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How to Stop Office Files from Appearing in Quick Access
Question details
The user wants to completely remove or hide the Quick Access or recent-file area in the Microsoft Office Open and Save interfaces.
- Product
- Microsoft Office
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Opening or saving documents in Microsoft Office without exposing previously accessed files on the Home or Open screens.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft Office automatically displays recently opened files in the Quick Access area, and there is no standard built-in setting to completely disable or hide this section in the Backstage view.
Note that Microsoft Office does not offer a native toggle to completely disable the Quick Access section in the Backstage view. The methods below utilize keyboard shortcuts and legacy dialog boxes to bypass this screen.
Use Keyboard Shortcuts and Bypass Backstage View
Configure Office to bypass the Backstage view entirely when using keyboard shortcuts, allowing you to use classic file dialogs that don't display recent files.
By changing how Office handles saving and opening via shortcuts, you can skip the screen that displays your Quick Access files and go straight to the Windows File Explorer dialog.
Open your Office application (like Word or Excel), click on 'File' in the top-left corner, and select 'Options' at the bottom of the menu.
In the Options window, click on 'Save' in the left sidebar. Check the box that says 'Don't show the Backstage when opening or saving files with keyboard shortcuts', then click 'OK'.
Press 'Ctrl + F12' on your keyboard to directly launch the legacy Open dialog, completely bypassing the Quick Access and recent files screen.
Add the Classic Open Command to the Quick Access Toolbar
Create a one-click button at the top of your Office window that opens the classic file explorer dialog instead of the recent files list.
Clear Unpinned Items and Submit Feedback
Manually clear your recent items list to maintain immediate privacy, and send a feature request to Microsoft for a permanent toggle.
Try WPS Office for a Cleaner, More Customizable Experience
If Microsoft Office's forced Quick Access and Backstage view disrupt your workflow or privacy, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a highly customizable, user-friendly interface with excellent compatibility with all standard document formats—completely free.
- 1. Download and Install: Visit the official WPS Office website to download the free installer and follow the simple on-screen instructions.
- 2. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office and open your existing Microsoft Office files directly; your formatting will remain perfectly intact.
- 3. Customize Your View: Explore the settings to tailor your startup page and recent file views according to your exact privacy needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I permanently disable the Recent Files list in Office 365?
No, Microsoft Office currently does not provide a native setting to permanently disable or hide the Quick Access or Recent Files section in the Backstage view. The best workaround is to bypass the Backstage view using legacy dialogs.
Does changing the 'Show this number of Recent Documents' to zero work?
Setting the recent documents count to zero in Options > Advanced will clear the list from the left sidebar menu, but it may not completely remove the Quick Access recommendations from the Home screen in newer versions of Office.
What does the 'Don't show the Backstage' option actually do?
This setting forces Office to bypass the full-screen menu view (which displays your recent files and account info) and instead opens the classic Windows File Explorer dialog when you use standard keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+O or Ctrl+S.
