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The Windows 10 taskbar is full of handy features. And sometimes unknown. This is especially the case with shortcut lists or suggestions. In fact, everyone knows that you can place in this bar software that you use frequently to have them constantly in front of you and open them with a single click – much more convenient than launching software placed on the Desktop, which requires a double click, and which are often hidden by various windows. But few people know that you can also find recently or frequently used items in each application and open them directly.
This is the role of shortcut lists, which act as suggestion lists for very quick access to documents or websites, for example. Using them is very easy.
How to Access the Shortcut Lists on Windows 10?
There is no need to make any settings to access the shortcut lists, the function being activated by default in Windows 10.
- Right-click on the icon of a program placed in the Windows taskbar.
- A contextual menu appears, with different sections with variable but very clear titles(Recent, Frequent, Recently closed, Most visited, etc.). Depending on the case, these are documents used, websites visited, videos watched, etc. Simply left-click on an item in the list to open it directly in the selected application.
The list of shortcuts not only includes recently or frequently used items, but also basic functions of each program, in a section calledTasks. For example, if you right-click on the Firefox icon, you’ll see three suggestions: Open Tab, Open New Window, New Private Window.
How Do I Pin Items to A List of Shortcuts?
- If you want to keep an item in the list permanently – for example, a document you come back to often – just click the pin symbol that appears to the right of the item when you hover over the list. The pinned item will then be permanently displayed in the list as a favorite. It will be placed in a new section called naturally Pinned.
- You can of course pin as many items as you like in a list by repeating the operation and thus build up a list of favorites, even in programs that do not offer this function by default.
How to Delete Items from Shortcuts Lists?
- When you no longer need a pinned item, simply click on the pin symbol to its right. It will then be removed from the list of pinned items, but will appear again in the recently used items section.
- To remove an item from the list, regardless of which section it is in, right click on its name. In the mini pop-up menu that appears, click on the Remove from this list option. It will be permanently deleted and will no longer appear in the list.
How to Disable the Display of Recent Items in the Shortcut Lists?
As useful as they are in everyday life, shortcut lists can pose privacy problems. Indeed, anyone who has access to your computer can, without even opening the software placed in the taskbar, see the name of the documents you have recently used… Of course, you can manually delete private items, as explained above. But you can also decide not to use this function and disable it, at least temporarily.
- Click on the Windows Start menu, then on Settings.
- In the window that appears, click on the Personalization section.
- The contents of the window will change. Click on the Start section in the left-hand column.
- Then scroll down the right side of the window, and turn off the switch under the heading Show recently opened items in the Shortcut Lists of theThe switch is set toOn by default.
- The effect is immediate and general. Recent items will no longer be displayed in the shortcut lists – which will still offer the basic tasks of each application.
Of course, you can reactivate this function at any time, by changing the status of the switch. But you will have to wait a little while to see recent items displayed again in the lists, because everything will have been deleted.