GuideMac

Copy and paste on a Mac: keys, menus and drag

Short answer

Select what you want, press Command-C to copy, click where it should go and press Command-V to paste. It works the same on a MacBook, in the menu bar and with a right-click, and one more shortcut pastes without the formatting.

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macOS 13+ on Apple Silicon · No subscription

Last reviewed 14 October 2026

Illustration: a sentence is selected in one window. The keys Command and C are pressed to copy it, an arrow carries it across, and the keys Command and V are pressed to paste it into a second window.

Sample text. Command-C copies, Command-V pastes.

Step by step

How do I copy and paste on a Mac?

Select what you want to copy: drag across text, or click a picture or a file.
Press ⌘C to copy. Press ⌘X instead to cut, which moves it.
Click where it should go: a document, a message, a folder.
Press ⌘V to paste.

No keyboard? Choose Edit⁠, then Copy or Paste⁠, or Control-click.

Source: Apple, How to copy and paste on Mac⁠.

Plain text

Paste without formatting

Press ⌥⇧⌘V, or choose Paste and Match Style in the Edit menu.

The text takes the font and color around it.

Source: Apple, Mac keyboard shortcuts⁠.

Files, drag, iPhone

Files, drag and iPhone

Files and folders: the same keys.
⌘C, open the new folder, ⌘V. Press ⌥⌘V to move instead.
Drag to copy.
Hold ⌥ while you drag and the item is copied.
Paste on your iPhone.
Universal Clipboard: same Apple Account, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Handoff on, within about 30 feet.

Sources: Apple, shortcuts⁠, drag and drop⁠, between devices⁠.

Clipboard history

What changes when your Mac keeps a clipboard history?

The clipboard holds one thing. Each new copy replaces the last.

macOS 26 added a history in Spotlight; before that, a clipboard manager such as Lesskeys keeps one.

Source: Apple, Search your Clipboard history in Spotlight⁠.

50items kept by default
200the most you can set
No accountneeded

If Spotlight is enough, stay with it. See where the clipboard is on a Mac⁠.

The usual way

Copy, switch, paste, switch back. Four items mean four round trips, and each new copy replaces the last.

With Lesskeys

Copy everything first. Then open the history with ⇧⌘V and paste each item where it belongs.

Illustration with four items. Your time will vary.

Questions

Questions about copying and pasting on a Mac

What is the shortcut to copy and paste on a Mac?

Press Command-C to copy and Command-V to paste. Command-X cuts. Select the item first, and click where it should go before you paste.

What is the shortcut to paste without formatting on a Mac?

Option-Shift-Command-V, or Paste and Match Style in the Edit menu. The pasted item takes the font, color and size of the text around it.

How do I copy and paste on a MacBook?

The same way as on any Mac: Command-C to copy and Command-V to paste. Command is the key with the symbol next to the space bar. You can also use the Edit menu or Control-click.

Can I copy on a Mac and paste on an iPhone?

Yes, with Universal Clipboard. Both devices need Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Handoff turned on, the same Apple Account, and to be within about 30 feet of each other.