Make your Mac invincible

Copy and paste has been revolutionary for productivity. That may sound bizarre, considering how commonplace it is. Everyone copy–pastes, all the time. But without such functionality, we’d have to start from scratch on whatever we are working on every time.

Instead of starting over, copy and paste gives us control and time. Control to know that once we’ve created something once — whether it’s a passage of text, an entire document, images, videos, music, code — we can replicate it, instantly and easily. And wherever we have an internet connection, we can share those creations or links with anyone else in the world.

When you stop and think about it, copy and paste is remarkable (on a Mac: Command/⌘+C to copy, then Command/⌘+V to paste). The problem is, we are so used to it, so used to skipping back and forth between tasks that once we’ve copied something, if we don't paste it, we can quickly lose it and need to start again. Such a pain! Unfortunately, even the most expensive Macs only have one clipboard.

Dec 17, 2020 Select the text or folder you wish to cut or copy, then press Command + C to copy or Command + X to cut. To paste the text or folder you cut or copied, place the cursor where you want it to go and press Command + V. You can copy an image by hovering the cursor over it, pressing Control, then selecting Copy Image. Download Clipart Collection for macOS 10.6 or later and enjoy it on your Mac. ‎Clipart Collection is a set of 500 pictures useful for incorporation into your Keynote presentations, iWeb sites, iBooks Author textbooks, Pages or Numbers documents and other applications.

Avoid clipboard limitations

Get an upgrade for your macOS clipboard with Setapp. Quick fixes, no limitations, simplified history recovery.

How to view and manage clipboard history on macOS

Once you’ve copied something else, what you originally copied is lost. A Mac clipboard is a transient memory function, only designed to hold one item at a time. Once it's gone, it's gone. Clearly, this is a problem, and one that developers have been working on with numerous solutions, known as clipboard managers, appearing over the years. Thankfully, we have a solution we highly recommend to this particular problem with copy and paste history.

Where do you find the clipboard on your Mac?

A Mac clipboard is one of those macOS programs that runs in the background. You can find it and view clipboard through the Finder menu, in the top toolbar. Find and select Show Clipboard to see the last item you copied.

How does the macOS clipboard work?

As a native program, macOS clipboard runs the same way as other macOS operating functions. Clipboard is a basic program, which is why it takes up almost no processing power or space, except for the item it currently holds. Unfortunately, this comes with limitations. You can’t see anything else, apart from the latest item you copied. Once you copy something else, the first copied item disappears.

Gladly, now we have a solution for viewing the little-known secondary clipboard, where you can find your clipboard history.

The Mac’s hidden secondary clipboard

Not many people know that macOS has a hidden secondary clipboard. It’s a very well-kept secret. Select any text and press Control + K to cut it. To paste it in its new location, press Control + Y. Note that this cuts, rather than copies, the text. As this feature uses a different functionality, it won’t remove what is currently on the “main” clipboard.

Universal Clipboard

Universal Clipboard is a feature that was introduced in macOS Sierra and iOS 10, and allows you to copy and paste between Apple devices, as long as they’re signed into the same iCloud account and connected to the same WiFi network, with Bluetooth switched on. They also need to be physically close to each other.

To use Universal Clipboard, all you have to do is copy on one device and paste on the other.

How to view clipboard history

The main way to view your clipboard history is to paste (Command/⌘+V). That will show you the most recent item you copied. But did you know you can copy and paste in the Finder too? If you want to copy a file from one folder to another, for example, you can select it, press Command/⌘+C, then click in the folder you want to copy to and press Command/⌘+V.

You can even access clipboard history on a different device than the one you copied from, thanks to Universal Clipboard in macOS Sierra and iOS 10. To use it, your devices must be running at least iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, have both Bluetooth and WiFi turned on and be close to each other. They’ll also need to be signed into iCloud, since Universal Clipboard uses iCloud to sync data. Then all you have to do is copy on one device and paste on the other, using the usual copy and paste method on each device.

How to avoid clipboard limitations

If you have problems using Universal Clipboard, try logging out of iCloud on each device and logging back in again.

There are a couple of alternatives to copying and pasting.

• One is to use text clippings. These are snippets of text that look like files, but can’t be edited and behave differently. To create a text clipping, select text in any document and drag it to the desktop. You can then drag it onto any document in any application that accepts text and drop it at the point where you want to paste it. You can also drag and drop the snippet directly from one application window onto the window of another — missing outboard stores multiple items.

• Paste is quite straightforward. Think of it as a clipboard manager for your Mac, which automatically keeps everything you’ve copied regardless of the format. You can record all clipboard types, from plain text to images, screenshots, links, and more. Anytime you need, you can smart search through the clipboard history manager, share anything through AirDrop or sync to iCloud, and even access clipboard history on other devices using the Universal Clipboard.

• Rocket Typist is another great app that approached solving clipboard limitations from a different angle. This app allows you to create multiple text snippets for passages you use frequently, from email greetings to PHP scripts. Assign trigger combinations for saved snippets and call on them in any app or environment. Alternatively, you can then paste directly into the document you’re working on by selecting the snippet in Rocket Typist to move it to the clipboard and pasting it the regular way.
• One more tool to help solve the clipboard problem is Unclutter. Designed as an app for storing notes and files neatly on your Desktop, Unclutter features a clipboard manager that retains the contents of your Mac’s clipboard, even after you copy something else. An organized interface makes your clipboard history easily accessible, allowing to find any old item you need to paste again.

How do you paste from the clipboard on a Mac?

To paste something from the standard macOS clipboard, use Command/⌘+V. However, when you are using a clipboard manager like Paste, you’ve got several options for pasting items from the clipboard.

• Drag and drop items from the Paste interface directly to any Mac app
• Select and paste multiple items at once
• Paste items as plain text, no matter the format of the original
• Access and paste files from multiple devices using iCloud sync
• Paste using customized shortcuts for most recent as well as old items
• Allow others to paste your snippets by sharing over AirDrop.

How to fix it a non-working clipboard

The first step when you discover that copy and paste don’t work is to check that it’s macOS that’s at fault and not your keyboard. Select some text in any application, then go to the Edit menu and choose Copy. Then go back to the Edit menu and choose Paste or Unclutter. If that works, the problem is with your keyboard.

If that doesn’t work, trying fixing the issue with Activity Monitor.

1. Go to Applications > Utilities and double-click on Activity Monitor to launch it
2. In its search box, type: pboard
3. When it shows the pboard process, select it and press the X in the toolbar
4. Click Force Quit and then close Activity Monitor

Go to an app where copy and paste wasn’t working and try again. If it still doesn’t work, try using Terminal to fix it.

1. Go to Applications > Utilities and double-click on Terminal to launch it
2. Type: killall pboard
3. Hit Return
4. Close Terminal

Try and copy and paste again in the same app as before. If neither Activity Monitor nor Terminal solves the problem, the next step is to restart your Mac.

How to recover clipboard history on a Mac

The fact that the macOS clipboard only retains the most recently copied thing means that there’s no way to easily view or recover clipboard history. You can, however, use Command/⌘+Z to undo the most recent action and then press it repeatedly to step back through everything you’ve done. Eventually, assuming the application you’re using supports unlimited undos, you’ll get to the point where you pasted the item you want to recover.

A much easier way to recover clipboard history is to use apps like Paste or Unclutter. They retain multiple items and allow you to view them easily in the app, selecting the one you need.

Snippets manager for Mac

Check out the top three best clipboard managers for handling snippets. Grab the handiest one for the job.

How to clear the clipboard

Clearing your clipboard is easy. Either overwrite the current copied item with a copy of something else or, in case of using Paste, delete the clipboard history with a few clicks. However, it’s a good idea to store some items or the whole clipboard history in iCloud just in case you need some of it in the future. Paste or Unclutter make managing clipboard history as straightforward as it can be.

While most Mac users limit themselves to one clipboard item at a time and feel frustrated with every accidental overwrite, you can use apps like Paste, Unclutter, and Rocket Typist — all available in the Setapp app collection — to extend the native capabilities of your Mac and save yourself hours of headaches in the future.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

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v2019.10 (5 Nov 2019)

• Avoid duplicate actions sometimes appearing in the PopClip bar.
• Avoid unintentional “auto copy” where PopClip could fail to restore the original clipboard contents after selecting text.
• PopClip will now better avoid appearing in non-text situations (such as graphics editing and games).
• Fix a freezing bug that could happen when activating the Search action, or using extensions in a browser.
• Exclude PopClip from apps running under Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion and Crossover.
• In text editors, avoid incorrect text being pasted when the user presses Command-V immediately after selecting text.

v2019.9.1 (27 Sep 2019)

• Show PopClip in an empty text field with a double-click, Shift-click, or long press.
• Fixed the AppleScript interface which I broke in v2019.9.

v2019.9 (17 Sep 2019)

• Improved reliability and responsiveness, especially in Safari.
• Improved compatibility with many third party apps.
• Fixed the annoying glitch with drop-down menus in Firefox.
• PopClip's button highlight now matches the system accent colour.

v1.5.8 (10 Oct 2017)

• Fix crash at launch affecting some users on macOS 10.13 High Sierra

v1.5.7 (15 May 2017)

• Restored compatibility with Wacom tablets
• Improved compatibility with apps including PDF Expert

v1.5.6 (9 Oct 2016)

• This is a small update, mainly to fix an issue with PopClip on macOS Sierra. I have fixed the annoying bug where 'Icon Hidden' dialog would appear every time at startup if you have the menu bar icon hidden. Plus other minor tweaks and fixes. Thanks to those who have reported bugs and made suggestions.

v1.5.5 (23 Feb 2016)

• Improved Mac App Store receipt checking to avoid certificate expiration problems.
• Now works with PDF Expert by Readdle.
• Fixed an glitch that interfered with using the emoji picker.
• Fixed bug where PopClip would appear repeatedly when clicking in a Safari or Chrome address bar.
• Fixed bug where URLs copied by shift-clicking the Open Link action would be erroneously percent-encoded.
• Corrections to the French translation.
• Fixed some rare crashes based on user-submitted crash reports.
• Smaller file size.
• Improved URL detection to recognize the new top level domains (.coffee, and so on).
• New minimum system requirement is OS X 10.9. The last version to support OS X 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8 was v1.5.4, which existing customers will still be able to reinstall via the web site and via the Mac App Store.

v1.5.4 (8 Sep 2015)

• This update makes PopClip ready for OS X 10.11 El Capitan.

v1.5.3 (3 Jun 2015)

• Compatibility with Evernote
• Compatibility with Microsoft Word 2016 Preview
• Added the ability for extensions to sign in using OAuth, which will enable new extensions that were not previously possible. The first batch will include extensions for OneNote and Trello. Look out for them at pilotmoon.com/popclip/extensions.

v1.5.2 (1 Oct 2014)

• Fixed bug where text input from Typinator (and similar software) could behave unreliably with PopClip running.
• Fixed bug where the AppleScript 'appear' trigger would not work when PopClip is off.
• Fixed a crash on OS X 10.6.

v1.5.1 (7 Aug 2014)

• Fixed a bug where PopClip would fail to start, for some users.

v1.5 (6 Aug 2014)

• Fresh new look. PopClip has a cleaner, flatter appearance. The iOS6-style gloss has been retired, and I hope you will agree it now looks more worthy of your Mac in 2014.
• Ready for OS X Yosemite. PopClip is ready for the next version of OS X. Thanks to the beta testers who have been sending feedback.
• PopClip works faster and more reliably, especially when selecting large amounts of text. Now it should easily cope with 10,000 characters or more, where it often used to fail.
• Fixed (finally!) the bug where pressing ⌘C at the same time as selecting text with PopClip could cause the wrong thing to get copied.
• Fixed not appearing when selecting italic text in Word.
• Fixed dictionary action not appearing when selecting the first word of a bulleted paragraph in Word.
• Fixed PopClip prefs menu not closing when clicking outside the window.
• The Paste and Match Style and formatting extensions will now work in browsers (for Google Docs, Gmail etc.)

v1.4.10 (24 Mar 2013)

• Smaller file size and reduced memory usage.
• Fixed bug where tooltips would sometimes stay on screen after PopClip had disappeared.
• Fixed bug where the preferences window would sometimes become blank, with no content.
• Fixed bug where PopClip caused the Warp Stabilizer plugin in Adobe After Affects to fail.
• Fixed bug where PopClip caused drop-down menus in Firefox to behave weirdly.
• Improved the accuracy of the Word Count extension, particularly for Chinese and Japanese texts.
• Requires a Mac with a 64-bit processor. (If you have a Mac with a 32-bit processor, download PopClip v1.4.9.)
• Plus other minor fixes and performance improvements.
• Additionally, PopClip will no longer appear when you select text in Adobe apps (including Dreamweaver, Illustrator and InDesign) and JetBrains IDE apps (such as AppCode and PHPStorm). This is because PopClip did not work well in those apps, and there wasn't a way to fix it. If you are affected by this change, and want to make it work like it did before, see http://plt.mn/2va3.

v1.4.9 (24 Oct 2013)

• Fix crash when using Word
• Fix glitch when re-ordering extensions on OS X 10.9

v1.4.8 (14 Oct 2013)

• Fix crash when using certain extensions

v1.4.7 (14 Oct 2013)

• Fixed a bug which could cause the CPU to go to 100%
• Fixed the annoying beep when double-clicking an empty cell in Excel
• Fixed incompatibilities with the RoboForm Safari plug-in, and the apps BitTorrent Sync, Bartender and Skype
• Other fixes, tweaks and performance improvements

v1.4.6 (24 Jun 2013)

• Fix bug where PopClip didn't work properly in Gmail inside Google Chrome.
• Fix bug opening URLs that contain percent characters.
• Further fixes for the situation where PopClip can interfere with pressiing ⌘C manually.
• Fixes for some situations which could cause PopClip to hang.
• Eliminate spurious error messages that were appearing in Console.
• Background energy usage improvements.
• Fixes in anticipation of future OS X updates.

v1.4.5 (8 Apr 2013)

• Fixed bug where PopClip would sometimes stay on screen forever on Snow Leopard.
• Fixed bug where PopClip would sometimes interfere with copying manually with ⌘C.
• Fix to prevent OpenOffice, LibreOffice, NeoOffice and KeePassX crashing when used with PopClip.
• Fix to improve compatibility with some clipboard manager apps.
• Fixed a rare crashing/hanging bug.
• Fixed bug where Search would not work with a single character selection.

v1.4.4 (4 Jan 2013)

• PopClip is no longer limited to a maximum of 10 extensions (limit is now 22).
• Extensions can now be re-ordered.
• Other bug fixes.

v1.4.3 (6 Aug 2012)

• Fixed a problem where PopClip did not work for some users after upgrading to OS X Mountain Lion.

v1.4.2 (17 Jul 2012)

• Fixed bug where 'Start at login' would sometimes not work.
• Fixed problem where the dictionary lookup would not work if the Dictionary app was minimised.
• Fixed compatibility issues with several third party apps.

v1.4.1 (21 Jun 2012)

• Updated graphics for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
• Fixed the button that removes apps from the blocked apps list.
• Fixed a compatability issue with Sparrow.
• Improved the Italian localization (thanks, Vincenzo).
• Fixes for compatability with future operating system versions.

v1.4 (29 May 2012)

• PopClip now supports many new actions, via extensions. Including:
  • Say the text
  • Make a sticky note
  • Translate using Google Translat
  • Send to Evernote
  • …and more.

v1.3.1 (1 May 2012)

• PopClip is now fully translated into French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.
• Various small fixes and improvements.

v1.3 (23 Mar 2012)

• Spelling corrections are now shown immediately in the first pop-up, when suggestions are available. So now one less click is required to correct a misspelled word.
• Added an option to choose the language for spelling suggestions, out of the languages installed on the operating system. Choose 'None' to turn off spelling suggestions.
• Works with the 'Dvorak - Qwerty ⌘' keyboard layout.
• Third party app compatibility improvements (including Osfoora).

v1.2.5 (13 Feb 2012)

• Now you can show Paste in any text area by clicking twice in the same place.
• Improved detection of URLs in the text on Snow Leopard.
• Third party app compatibility improvements (including TeXworks app).

v1.2.4 (19 Jan 2012)

• The 'Use Address' action now works with multiple email addresses, and has a new symbol.
• The 'Open Link' action moved to the left hand side, to be grouped with Search.
• Fixed bug where PopClip would not work with the Dvorak keyboard layout.

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v1.2.3 (5 Jan 2012)

• Fixed bug that caused crash or incorrect behaviour with some keyboard input sources (including Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spell Catcher).
• Fixed bug where Mozilla Firefox would launch when PopClip starts.

v1.2.2 (22 Dec 2011)

• New 'Reveal in Finder' action is available when the selected text is a local file path.
• Works better with multiple browsers: links and search now open in the current browser.
• Search now uses the browser default search engine (Safari only).
• Works with several previously incompatible apps (including Eclipse, FaceTab Pro, Translate Tab, TextWrangler, WriteRoom 3, the 1Password Firefox extension and more).

v1.2.1 (19 Nov 2011)

• Fixed bug where double and triple clicking to select text would sometimes not work
• Fixed bug where Search and Look Up would sometimes not work
• Fixed bug where Finder would crash when doing 'Show Package Contents'
• Now works with Sublime Text 2, Postbox 3 and Reunion 9

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v1.2 (9 Nov 2011)

• Added search, link opening, dictionary lookup and spelling correction features.

v1.1 (3 October 2011)

• Added on/off button.
• Added the excluded apps list.
• Added 'show in menu bar' option.
• Added ability to Paste multiple consecutive times.
• Respects the Graphite theme.

v1.0.2 (19 August 2011)

• Fixed a bug which caused some apps to freeze.

v1.0.1 (27 July 2011)

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• Improved OS X Lion compatibility.
• User interface fine-tuning.

v1.0 (18 July 2011)

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• Initial release.