Copy and paste with the keyboard
| Step | Windows / Chromebook | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Select all | Ctrl + A | Cmd + A |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Cmd + C |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Cmd + X |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Cmd + V |
| Paste without formatting | Ctrl + Shift + V | Cmd + Option + Shift + V |
The full list is in clipboard keyboard shortcuts.
Copy and paste with a mouse or touchpad
- Select: drag across the text, or double-click a word (triple-click selects a paragraph).
- Copy: right-click the selection and choose Copy.
- Paste: right-click where the text should go and choose Paste.
On a laptop touchpad, tap with two fingers to right-click. On many Windows laptops you can also press the bottom-right corner of the touchpad. On a Mac, click with two fingers or hold Control while you click.
Cut and paste
Cut removes the original and puts it on the clipboard; paste inserts it in the new place. Use it to move a paragraph inside a document or a file to another folder:
- Windows and Chromebook: Ctrl + X, then Ctrl + V.
- Mac: Cmd + X, then Cmd + V. In Finder, move files with Cmd + C, then Cmd + Option + V.
Copy and paste on a phone or tablet
- Android: press and hold a word, drag the handles to adjust the selection, tap Copy. Press and hold in the destination field and tap Paste. Gboard also has a clipboard icon with recent items.
- iPhone and iPad: press and hold, adjust the selection, tap Copy. Tap the destination field once more and choose Paste. On iPad, pinch in with three fingers to copy and pinch out to paste.
Copy text from an image or a protected page
- Text in a picture or a screenshot cannot be selected. Use Image Text to Text to turn it into editable text.
- Some websites block selecting or right-clicking. See how to copy text from a protected website.
Paste something you copied earlier
The clipboard holds one item: every copy replaces the previous one. To get an earlier copy back, turn on clipboard history or install Clipboard Tool, which keeps everything you copy in Chrome in a searchable list.