool to alter or erase the attribute, though.
I admire your faith in the security of this system, but I do not share it. Also the answer is off topic. My question really is how I can remove this function or at least clear that list.
Thanks! I already found the solution for the folders. As for those commands, I just applied them. Do they require a reboot to kick in? I tried killing Finder, no avail.
If you want 100% security, you're going to have to accept 0% usability. There has to be a compromise.
Remove or clear 'Recents' list (CMD-SHIFT-F )
