The clipboard is a crucial tool for Mac users, making copying and pasting text, images, and files easy. However, there are times when you wish to access the history of your clipboard activity. Maybe you accidentally copied something important or want to find something you copied a while ago.
In this article, we have discussed how the clipboard works and how to check the clipboard history on a Mac.
How does the Clipboard work?
Once you copy or cut something on your Mac, it stays in your computer’s short-term memory. It’s crucial to paste it quickly before it gets replaced by something else or disappears. While the clipboard is handy, it can only store one thing at a time, making working harder. Thankfully, there are extra tools that can help with this by giving your clipboard more memory space.
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How to check the clipboard history?
If you want to check what you’ve copied before pasting it, or if you forgot what you copied last, you can use the show clipboard option to see what you copied and what you were gonna paste. To view the clipboard history, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Open the Finder, click on the Edit tab in the top menu and then click on the Show Clipboard option in the dropdown menu.
Step 2: A window will pop up, showing you the latest things you copied so you can take a look.
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How to use the secondary clipboard on a Mac?
Many Apple users don’t know about a secret secondary clipboard. This handy feature lets you copy a second item without losing what’s already stored on your main clipboard. You can access this secondary clipboard on Mac using these keyboard shortcuts: Control + K to cut the text and Control + Y to paste it in a different place.
It’s important to note that this hidden secondary clipboard doesn’t have a copy option, so you can only use it with text that can be cut.
What is a Universal clipboard on a Mac?
Another handy feature introduced in recent Apple devices is the Universal Clipboard. Beginning with macOS Sierra and iOS 10, users gained the ability to copy something on one device and then paste it on another.
To use the Universal Clipboard feature, ensure that your Apple devices are logged into the same iCloud account, connected to the same WiFi network, and have Bluetooth activated. Afterwards, copy the content on one device and paste it onto the other as usual.
Use Clipboard managers
A clipboard manager is a helpful tool that allows you to copy, cut, and paste things multiple times without losing what you copied previously. Instead of having to retype or recopy something new each time, your clipboard manager remembers everything you’ve copied and cut, creating a handy clipboard history.
You can use apps like CopyClip – Clipboard History, which allows you to store what you copied or cut in the past.
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