Windows is jam-packed with features for speedy access to your files. To add to this growing list, Microsoft introduced Jump Lists with the launch of Windows 7, which has stuck around all the way to Windows 10 and Windows 11.

With Jump Lists, you get speedy access to files and features you use the most. Interested? If so, here's everything you need to know about Jump Lists on Windows.

What Are Jump Lists?

Jump Lists are simply lists of recently used files associated with a program that is pinned in the taskbar or the Start Menu. These lists serve as quick access points for pinned programs.

To open a Jump List, right-click on any pinned program in the taskbar or the Start Menu. The list of recently opened files that shows up is a Jump List.

Jump Lists in Windows

In addition to files, Jump Lists may also show program-specific tasks and functions. For instance, when you right-click on the Alarms & Clock app in the Start Menu, you will see a cascading Jump List introducing new options such as App settings.

Jump Lists in the Start Menu

Aside from Jump Lists in the Start Menu, Jump Lists of programs pinned to the taskbar will change to reflect your recent and most used files.

Related: How to Prevent Auto-Added Files and Folders in Quick Access

How to Enable or Disable Jump Lists in Windows 10

If you don’t like Jump Lists for any reason, you can disable them through the Settings app.

Hit the Win key, type “Settings”, and choose the relevant option. Click on Personalization and then on Start located in the left-hand panel.

Windows Settings app

In the Start panel, disable the Jump Lists by clicking on the Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar.

Windows Settings app

The Jump Lists will now be disabled. Similarly, if you want to enable them, just reverse the process.

How to Clear the Jump List in Windows 10

To clear all Jump Lists on your computer, disable Jump Lists through the Settings app and enable them again by reversing the process. This will clear all the Jump Lists in Windows.

However, they'll be populated again once you start using the pinned programs.

If you don’t want to outright disable all Jumps Lists on your PC and only want to remove individual items, there is a simple way to achieve this.

Fire up a Jump List, right-click on the entry that you want to remove, and click on Remove from this list. The item will be removed.

Removing items from Jump Lists

How to Add Items to Windows 10 Jumps Lists

Items in the Jump Lists appear when you open them. But there is a limit to how many items can appear in the Jump List of a program. In Windows 10, the limit is ten.

As such, the files in Jump Lists are always changing. Therefore, if you want to add an item to the Jump List in a way that it stays there, you’ll have to pin it.

To pin an item to a Jump List, open a Jump List, right-click on an item, and select the pin icon located on the right.

Related: How to Personalize the Windows 11 Taskbar

Jump Lists Are Awesome Feature and You Should Use Them

Jump Lists in Windows is one of those tools that, once you start, you can’t stop using. From quick access to frequently used files to pining important items to programs in the taskbar, Jump Lists make it easier to keep track of your files and move between them effortlessly.

That said, Jump Lists is just one of the many features that make Windows 10 such a versatile OS. There are hundreds of such power-user features present everywhere. So, be sure to check them out and supercharge your Windows experience.