How to See Recent Activity on Mac [7 Ways]

Keeping in check the most recent application, software, and folders that you opened on your Mac can be a very helpful resource. It can help in figuring out which folders you opened in recent days or which software you used.

You can see recent activity on Mac using the console application. Simply open the Spotlight and type Console to open the application. Here, you can click on the Start button, and all the logs will start streaming in front of you. Check all the recent activity through these log reports and determine who has used your system and what all activity has been done.

The recent activity also plays an important role in the security of your system. If someone has accessed your system without your permission, you’ll be able to see the most recent items and folders on your device. This article details how you can see the recent activity on your Mac using various methods. 

How to See Recent Activity on Mac?

1. Using Activity Monitor

You can use the Activity Monitor application, a native Mac app that allows you to monitor various computer processes like the processor load, active methods, running applications, and the amount of memory being used at the moment.

The Activity Monitor can also identify programs if they are consuming a lot of power or if they are sluggish. Refer to the following steps to see how it is done.

• Power on your Mac and log in to it. 
• Open a Finder window from the dock and click on the Applications tab from the menu on the left-hand side. 
• Search for the Utilities folder and open it. 
• Look for Activity Monitor and launch the application. 
• You will notice five different tabs when the application opens, and the entries are constantly changing as they are being monitored in real-time.

• You can head to the Energy tab and check for the most recent applications that have used considerable power. 

2. Using Terminal

You can also use a command within the terminal application on your Mac to check for recent activity on your Mac. Refer to the instruction provided below to see how it is done.

• Power on your Mac and log in to it. 
• Open a Finder window and head over to the applications tab from the menu on the left-hand side. 
• Look for the Utilities folder and open the terminal application. 
• Alternatively, you can also run a Spotlight search for the same. 
• With the terminal application open, type in “last” without quotations, and a list of the recent logins to your system will be displayed in descending order. 

3. Using the Console Application

This application has all the logs consolidated into a single place. You can use the Console to check for recent activity on your Mac by following the steps given below.

• Power on your Mac and sign in to it. 
• Open a Finder window and head over to the applications tab from the menu on the left-hand side. 
• Look for the Utilities folder and open the Console application. 
• Alternatively, you can also run a Spotlight search for the same. 
• Click on the Start button to start streaming the logs into the application.

• You can then head over to the log reports or diagnostic reports from the menu on the left-hand side and look at the recent activity on your Mac. 

4. Check Login Attempts

Suppose you are suspicious that someone has snooped around your laptop and tried to log in to it. You could easily look at previous login methods using a simple command within the Terminal application. 

However, this is no longer possible with the recent macOS updates due to security parameter changes. For this, you have to enable logging private data. This can be done using a script developed by a third-party developer.

However, you should only go about doing this if you know what you’re doing and have an idea about the subsystems affected by this script. 

5. Using Finder

If you want to check for the most recently opened Folders, you can do this via Finder. Refer to the instructions provided below to learn more.

• Power on your Mac and sign in to it. 
• Open a Finder window and click on the Recents tab from the menu on the left-hand side. 
• You can see all the recently accessed files and folders on your Mac.
• Alternatively, you can do this by heading to the Menu bar and clicking on the Apple logo.

• Click on Recent items from the dropdown list, and all the recently accessed files, folders, and applications will be displayed here.

6. Check Browsing History

Checking the browsing history on Mac is pretty easy; just follow the steps below to see how it is done. 

• Power on and sign in to your Mac. 
• Launch Safari from the dock or the Applications tab from a Finder window. 
• Head over to the Menu bar and click on History. 
• Click on Show all history from the list, and all previously visited tabs will be displayed. 
• Alternatively, you can also click the recently closed option to check the tabs and web pages completed recently. 

7. From Specific Applications 

You can also check for recent application-specific items previously opened on your system. Refer to the following steps to see how it is done. 

• Power on and sign in to your Mac. 
• Open any application you want, for example, Preview. 
• Now head over to the Menu bar and click on File. 
• Select Open Recent from the list, and you’ll be able to see all the previously opened photos and files using the Preview application. 

Conclusion

That’s it for this article, folks; now you know how to see recent activity on Mac. However, depending on your need, the best way to look for recently accessed folders and files on your Mac is by using the Recents tab within the Finder window.

Alternatively, if you want to check for logs and crash reports, you should use the Console application for the best results. Most people prefer using this method since it gives a much more detailed report of everything and all activities on the system. Through this method, you can even know who has used your system and learn more about it.

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