The Activities component is not a replacement for the related list. If your users want a plain, sortable list of everything already closed, add it explicitly.
- Open the record page in Lightning App Builder
From any record of the object you want to change, click the gear icon and choose Edit Page. That loads the Lightning page currently assigned to that object.
- Drop in a Related List - Single component
Drag Related List - Single from the components panel to wherever the closed activities should sit. It renders as an empty placeholder until you point it at a list.
- Set the Related List attribute to Activity History
Select the component and pick Activity History from the Related List picklist in the properties rail. Add a second component set to Open Activities if you want both.
- Save, then activate the page
Saving alone changes nothing for users. Use Activation to assign the page as org default, app default, or app plus record type plus profile.
Decides what the component shows. Activity History gives closed Tasks and past Events; Open Activities gives everything still ahead.
Controls layout. Tile reads well in a narrow rail; List gives sortable columns and suits a long activity history better.
Caps the rows shown before View All. Keep it low on busy accounts, because a long inline list slows the page for everyone.
- A profile without Read access to the Task object's Related To field will not see either related list, no matter how the page is built.
- Running the Activities component and the Activity History related list on the same page shows every closed item twice.
- Raising the archive limit past 365 days takes a Salesforce Support request and degrades report and list view performance.
Keep the related term in your library so you can find this topic again.