Apparently, one cannot simply 'clear' the Macbook 'recent' lists without deleting the items (and I'm not talking about that useless recent clearing option within the apple icon). My question is Why can we not simply clear that cluttered Recent folder - without having to delete anything?
MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 13.5
Because it isn’t a folder, nor some list as the other recent items.
It is a Smart Folder which shows all items with a Last Used Date set in the Metadata.
Build your own Smart Folder with the criteria you want. Recents cannot be edited.
Create or change a Smart Folder on Mac - Apple Support
Because it isn’t a folder, nor some list as the other recent items.
It is a Smart Folder which shows all items with a Last Used Date set in the Metadata.
Build your own Smart Folder with the criteria you want. Recents cannot be edited.
Create or change a Smart Folder on Mac - Apple Support
As an addition to what Barney said: you cannot control what "Recents" show, so don't try.
I don't have on my Sidebar in Finder in any of my macs. I never saw any utility there.
There is a much better solution. Just create as many Smart Folders as you want, with criteria to show you the files that are relevant to you. You can, for example, set one for "pdf files opened today", for example, and it won't mix that with some code file that you never used or know what is for...
I just made this:
Now click Save, and keep it in the Sidebar, and there you have it.
This is just one minimal example, the criteria can be as simple or as complex as you like.
Recent folder
