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Display More Files in the Recent File List in Word 2016

Control how many documents are displayed in your Recent Documents list

By James Marshall James Marshall Writer James Marshall is a pro journalist who covers technology and computer troubleshooting. He is also skilled with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and other word processors. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 16, 2021 Reviewed by Ryan Perian Reviewed by Ryan Perian Western Governors University Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Word Excel Powerpoint Outlook Microsoft Word 2016 in the Microsoft 365 suite gives you quick access to files you've recently worked on. Did you know you can change the number of documents that appear there? Here's how to customize this list to make your word processing fast and efficient. Your Recent Documents list is found under the File menu located in the top menu of Word. Click Open in the left bar that appears. Select Recent, and to the right, you will see a list of your recent documents. Simply click the document you want to open it. If you haven't worked with any documents yet, this area will be empty.

Changing Recently Displayed Documents Setting

By default, Microsoft Word in the Microsoft 365 suite sets the number of recent documents to 25. You may change this number by following these simple steps: Click on File in the top menu. Select Options in the left bar to open the Word Options window. Select Advanced in the left bar. Scroll down to the Display subsection. Next to "Show this number of Recent Documents" set your preferred number of recent documents to be displayed.

Using the Quick Access List

You'll notice below this a checkbox item labeled "Quick access this number of Recent Documents." By default, this box is unchecked and is set to four documents. Checking this option will display a quick access list of your recent documents in the left bar immediately under the File menu, offering even faster access to past documents.

New Word 2016 Features

If you're new to Microsoft Word 2016, take a quick five-minute walkthrough of what's new. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Make Flashcards on Word Display Word Count in Microsoft Word 2013 How to Make a Brochure in Microsoft Word How to Use Text Boxes in Microsoft Word How to Insert a Page Break in Word How to Use Microsoft Word How to Indent in Word and Use Tabs and Rulers How to Insert a Document in Word How to Add Fonts to Word How to Hyperlink in Word Documents How to Add and Remove a Border From a Word Document How to Turn a PDF into a Word Document How to Remove a Page Break in Word How to Set Selection Preferences in Word 2016 How to Insert a Table in Microsoft Word 2013 Listing All the Macro Commands Available in Word Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies