The clipboard, used when copying and pasting, is one of the most useful features on any computer or smartphone. Most platforms also have an even more powerful companion feature that's easy to overlook, but is a complete game-changer once you start using it. It's the clipboard history.
The clipboard history powers up copy and paste
Turn it into a productivity tool
Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek | Savanevich Viktar / Shutterstock
I mostly use macOS and Android , and both have a clipboard history feature that's so hidden you might not even know it's there. It saves everything you copied to the clipboard during a set period of time, so instead of the one-copy, one-paste approach, you can copy many things from many apps. You also avoid the classic cut-and-paste problem where you cut something and then inadvertently overwrite it before you paste it and it's gone forever.
It's ideal for multitasking. It means you don't have to constantly switch between apps. You can copy multiple items from one app and then paste them all into another in one go.
Even better, the clipboard history on some platforms allows you to pin items that you need to reuse, so you can keep them there on a semi-permanent basis. It's perfect for repetitive tasks like form filling, creating boilerplate text for emails, or for research or coding tasks.
The downside, and perhaps the reason why it's hidden or disabled, is that the clipboard history needs a little bit of management from time to time. It's very easy to end up with passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive information stored within it that you completely forget about. Windows stores the last 25 items you copy and Mac saves everything for up to a week (although it's only eight hours, by default).
These limits help solve some of the worst privacy or security risks, but people and even some apps can still potentially snoop on your clipboard, so you should keep an eye on it .
It's built into your devices
You just haven't turned it on yet
To use the clipboard history on your device, you might need to turn it on first, or at least learn where you can find it.
In Windows, you enable the clipboard history through the Settings, and the easiest way to find it is simply to type Clipboardin the search box. Once you see the History option, toggle it on.
From there, you can access it by pressing Windows+Von your keyboard. Here, you'll see all the items in your history. Click one to paste it into whatever app you're using, or you can pin it or delete it from here, too. If you use this shortcut without first enabling the clipboard history through settings, you'll be prompted to turn it on.
The clipboard history is a new feature in macOS that was introduced in Tahoe . It's part of Spotlight, so you can access it at any time by pressing Command+spacebarthen selecting the Clipboardicon. Double-click to paste an item, or right-click and select Copyto move it to the top of the clipboard, or Deleteto remove it.
Go to System Settings > Spotlightand use the Results from Clipboardoption to toggle it on or off. You can also set how long you want items to remain in the history, which can go up to seven days.
You can also view the clipboard history on a Chromebook .
For Android, the clipboard is built into the keyboard, so you get a different one based on your device and what software you're using. If this is Google's Gboard, you don't need to enable the history, but it is a little hidden . You can find the option in the keyboard's toolbar. Tap the settings button and drag the clipboard icon onto it. Now tap to see the history. You can pin items here, add screenshots, and disable it if you don't want it.
The inevitable exception is iOS and iPadOS, which don't have a clipboard history feature. You can try apps like Paste or PastePal , which promise to recreate it. But for the best results, you're going to have to wait for Apple to implement it properly.
Once you start using it properly, you won't go back
If you aren't already using your clipboard history, it's one of the simplest productivity upgrades you can make. I pin email addresses and usernames for constant access, I use it for images when I'm working in graphics apps, and when I'm moving data from one file into a spreadsheet. I also use it in place of the Undo button. Instead of deleting text, for example, I'll cut it to the clipboard so that I've got it there if I need to recover it.
I used to have to create temporary files or clutter up my notes apps to deal with these. But once you get used to the clipboard holding more than one thing at a time, using it becomes second nature.
