Copied something useful, then replaced it with your next copy? On macOS Tahoe 26, you can see clipboard history in Spotlight by pressing Command-Space, then Command-4. Here’s how to search saved clips, copy them again, and set up an alternative on an older Mac. History only shows items that were recorded and retained, so turning it on now cannot recover earlier unrecorded copies.
Open your clipboard history in Spotlight
If your Mac runs macOS Tahoe 26, start with its built-in clipboard history. There is no extra app to install.
Press Command-Space to open Spotlight.
Press Command-4 to open the clipboard view, or click the Clipboard button beside the search field.
Click Enable if prompted.
Type a word or phrase to search your saved clips.
Select the item you want to reuse.
Press Command-C to copy it again.
Click where you want to insert the item.
Press Command-V to paste.
Find the clipboard view when it is missing
On macOS Tahoe 26, click the Spotlight icon in the menu bar to open Spotlight. A keyboard with a dedicated Search key also lets you open it by pressing that key.
Select Clipboard or press Command-4.
If the menu-bar icon is missing, add Spotlight through Menu Bar settings.
To enable clipboard results, open the Apple menu > System Settings > Spotlight.
Turn on Clipboard Search, as Apple names the setting.
If you still cannot access the built-in history, try Maccy on macOS Sonoma 14 or later, or Alfred with Powerpack on macOS 10.14 or later. Neither can reconstruct copies that were never recorded.
Use Maccy for a searchable clipboard list
Maccy gives you searchable clipboard history on macOS Sonoma 14 or later.
- 1.Get Maccy from its official website using Get in App Store or Download now, then open it.
- 2.With Maccy running, copy the items you want to keep in its history.
- 3.Press Shift-Command-C or click the Maccy menu-bar icon to open the list.
- 4.Type to search, then select a result and press Enter to copy it. Clicking the result also copies it.
- 5.Switch to your destination and press Command-V to paste.
Set up Alfred on an older Mac
Alfred 5 supports macOS 10.14 or later, with clipboard history included in its paid Powerpack. Use it if you already have Alfred or your Mac does not meet Maccy’s requirements.
Open Alfred’s Preferences > Features > Clipboard.
Enable the history types you want to save.
Allow Alfred under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility so it can paste into other apps.
Press Option-Command-C to open the clipboard viewer. Use your configured shortcut if you have changed the default.
Type to filter your saved clips, or scroll through recent entries.
Select the entry you want to reuse.
Press Return to paste it.
To save text as a snippet, select the text clip in the viewer.
Press Command-S to save it.
Choose how long copied items stay available
Spotlight keeps clipboard history for eight hours by default. Open System Settings > Spotlight. Set the clipboard retention duration to 30 minutes, eight hours, or seven days.
To erase Spotlight’s saved clips, open its Clipboard view. Choose More > Clear History.
In Maccy, select an item and press Option-P to pin it. Choose Clear to remove unpinned history. Alfred offers retention periods of 24 hours, seven days, one month, or three months.
A clip must still be in a tool’s retained history to appear there. Turning on history or installing a clipboard manager cannot bring back earlier copies that were never recorded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I browse my iPhone’s clipboard history on my Mac with Universal Clipboard?
Universal Clipboard transfers the current copied item between compatible nearby devices signed in to the same Apple Account, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Handoff enabled. It does not provide a history list. The item remains available briefly or until another copy replaces it.
Why does selecting a clip in Maccy copy it without pasting?
Enter or clicking a result copies the entry. Option-Enter selects and pastes it. For automatic pasting, enable Paste automatically in Maccy’s Preferences. Then allow Maccy under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility.
Can I restore clipboard history when moving to another Mac?
If you already use Paste, sign in to the same Apple Account on both Macs. Enable Paste Settings > General > iCloud sync on each Mac to move its saved history. Restoring a full-Mac Time Machine backup containing Paste’s data is another option. Neither route recovers copies that were never recorded.
Do Control-K and Control-Y open another clipboard history?
No. In supporting text-editing apps, Control-K cuts selected text or text through the end of the paragraph into an app-specific clipboard. Control-Y pastes that content within the same app. These shortcuts do not open a system clipboard-history list.