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To open a Jump List, right-click an app’s taskbar icon. The menu can show recent or frequent files and websites, items you pinned, and shortcuts the app provides. This guide focuses on Windows 11; Windows 10 users can use the same basic steps, though labels and layouts may differ. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so it is no longer a supported current platform. Microsoft’s Windows support page explains the support status.
What is a Jump List?
A Jump List is a context menu attached to an app icon on the taskbar or, where the Start layout and app support it, in Start. It gives you shortcuts to things associated with that app without first opening its main window.
Depending on the app, the menu may contain:
- Recent items: files, folders, or websites you opened recently.
- Frequent items: items you use often.
- Pinned items: entries you chose to keep in the list.
- App commands: shortcuts such as opening a new window or starting a particular task.
Not every app offers all these sections—or a useful Jump List at all. Microsoft describes the taskbar list as a way to reach recent files, folders, websites, and frequently used features. See Microsoft’s taskbar guidance.
Open a Jump List
From the taskbar
- Find the app icon on the taskbar. It can be pinned there or represent an app that is currently running.
- Right-click the icon.
- Select a file, folder, website, or command from the menu.
On a touchscreen, press and hold the app icon until its menu appears, then tap an entry.
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From Start or with the keyboard
Open Start, find the app under Pinned or All apps, and right-click it—or press and hold it on a touchscreen. Start’s menus vary by Windows version and layout, and not every app exposes the same entries there; the taskbar is the most consistent place to find its Jump List.
For keyboard navigation, select an app and press Shift+F10 or the keyboard context-menu key to open its context menu. Use the arrow keys to move through the menu and Enter to choose an item. Microsoft documents keyboard context-menu use in Start.
Open a recent file, folder, or website
- Right-click the app’s taskbar icon.
- Look for a section labelled Recent, Frequent, or something similar. The wording depends on the app.
- Select the item you want.
A listed item may no longer work if it was moved, renamed, deleted, or stored on a disconnected drive, network share, removable disk, or unavailable cloud location. If it fails to open, check that the item is accessible. You can open the app and use its File > Open command to find the current location, then open it from there to create a fresh recent entry.
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Pin an item so it stays in the list
- Right-click the app’s taskbar icon.
- Right-click the item you want to keep.
- Choose Pin to this list, Pin to Jump List, or the equivalent option offered by the app.
Some apps also let you pin an item from their own recent-files menu or by dragging a file onto the app’s taskbar icon. These methods and commands are app-dependent. A pinned entry is different from one that appears automatically because it is recent or frequent. Turning off recent-item display should not be assumed to remove manually pinned entries; Microsoft’s policy documentation distinguishes pinned items from recent history. Read the Jump List policy details.
Remove or unpin an entry
To remove an entry, right-click the app’s taskbar icon, then right-click the item:
- Choose Unpin from this list to remove an item you pinned.
- Choose Remove from this list to remove an individual recent or frequent item, if the app offers that command.
This removes the shortcut from the list; it does not delete the underlying file. It may also leave a separate recent-files entry inside the app itself, such as an application’s own Open screen.
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Show or hide recent Jump List items
In Windows 11, open Settings > Personalization > Start, then switch Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar on or off. The label may vary slightly with Windows version, language, or update. Microsoft lists this setting under Personalization > Start. Check the taskbar settings guidance.
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Jump Lists are separate from File Explorer’s Home or Quick access area and from the files shown in Start’s Recommended area. They are also not Timeline: Microsoft says the Timeline experience was retired in Windows 11, while it remained a Windows 10 feature. Microsoft’s Timeline page explains the distinction.
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Clear Jump List history
Use the least disruptive option that solves the problem:
- Remove one entry: Right-click it and choose Remove from this list, if available. This is the most targeted option.
- Hide recent items: Turn off the Start setting above. This controls display of recent Jump List items, but is not a guaranteed reset of every app’s own history.
- Clear the cache (advanced): Consider this only if lists are stale or broken after trying the simpler steps. It can remove history and may also remove pinned entries.
Advanced: reset the Windows Jump List cache
Jump List data is stored in your user profile. The relevant folders include:
%APPDATA%MicrosoftWindowsRecentAutomaticDestinations
%APPDATA%MicrosoftWindowsRecentCustomDestinationsResetting these folders is broad, not a precise way to remove one item or repair one app. It may affect multiple apps and require you to pin entries again. Community troubleshooting on Microsoft Q&A describes these locations; treat cache deletion as a recovery step, not routine maintenance. See the cache-location discussion.
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- Close the affected app.
- Copy the contents of both folders to a backup location.
- Move or delete the cache files. Moving them to a backup folder is easier to undo.
- Restart Windows Explorer or sign out and back in.
- Reopen the app and test its Jump List. Re-pin important entries if needed.
Fix an empty or broken Jump List
Try these checks in order before resetting the cache:
- Confirm the app supports a list. Some apps provide only commands, and some do not register useful Jump List entries.
- Open supported items in the app. Open and close a few files or websites, then check the list again.
- Check the Windows setting. Go to Settings > Personalization > Start and make sure recent Jump Lists are enabled.
- Check the app’s own settings. Many apps manage recent-file history separately, so their privacy or history controls may affect what appears.
- Check for a work or school restriction. An administrator can suppress recent Jump List history through policy.
- Refresh Windows and the app. Close and reopen the app; if needed, restart Windows Explorer or sign out and back in.
- Compare with another app. If other apps have working lists, the issue is probably specific to the affected app.
- Back up before a cache reset. Use the advanced procedure above only if simpler checks fail.
If an obsolete path remains, remove that entry if possible, open the file from its new location, and pin the new entry if the app allows it. Resetting all cache files to fix one path can remove unrelated history and pins. App-specific lists may also retain their own old paths; for example, Microsoft Q&A discussions describe stale paths in Office Jump Lists. See the Excel path discussion.
Clear history automatically at sign-out
On managed computers, an administrator can use Group Policy at User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Start Menu and Taskbar > Clear history of recently opened documents on exit. Microsoft says this policy deletes shortcuts to recent documents at sign-out, including recent and frequent Jump List entries. Its documentation notes availability beginning with Windows 11 version 24H2 with KB5062660. This is mainly relevant to managed or shared PCs, and policy availability can depend on the device’s Windows edition and management setup. See Microsoft’s policy documentation.
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A different policy, Do not keep history of recently opened documents, includes a Hide recent jumplists setting. Microsoft says this hides recent and frequent files, folders, and websites in Jump Lists but does not prevent users from pinning items. It also does not necessarily remove shortcuts shown within an app’s own Open dialog. These are administrator settings, not a necessary fix for most home users.
Jump Lists, Quick access, and Start pins: which should you use?
| Feature | Best for | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Jump List | Recent or frequent items and app-specific actions | Right-click an app icon on the taskbar |
| File Explorer Home or Quick access | Folders and locations you want to reach while browsing files | Open File Explorer |
| Start pins | Keeping apps or supported shortcuts readily available in Start | Open Start |
| App’s recent list | History managed by a particular application | Often in the app’s File, Open, or home screen |
These are related conveniences, not interchangeable histories. Microsoft explains File Explorer Home and Quick access and Start-menu customization and pins.
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