How to View Recently Opened Files in Windows 11/10

Windows system has many features that allow a user to maintain the consistency of the workflow. Viewing recently opened files is one of the useful features. And much like other features, it is also very important to watch what we are doing at a glance.

Luckily, going through all recent use files can be done in several ways. If you don’t know how to view recently opened files in Windows 11/10, follow this super easy tutorial till the end to get to know everything.

How to View Recently Opened Files in Windows 11/10

Viewing recently used or open files in Windows is simple and easy to accomplish. You can use several ways to get help in this particular matter. So without wasting time, let’s dive deep into the processes.

1. Use Start Menu

Windows 11’s start menu is more than enough to get started on anything. You can set a curated app list as pinned app. Right after the app list, you can see all the recent files you have opened, edited, and read.

In the recommended section, you will get all six recent files. But if you want more details about recent files, click the more button. It will show you up to twenty files you have worked on recently. Either you can open the file from the list or you can remove the file as well.

However, many users have found an issue with not showing recent files in the recommended section. Chances are you may have disabled its settings. To fix this, here’s what you need to follow.

1. Press Windows start > Settings > Personalization.
2. Then click on Start.
3. Next enable the toggle button to Show recently opened items in Start, jump lists, and File Explorer. It will show recent files on the Start menu.

Alternative Way

1. Press Windows start button, and then click on All apps.
2. Now right click on any particular app.
3. It will show you the most recent activity on that specific app.

2. Quick Access in File Explorer

If you are looking for another way to get all recent files under your control, quick access in File Explorer is sure to help in this regard. And most importantly, it is one of the simplest and easiest processes.

1. Press Windows start > search for File Explorer > open it.
2. Click on the Quick Access. It will show all recent files that you have opened along with folders. Isn’t it a good idea?

If you can’t see recent files you have disabled them. You need to follow these steps to enable it again.

1. Press Windows start > search for File Explorer > open it.
2. Now click on three dots and select options.
3. Under the general tab, tick on the show recently used files.

3. Check the Recently Files/Activities of an App Using the Start Menu Search bar

With the help of this, you can see all recent activity of any specific app and software. you can jump into the work directly from the recent activity list. But the only drawback is that it won’t show every app.

1. Click on the search bar or press Windows + I.
2. Now type the app name in the search box. For example, we have searched for Google Chrome. Let’s have a look. It shows some frequent visit pages and recently visited. So, like this, you can also search other apps to check recent activity in the app. On some other apps, you can view files.

4. Advanced Way to Check Recently Opened Files

This is quite an advanced method, but worth one to know all recent opening files. Here, it supports a long list rather than showing only twenty activities.

1. Press Windows + R to open the Run tool.
2. Now type this command and hit enter button.

   %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\

3. It will land you all recent activities on File Explorer. Now you can do whatever you want right away from here such as deleting, removing, and opening the content.

If you want to clear all recently opened file lists, then follow this process.

1. Open File Explorer > three dots > options.
2. From the general tab, click on the Clear of clear File Explorer history. And click on the Ok button.

Final Words

So these are the best methods to solve how you can view recently opened files in Windows 10/11. Whatever method you try, every method is useful for a different perspective. However, if you are facing any issues with progressing further, let us know in the comment section.