Every copy and paste shortcut on the Mac
Most people know ⌘C and ⌘V. macOS has a dozen more around the clipboard, and a few of them, like pasting without formatting, moving files in Finder and sending a screenshot straight to the clipboard, save real time once they are in your fingers.
Updated
The basics
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
⌘C | Copy the selection |
⌘X | Cut the selection (text and most documents) |
⌘V | Paste |
⌘A | Select all |
⌘Z | Undo, including a paste you did not mean |
⇧⌘Z | Redo |
Paste without formatting
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
⌥⇧⌘V | Paste and Match Style: the text takes on the formatting of wherever it lands. Works in most Apple apps and many others. |
⇧⌘V | Paste without formatting in Google Docs |
Not every app supports ⌥⇧⌘V. The guide to pasting without formatting covers Word, Google Docs and the other exceptions.
Files in Finder
Finder has no Cut for files, but the keyboard can still move them:
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
⌘C, then ⌥⌘V | Move the file: copy it, then paste with Option to move it instead of duplicating it |
⌘C, then ⌘V | Put a copy of the file in the new folder |
⌥⌘C | Copy the selected file's full path as text |
Screenshots straight to the clipboard
Add ⌃ to a screenshot shortcut and the image goes to the clipboard instead of a file on the desktop.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
⌃⇧⌘3 | Copy the whole screen |
⌃⇧⌘4 | Copy an area you drag out |
⇧⌘5 | The screenshot toolbar. Under Options you can set Clipboard as the destination. |
A few more worth knowing
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
⌃⌘Space | Emoji and symbols picker |
| Finder → Edit → Show Clipboard | See what is on the clipboard right now |
| Universal Clipboard | Copy on one Apple device, paste on another nearby one signed in to the same Apple Account with Handoff turned on |
Maclip's shortcuts
Maclip adds a clipboard history on top of everything above. These are the defaults; each one can be changed in Settings.
| Shortcut | What it does |
|---|---|
⌘⇧V | Open your history at the text cursor |
⌘⌥V | Open the menu bar popover |
⌘⇧Space | Open the dashboard with search focused |
⇧⌥I | Incognito Mode: pause capture for 15 minutes |
Return in the popup | Paste the selected clip |
⇧Return in the popup | Paste it as plain text |
⌘1 to ⌘9 in the popup | Paste one of the first nine clips |
Questions
What is the shortcut to paste without formatting on a Mac?
⌥⇧⌘V (Option-Shift-Command-V), called Paste and Match Style. In Google Docs use ⇧⌘V.
How do I cut and paste files on a Mac?
Select the file and press ⌘C, open the destination folder, then press ⌥⌘V. The file is moved rather than copied.
How do I copy a screenshot to the clipboard on a Mac?
Press ⌃⇧⌘4 and drag over an area, or ⌃⇧⌘3 for the whole screen. The image is on the clipboard, ready to paste.