How to Clear Recents in iCloud Drive
Managing your iCloud Drive can be a daunting task, especially when your recent files and folders start to pile up. Whether you’re looking to declutter your storage or simply want to keep your recent activity organized, clearing your recents in iCloud Drive is a straightforward process. In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps to clear recents in iCloud Drive on both your Mac and iOS devices.
Step 1: Accessing iCloud Drive on Your Mac
To begin, open the Finder on your Mac. In the sidebar, you’ll find an iCloud Drive icon. Click on it to open your iCloud Drive folder. If you can’t see the sidebar, you can enable it by going to “View” in the menu bar and selecting “Show Sidebar.”
Step 2: Finding the Recent Items Folder
Once you’re in your iCloud Drive, look for the “Recents” folder. This folder contains all the files and folders you’ve recently accessed or uploaded. To find it quickly, you can use the search bar at the top right corner of the Finder window and type “Recents.”
Step 3: Clearing Recents in iCloud Drive
With the Recents folder open, you have a couple of options to clear it. The first is to simply delete the files and folders you no longer need. To do this, select the items you want to remove and press the “Delete” key on your keyboard. Alternatively, you can right-click on the items and choose “Move to Trash.”
If you want to clear the entire Recents folder, you can right-click on the folder itself and select “Move to Trash.” This will delete all the files and folders within the Recents folder.
Step 4: Confirming the Deletion
After you’ve deleted the items or the entire Recents folder, a confirmation dialog will appear. Click “OK” to confirm the deletion. The deleted items will now be moved to the Trash folder on your Mac.
Step 5: Emptying the Trash
To permanently delete the items from your Mac, you need to empty the Trash. To do this, open the Trash folder and click on the “Empty Trash” button at the top right corner of the window. You’ll be prompted to confirm the action once more.
Step 6: Accessing iCloud Drive on Your iOS Device
If you’re using an iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad, the process is quite similar. Open the Files app, tap on “iCloud Drive,” and navigate to the “Recents” folder. From there, you can delete files and folders just as you did on your Mac.
Step 7: Clearing Recents on Your iOS Device
To clear the Recents folder on your iOS device, tap on the “Edit” button in the top right corner of the screen. Then, select all the items you want to delete and tap “Delete.” Confirm the deletion, and the items will be removed from your device.
Step 8: Syncing Changes to the Cloud
Once you’ve cleared your recents on both your Mac and iOS device, the changes will be synced to the cloud. This means that the cleared items will no longer appear in the Recents folder on any of your devices that are signed in to the same iCloud account.
By following these steps, you can easily clear recents in iCloud Drive and keep your storage organized. Remember to regularly review and manage your iCloud Drive to ensure you have enough space for your important files and folders.
