How to copy and paste on a Mac, and how to get back what you copied earlier.
Select the text, image or file, press Command-C to copy or Command-X to cut, click where it should go, and press Command-V to paste. Press Option-Shift-Command-V to paste without the original formatting. The same commands are in the Edit menu and in the menu you get by Control-clicking a selection. This page covers those basics, copying between an iPhone and a Mac, where the clipboard history lives on macOS 26, and what to do when paste stops working. It is checked against Apple's documentation for macOS Sonoma 14, Sequoia 15 and Tahoe 26.
What the clipboard on a Mac actually is
The clipboard is a single holding area that every app shares. Command-C puts a copy of the selection there, Command-X puts it there and removes the original, and Command-V inserts whatever is currently held. Pasting does not empty it, so you can paste the same thing as many times as you like. Copying something new replaces what was there before. In the Finder, Edit then Show Clipboard opens a small window with the current item.
What gets copied is often more than the text you see. A paragraph from a web page carries its font, size, colour and links, which is why it can look wrong when pasted into an email or a document. Paste and Match Style, Option-Shift-Command-V, drops that formatting so the text takes on the style around it. Command-C and Command-V also work on files in the Finder, where pasting makes a copy of the file in the new folder.
For years that single slot was the whole story. macOS Tahoe 26 changed it: Spotlight now keeps a clipboard history you open with Command-Space and then Command-4. From macOS 26.1 you choose whether it keeps items for 30 minutes, 8 hours or 7 days, and you can clear it from System Settings. On Sonoma 14 and Sequoia 15 there is still no built-in history.
Every way to copy and paste on a Mac
Command-C, Command-X and Command-V
Select what you want, press Command-C to copy it or Command-X to cut it, click to place the insertion point, then press Command-V. These three shortcuts work in nearly every Mac app, for text, images and, in the Finder, files. If a shortcut does nothing, the same commands are in the Edit menu in the menu bar, and in the shortcut menu that appears when you Control-click or right-click a selection, which also tells you whether the app considers paste available at all.
Paste and Match Style: Option-Shift-Command-V
When text copied from a website or another document arrives with the wrong font, size or colour, undo and paste again with Option-Shift-Command-V, or choose Edit then Paste and Match Style. The pasted text adopts the style of the text around it. Apple also documents Option-Command-C and Option-Command-V, Copy Style and Paste Style, which copy only the formatting of a selection and apply it elsewhere, in the apps that support them.
Universal Clipboard between iPhone, iPad and Mac
Copy on one Apple device and paste on another with the usual commands; there is nothing to open. Apple's requirements are that both devices are signed in to the same Apple Account, have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Handoff turned on, and are within about 30 feet, or 10 metres, of each other. Apple describes it as best for small selections of text and images. For larger files, AirDrop or iCloud Drive is the better tool.
Clipboard history in Spotlight on macOS 26
Press Command-Space to open Spotlight, then Command-4. The first time, macOS asks whether to allow clipboard results and warns that sensitive information may appear. You can search the list, select an item and copy it back with Command-C, then paste with Command-V. In System Settings, Spotlight, the Results from Clipboard option turns the feature on or off and, from macOS 26.1, sets how long items are kept: 30 minutes, 8 hours or 7 days. A Clear Clipboard History button sits next to it.
A clipboard manager, for more than seven days
Spotlight's history expires on schedule, does not let you pin a snippet you paste every day, and does not exist before macOS 26. A clipboard manager fills that gap. Coco keeps every copy, text and images, with no history limit by default. Press Shift-Command-V, type to filter, press Space for a large preview and Return to paste straight into the app you came from. Anything you paste constantly can be pinned to Favourites, which are exempt from limits and cleanup.
Copy and paste on Mac: what each method does
The first four columns are part of macOS and cost nothing, and for most copying they are the whole answer. Command-C and Command-V cover everyday work, Paste and Match Style fixes formatting, and Universal Clipboard covers the iPhone. Spotlight's history on macOS 26 is the right place to start if you sometimes need something you copied a few minutes ago.
The Coco column is for keeping copies longer and finding them faster: history with no fixed expiry, image previews, pinned favourites and paste straight back into the previous app. It needs macOS 14 or later on Apple Silicon and costs $49 once at the launch price, $99 list. It does not replace Universal Clipboard, and if Spotlight's seven days are enough for you, you do not need it.
| ⌘C / ⌘V | Paste and Match Style | Universal Clipboard | Spotlight (macOS 26) | Coco | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copy and paste text and images | |||||
| Removes source formatting | |||||
| Works between iPhone and Mac | |||||
| Keeps earlier copies | |||||
| Keeps copies longer than 7 days | |||||
| Pin items you paste often | |||||
| Works on macOS 14 and 15 | |||||
| Free with macOS |
When copy and paste stops working on a Mac
Use the Edit menu to rule out the shortcut
Choose Edit then Paste instead of pressing Command-V. If the menu item is greyed out, the clipboard is empty or the field you are in does not accept that kind of content. Some password fields and some websites block pasting deliberately, and no setting on the Mac will change that.
Paste without formatting
If text pastes but looks wrong, press Command-Z and paste again with Option-Shift-Command-V. For stubborn cases, paste into a plain TextEdit document first, then copy it again from there; plain text carries nothing but the characters.
Quit the app, then restart the Mac
If paste fails in one app only, quit and reopen that app. If it fails everywhere, save your work and restart, which resets the system service that holds the clipboard. Restarting also clears the current clipboard, so paste anything you need first.
Check Universal Clipboard and Spotlight settings
If copying from an iPhone does nothing, confirm the same Apple Account on both devices, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Handoff turned on, and the devices close together. If Spotlight's clipboard view on macOS 26 is empty, turn on Results from Clipboard in System Settings, Spotlight, and check the retention period has not already cleared it.
Questions people ask about copy and paste on a Mac
- What is the copy and paste shortcut on a Mac?
- Command-C copies the selection, Command-X cuts it, and Command-V pastes. The Command key is the one marked ⌘, next to the space bar; on a Mac it does the job the Control key does on Windows. The shortcuts work for text and images in almost every app, and for files in the Finder, where Command-V makes a copy of the file in the folder you are viewing. If you prefer the mouse, the same three commands are in the Edit menu in the menu bar and in the menu that appears when you Control-click or right-click the selection.
- How do I paste without formatting on a Mac?
- Press Option-Shift-Command-V, or choose Edit then Paste and Match Style. The pasted text takes on the font, size and colour of the text around it, instead of bringing the styling from the web page or document you copied it from. Most Apple apps and many others support it, including Mail, Pages, Notes and most browsers. Where an app does not, a reliable workaround is to paste into a plain-text TextEdit document, choose Format then Make Plain Text, copy again from there and paste into the destination. That strips everything except the characters themselves.
- How do I see my clipboard on a Mac?
- To see what is on the clipboard right now, open the Finder and choose Edit then Show Clipboard; a small window shows the current item. To see earlier copies on macOS Tahoe 26, open Spotlight with Command-Space and press Command-4, which lists your clipboard history and lets you search it and copy an item back. The first time, macOS asks you to allow clipboard results. On Sonoma 14 and Sequoia 15 there is no built-in history, so seeing anything other than the current item needs a clipboard manager app such as Coco, which opens with Shift-Command-V.
- Does a Mac have clipboard history?
- Since macOS Tahoe 26, yes. Spotlight keeps a history of what you copy, opened with Command-Space and then Command-4. It is controlled in System Settings, Spotlight, under Results from Clipboard; from macOS 26.1 you can keep items for 30 minutes, 8 hours or 7 days, and clear the history with one button. Eight hours was the earlier default. It cannot keep items longer than seven days or pin favourites. Earlier versions of macOS, including Sonoma and Sequoia, keep only the single current item, so history on those needs a third-party app.
- How do I copy and paste between my iPhone and Mac?
- Use Universal Clipboard, which is built in. Copy on the iPhone as usual, then paste on the Mac with Command-V, or the other way round. Apple's requirements are the same Apple Account on both devices, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Handoff turned on, and the devices within about 30 feet, or 10 metres, of each other. Handoff is in System Settings, General, AirDrop and Handoff on the Mac, and in Settings, General, AirPlay and Continuity on the iPhone. Apple recommends it for small selections of text and images; for files and large photos, AirDrop is more reliable.
- Why is copy and paste not working on my Mac?
- Start by choosing Edit then Paste from the menu bar. If that works, the problem is the keyboard shortcut, often taken over by another app. If the Paste item is greyed out, the clipboard is empty or the field refuses that content, which some password fields and websites do on purpose. If paste fails in one app, quit and reopen it. If it fails everywhere, save your work and restart the Mac, which resets the service that holds the clipboard. If only iPhone-to-Mac copying fails, check the Universal Clipboard requirements: same Apple Account, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Handoff.
- How do I keep clipboard items longer than seven days?
- Use a clipboard manager, because Spotlight's history on macOS 26 tops out at seven days and earlier versions keep nothing. Coco records every copy, text and images, with the time and the app it came from, and keeps them until you clear them; you can set a size limit or automatic cleanup in Settings if you prefer. Anything you paste every day can be pinned to Favourites, which are exempt from both. Press Shift-Command-V to open it, Space for a large preview, Return to paste. Coco is $49 once at the launch price, $99 list, after a seven-day free trial with no account.
Copy the prompt, or send it straight to the AI you already use — it drives Coco through the same commands you would type yourself.
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