Recent apps action vs recent apps

You find two things in the app related to recent apps

Recent apps action

This one is an action and it needs the extension app to work. If you execute the recent apps action, you will see the native android view showing the recent apps (all that are still running in the background). This is exactly the same as pressing the recent apps hardware button on your phone.

Recent apps sidebar/-page

This one is something different. This one allows you to show a list of all your apps in Everywhere Launcher launched within a time (defaulty within 1 month). Showing such a sidebar will open a sidebar with all apps in them, sorted by the recent usage date. This needs the USAGE STATISTICS SERVICE to find out the recently used apps.