Display More Files in the Recent File List in Word 2016

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:

1. Click on File in the top menu.

2. Select Options in the left bar to open the Word Options window.

3. Select Advanced in the left bar.

4. Scroll down to the Display subsection.

5. 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.