How to Hide Recent Apps in Stage Manager on Mac

Apple's Stage Manager in macOS 13 Ventura organizes open windows into a single-app focus area with a strip of recent applications displayed along the left edge of the screen. If you find this sidebar distracting or need more screen space, you can easily hide the recent applications list while keeping Stage Manager active. This guide explains how to hide the recent apps dock using both System Settings and Control Center, along with how to reveal them when needed.

Hide Recent Apps Using System Settings

  1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of the screen and select System Settings.
  2. In the sidebar, click Desktop & Dock.
  3. Scroll down to the Stage Manager section. Ensure the Stage Manager toggle is switched on.
  4. Click the Customize... button directly beneath the toggle.
  5. Turn off the switch next to Recent applications.
  6. Click Done to save your changes.

The strip of application thumbnails on the left side of your display will disappear immediately, providing a full-width workspace.

Hide Recent Apps Using Control Center

  1. Click the Control Center icon (two toggle switches) in the top-right menu bar.
  2. Click the small arrow next to Stage Manager or click the Stage Manager tile directly.
  3. Uncheck the Recent Applications option from the dropdown menu.

How to View Recent Apps When Hidden

Hiding the recent applications dock does not disable the quick-switching functionality. To bring the recent apps back into view temporarily, move your mouse cursor to the left edge of the screen. The dock of recent windows will slide out, allowing you to click and switch to another app. Once you move your cursor back to your active window, the recent apps dock will automatically hide itself again.