Numbers and Pages 'Open Recent' menu is empty

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Level 1

8 points

Numbers and Pages 'Open Recent' menu is empty

Hey, I don't know what caused this, but the Apple Numbers and Pages "Open Recent" feature no longer lists recents.

Am running Mac Mini M4, 64 GB; Tahoe 26.5.1; Numbers/Pages both v.15.2.1. I've run system maintenance routines, reinstalled the OS and the apps. "Open Recent" remains empty in both apps—a state that I've come to realize provided me with small but important victories every day. My style has been cramped.

BTW: The Recent documents, applications, and servers setting is nowhere to be found in Desktop & Dock or General.

Your assistance, please.

Posted on Jun 29, 2026 12:56 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

VikingOSX

Level 10

127,312 points

Jun 29, 2026 1:11 PM in response to seaf

Pages v15.2.1 does not read the Open Recent menu from Pages v14.4 or v14.5. Same story with Numbers and Keynote.

As you use Pages v15.2.1 whether opening and saving existing Pages documents, or creating and saving new ones, the Open Recent menu will begin to establish entries.

System Settings > Menu Bar : Recent documents, applications, and servers.

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Answer 2

VikingOSX

Level 10

127,312 points

Jul 2, 2026 7:09 AM in response to seaf

There have been years of posts in the communities about the havoc created by using Clean My Mac — and the warnings not to use it. You can save yourself considerable future grief by completely uninstalling Clean My Mac.

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Answer 3

VikingOSX

Level 10

127,312 points

Jun 30, 2026 4:08 AM in response to seaf

Open, change, save and close a document on your local drive. See if the Open Recents begins to populate under those conditions.

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Answer 4

seaf Author

Level 1

8 points

Jul 1, 2026 2:54 PM in response to VikingOSX

Glad it's working for you. My lot hasn't changed, even after trashing my boot drive and reinstalling Tahoe, Numbers and Pages. My sanity being at risk, I called Apple. Come to find out that there's a bulletin that acknowledges the Open Recent failure. The release even includes steps that might solve the problem. They didn't, but Engineering is on the case, and I'm expecting news Saturday morning. Yeah, my guy is working on the fourth, on the day he hopes to grant me Open Recent independence! If successful, I'll post something here. Again, thanks for your help. You helped me keep hope alive. And may the fourth b... well, you know.

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Answer 5

VikingOSX

Level 10

127,312 points

Jun 30, 2026 10:13 AM in response to seaf

You can uninstall Pages, Numbers, or Keynote just by dragging and dropping them into the Trash and emptying the Trash. Get rid of Clean My Mac before it does real damage as others before you have regretted.

It would be highly unusual to not find Pages in your Applications folder and an Open status in the Mac App Store for the application. Not in my experience. I am not referring to the Applications folder in your home directory, but the one displayed in the Dock's Apps utility, or the Finder Window Favorites.

I just cleared my Numbers v15.2.1 Open Recent menu. I then opened and saved a blank Numbers sheet and it immediately appeared in my Numbers Open Recent menu. Something is amiss on your Mac, and I would lay the blame at least with Cocktail and Clean My Mac — two invaders I purposely exclude from my Macs.

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Answer 6

seaf Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 29, 2026 1:41 PM in response to VikingOSX

Menu Bar. Ah. Thanks. Google AI sent me elsewhere...

So I've tested your direction and set recent documents, applications, and servers to 10. I've opened and closed docs to populate Open Recent.

It remains empty.

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Answer 7

VikingOSX

Level 10

127,312 points

Jun 30, 2026 4:12 AM in response to seaf

Google AI is frequently wrong because it was trained on past information. With Apple, what is past is often not prologue because they change stuff.

Have questions about Pages? Ask here. No AI nonsense… 😎

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Answer 8

seaf Author

Level 1

8 points

Jun 30, 2026 5:20 AM in response to VikingOSX

Thanks for working with me on this. It's appreciated.

I opened, changed, and saved four Numbers docs on boot drive. Only item listed in Open Recent is Clear Menu. I went to the Application folder to check if my Apple Creators Studio apps, i.e., Pixelmator Pro, Keynote, Numbers and Pages were somehow bundled. They weren't, but (and imagine my surprise) neither Numbers nor Pages were present in the folder. Keynote, however, was! I then went to the App Store to check app status. Were the apps actually downloaded and installed? Apparently they were. Download was unavailable on the App Store. Open was the only option. I ran Cocktail to check for preferences corruption. No corruption.

I have the Clean My Mac utility (v.5.5.4). I opened it to uninstall and then re-install Numbers and Pages again. The two are nowhere to be found in the utility's app list. Is there a ghost in my machine?

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