Few People Know About This Awesome Windows Feature for Copy-Pasting

Like everyone, you no doubt regularly use copy paste to duplicate content on your PC. But you probably don't know that Windows has a memory to store and reuse everything you copy…

If you've ever spent time on a computer, chances are you're familiar with the trusty copy-paste function, a quick and easy way to grab text, files, or images from one spot and drop them into another. With the classic Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V shortcuts, it's a tool that becomes indispensable for everyday tasks, whether you're drafting a document, doing research, grabbing images, or filling out forms.

But we've all been there: juggling multiple copy-pastes and suddenly realizing we've overwritten something important. The clipboard, where all those copied items live, used to only hold one thing at a time. Once you copied something new, the previous item was gone, forcing you to carefully plan out each copy-paste move. Not anymore. 

Luckily, those days are over. Windows now has a feature called Clipboard History that lets you save and recall multiple copied items in sequence. No more worrying about losing important data!

Accessing this game changing tool is as simple as hitting Windows + V (press the Windows key and the letter V together). A handy window will pop up, showing a list of everything you've copied. You can paste any item from the list with just a click, and even pin frequently used ones to the top for faster access. When you're done, you can clear the history with a single click to wipe any sensitive information you no longer need.

Clipboard history is typically enabled by default on your computer, but if nothing happens when you press Windows + V, it may need to be manually activated in your computer settings. Whether on Windows 10 or Windows 11, go to Settings > System > Clipboard, and toggle on the Clipboard History option. Once activated, you can enjoy this tool, which will make many daily tasks much easier.

Surprisingly, Mac users don't have a native Clipboard History feature, as macOS only allows viewing the last copied item. They need to rely on third-party apps to access this function. On the other hand, in the Linux world, most popular distributions come with a built-in Clipboard History tool, which is often more comprehensive and user-friendly than Windows'.