--- title: How to Copy and Paste on a Mac (3 Ways) | Relic description: Command C, not Control C, does the copying on a Mac. How to copy and paste on a Mac with keyboard, mouse or trackpad, plus pasting without formatting. canonical: https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste-on-mac source: https://relic.space/llms.txt --- [Copy and paste, explained](https://relic.space/blog/topics/copy-paste-basics) # How to copy and paste on a Mac On a Mac you copy with Command, not Control. That one swap is the whole learning curve for anyone moving from Windows. Here is how to copy and paste on macOS with the keyboard, the mouse and the trackpad, plus how to paste without formatting and where macOS 26 keeps a clipboard history. [JGJordan Gibbs](https://relic.space/authors/jordan-gibbs) June 29, 2026 7 min readUpdated September 12, 2026 WindowsMacCopyCtrl+C⌘+CCutCtrl+X⌘+XPasteCtrl+V⌘+VPaste as plain textCtrl+Shift+V⌘+Shift+V The core copy and paste shortcuts on Windows and Mac. The Mac does copy and paste exactly the way Windows does, with one change that takes weeks to unlearn: you hold the **Command**key (⌘) instead of Control. So copying is Command and C, pasting is Command and V, and the old Windows muscle memory of Ctrl+C will quietly do nothing useful. Once that single fact lands, the rest is easy and works the same in almost every app on the system. ## How do you copy and paste on a Mac? Select what you want, then press Command and C to copy. Click where it should go and press Command and V to paste. Command and X cuts. On a MacBook trackpad, tap with two fingers and choose Copy or Paste from the menu. Hold Command for all of these. Control does not copy on a Mac. ## Which keys copy and paste on a Mac keyboard? Select the text, image or file you want first, then use one of these. The Command key sits either side of the space bar and shows the ⌘ symbol. * **Copy: Command + C.** Makes a copy and leaves the original where it is. * **Paste: Command + V.** Drops the copied item wherever your cursor is. * **Cut: Command + X.** Removes the original and holds it ready to paste. Note that in Finder you cannot cut a file with Command X. To move a file, copy it with Command C, then [paste-and-move with Command + Option + V](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650). Two more that pair well with these: **Command + A** selects everything in the current document or window, and **Command + Z** undoes your last action if a paste goes somewhere you did not mean. If you are coming from a PC and want the full side-by-side, our roundup of [copy and paste keyboard shortcuts](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste) lists the Mac and Windows versions together. The one rule to remember: on a Mac, copy and paste live on the Command key. Control+C on macOS is mostly used in the Terminal, where it cancels whatever is running rather than copying anything. Your Mac forgets every copy but the last one. Relic does not. macOS keeps only the most recent thing you copied. Relic is a [clipboard manager](https://relic.space/clipboard-manager) that remembers everything, keeps it searchable across your devices, and [encrypts it on your machine](https://relic.space/technology) so only you can read it. [Download forWindows](https://relic.space/download/windows)[Download formacOS](https://relic.space/download/macos)[Download forLinux](https://relic.space/download/linux)[Download forAndroid](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=relic.space.app&referrer=utm%5Fsource%3Drelic.space%26utm%5Fmedium%3Dwebsite%26utm%5Fcampaign%3Dcontent)[Download foriPhone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/relic-clipboard-vault/id6800556025) ## How do you copy and paste with a Mac trackpad or mouse? If you would rather not touch the keyboard, you can do the whole thing by pointing and clicking. The trick on a Mac is knowing how to right-click, since most MacBooks have no separate right mouse button. ### On a MacBook trackpad Select your text by clicking and dragging across it. Then **tap or click with two fingers** on the trackpad to open the menu, and choose **Copy**. Click where you want it, two-finger tap again, and choose **Paste**. If a two-finger tap does nothing, the gesture may be switched off: open System Settings, go to Trackpad, and check the [**Secondary click** gesture](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-trackpad-settings-mchlp1226/mac). Holding the **Control** key while you [click opens the same menu](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/copy-and-paste-on-mac-mchl5252f3de/mac) if you prefer. ### With a mouse A normal two-button mouse works as you would expect. Select the text, right-click, choose Copy, then right-click in the destination and choose Paste. If you use an Apple Magic Mouse, right-click is a tap on the right side of its surface, which you can enable under the same Trackpad and Mouse settings. ## How do you paste without formatting on a Mac? Copied web text likes to arrive wearing its source fonts and colours; the cure is **Paste and Match Style**, which is **Command + Shift + V** in browsers and most third-party apps but the four-key [**Command + Option + Shift + V**](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650)in Apple’s own (Pages, Notes, Mail, Keynote). The per-app quirks are all in [how to paste without formatting](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-paste-without-formatting). ## Where is the clipboard history on a Mac? macOS 26 and later keep a clipboard history in Spotlight. Press **Cmd+Space**, then **Cmd+4** to switch to the Clipboard, and **Clear History** empties it. [Apple’s Mac guide](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/search-your-clipboard-history-mchl40d5b86b/mac) has the steps. On macOS 15 and earlier there is no history at all. The clipboard holds one item and each new copy overwrites the last (our explainer on [what the clipboard actually is](https://relic.space/blog/what-is-the-clipboard) covers that single slot of memory), and no panel, shortcut or setting brings older copies back. For a list that goes back further than Spotlight, searches, and reaches your other devices, you need a separate tool. The options are covered in [how to access your clipboard history](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-access-clipboard-history). ## Frequently asked questions What is the copy and paste shortcut on a Mac?+ Copy is Command and C, and paste is Command and V. Cut is Command and X. The key difference from a Windows PC is that you hold Command, not Control. Control C on a Mac does not copy, which is the first habit to unlearn after Windows. How do I right-click to copy on a Mac without a mouse?+ On a MacBook trackpad, tap or click with two fingers to bring up the right-click menu, then choose Copy or Paste. You can also hold the Control key and click. If two-finger tap does nothing, turn on Secondary click in System Settings under Trackpad. How do I paste without the original formatting?+ Look for Paste and Match Style, which strips fonts, colours and sizes. The shortcut differs by app: browsers, Slack and many third-party apps use Command, Shift and V, while Apple's own apps like Pages, Notes, Mail and Keynote use Command, Option, Shift and V. If one keeps the formatting, try the other. Does a Mac keep a clipboard history?+ Only on macOS 26 and later, where Spotlight holds one: press Command and Space, then Command and 4 to see it. On macOS 15 and earlier there is no history at all, so copying something new overwrites the last item. To keep a longer list you need a clipboard manager, which records each item so you can scroll back and reuse anything you copied earlier. ## Common Mac copy and paste problems * **Control+C does not copy.** The fix is almost always the same: use Command, not Control. This is the number one issue for people coming from a PC. * **Paste is greyed out.** Either nothing has been copied yet, or the app does not accept the kind of content you copied. Try copying the item again. * **The two-finger tap does nothing.** Secondary click is switched off. Turn it on under System Settings, Trackpad. * **Pasted text looks wrong.** Use Command + Shift + V to paste and match the surrounding style instead of the source formatting. The same Command-key shortcuts work across other devices in the Apple family too. If you also switch between, say, a Mac laptop and a Chromebook, the Chromebook uses Control rather than Command, which we cover in [how to copy and paste on a Chromebook](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste-on-chromebook). For the full picture across every kind of machine, start with [how to copy and paste on any device](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste). ## Sources * [Copy and paste on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/copy-and-paste-on-mac-mchl5252f3de/mac), Apple Support * [Mac keyboard shortcuts](https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650), Apple Support * [Change Trackpad settings on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-trackpad-settings-mchlp1226/mac), Apple Support * [Search your Clipboard history in Spotlight on Mac](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/search-your-clipboard-history-mchl40d5b86b/mac), Apple Support JG Written by [Jordan Gibbs](https://relic.space/authors/jordan-gibbs)Founder, Relic Jordan Gibbs is the founder of Relic, an end-to-end encrypted, permanent, searchable memory for everything you copy. He writes widely about AI, agents, and practical tooling on Medium, where he is read by tens of thousands, and builds privacy-first software. Here he covers how everyday tools like the clipboard actually work, and how to use them without handing your data to someone else. [Medium](https://medium.com/@jordan%5Fgibbs)[GitHub](https://github.com/jordan-gibbs)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan--gibbs/) Part of [Copy and paste, explained](https://relic.space/blog/topics/copy-paste-basics) * [How to copy and paste on any device· pillar](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste) * [How to copy and paste on an iPad](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste-on-ipad) * [How to copy formatting in Word](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-formatting-in-word) * [How to copy and paste on a Chromebook](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste-on-chromebook) * [How to copy and paste on an iPhone](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste-on-iphone) * [How to copy and paste on Android](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste-on-android) * [How to copy and paste in Google Docs](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste-in-google-docs) * [How to paste without formatting](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-paste-without-formatting) Keep reading [Pillar·12 minHow to copy and paste on any deviceThe same two steps work everywhere once you know the shortcut for your device. Copy and paste on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone, Android and tablets, by keyboard, trackpad or touch, with every shortcut in one table.Read ](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste)[7 minHow to copy and paste on an iPadThe iPad copies by touch like an iPhone, but it also takes keyboard shortcuts and lets you drag things between two open apps. Every method, plus Procreate and the fixes when paste won't show up.Read ](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-and-paste-on-ipad)[7 minHow to copy formatting in WordCopy the look of text in Word without the words. The Format Painter, single click vs double click, the keyboard shortcut for your version of Word and for Mac, and when styles work better.Read ](https://relic.space/blog/how-to-copy-formatting-in-word) copy and pastehow-tomac