How To Copy And Paste On A Mac

Copying and pasting on a Mac is pretty straightforward and works similarly to how it does on other operating systems, with a few unique shortcuts and options. Use this easy guide to learn how to copy and paste on a Mac!

Here are several ways to copy and paste on a Mac:

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Copy: Select the text, image, or file you want to copy, and press Command (⌘) + C.
Paste: Go to the location where you want to paste the item and press Command (⌘) + V.

Select the item you want to copy, then right-click on it using your mouse or tap with two fingers on your touchpad.
Choose Copy from the menu.
Go to where you want to paste it, right-click or tap with two fingers, and select Paste.

Copy: With the item selected, navigate to the Edit menu at the top of your screen and choose Copy.
Paste: Go to the desired location, open the Edit menu again, and choose Paste.

Using Universal Clipboard (Copy and Paste Across Apple Devices)

If you have multiple Apple devices and have enabled Handoff and Bluetooth, you can copy on one device and paste on another.

Copy the content on your Mac (or another Apple device).
Switch to the other Apple device, go to where you want to paste the content, and use the Paste option (shortcut or right-click, depending on the device).

Copy and Paste with Formatting Options

Sometimes you might want to paste without the original formatting (i.e., plain text). Here’s how to do that:

Paste and Match Style: Press Command (⌘) + Option + Shift + V to paste content without its original formatting. This will match the style of the document you're pasting into.