Press Windows logo key + V to open your clipboard history. Select any item to paste it. The first time, select Turn on to start saving what you copy.
Applies to: Windows 11.
Copy and paste the usual way
Select what you want, press Ctrl + C to copy (or Ctrl + X to cut), then press Ctrl + V to paste. Without clipboard history, Windows only keeps the last thing you copied.
Use clipboard history
- Press Windows logo key + V. If you see Turn on, select it.
- Copy a few things as you normally do.
- Press Windows logo key + V again and select the item you want to paste.
- To keep an item, select Pin. Pinned items stay after you restart.
Clipboard history holds text, links and images. It’s cleared when you restart your PC, except for pinned items. The clipboard is only one of the histories Windows keeps, and you can clear the others on Windows 11 too.
Paste without formatting, and use the keyboard
- Paste as plain text: in the Windows + V panel, select See more (…) next to an item and choose Paste as text. The fonts, colors, and links from the original are dropped.
- No mouse needed: after Windows + V, use the Up and Down arrow keys to pick an item and press Enter to paste it. Press Esc to close the panel.
- On a touch screen: open the touch keyboard and tap the clipboard icon at the top to see the same history.
The history keeps your last 25 items, and each one can be up to 4 MB. Some pictures only appear in the history when they’re copied from apps that support it, such as a browser or the Snipping Tool.
Turn clipboard history on or off, or clear it
- Select Start > Settings > System > Clipboard.
- Turn Clipboard history on or off.
- To remove everything except pinned items, select Clear next to Clear clipboard data.
To delete one item, press Windows logo key + V, select See more (…) next to it, and select Delete.
Use the clipboard on your other devices
In Settings > System > Clipboard, turn on Clipboard history across your devices. It works on PCs where you’re signed in with the same account.
Automatic or manual sync? When you turn on Clipboard history across your devices, choose Automatically sync text that I copy to send everything, or the manual option to choose each item yourself. Manual is safer if you copy addresses, account numbers, or passwords, because nothing leaves the PC until you send it.
More in the Windows + V panel
The clipboard panel also has tabs along the top for emoji, GIFs, kaomoji, and symbols such as ©, °, and €. Select one to insert it wherever you’re typing. It’s the same panel you get with Windows + period (.), just opened on the clipboard tab.
If the clipboard isn’t working
Windows + V shows “Can’t show history”
Clipboard history is turned off. Select Turn on in the panel, or go to Settings > System > Clipboard and turn on Clipboard history. Only things you copy after that are saved.
Clipboard history is grayed out
On a work or school PC, your organization can turn it off. You’ll see a message saying some settings are managed by your organization, and only IT can change it.
Copy and paste does nothing
- Close the app you’re copying from and open it again.
- Clear the clipboard: in Settings > System > Clipboard, select Clear next to Clear clipboard data.
- Restart File Explorer: press Ctrl + Shift + Esc, right-click Windows Explorer, and select Restart.
- Restart the PC.
Items don’t appear on your other device
Both devices must be signed in with the same Microsoft account, and Clipboard across your devices must be on in each one. If it’s set to Manually sync text that I copy, select the cloud icon on an item to send it.
Pinned items disappeared. Turning Clipboard history off in Settings erases everything, pinned items included. Pins only survive restarts and Clear, not turning the feature off.
Frequently asked questions
Can I paste a screenshot from the clipboard?
Yes. Screenshots you take are copied to the clipboard, whichever of the ways to take screenshots in Windows 11 you use.
I’m on Windows 10. Is it the same?
Yes, it works the same way, as shown in opening the clipboard in Windows 10.
Does clipboard history save files I copy?
No. When you copy a file in File Explorer, Windows remembers it for pasting, but it doesn’t appear in the history list. History holds text, links, and pictures.
New to copying and pasting? Start with copying and pasting in Windows 11, including the keyboard shortcuts. Related: selecting multiple files to copy them at once, and using emojis in Windows 11.
The feature is also described on the Using the clipboard page.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.