A quick question for fellow Mac enthusiasts: Have you ever found yourself juggling multiple snippets of images or text? Have there been moments when you wished there was a smoother way to handle all the clipboard chaos?
Hold on to your seat because you are about to get some inside scoop on how you can streamline your copying-pasting game.
As you know, the Mac ecosystem is nothing short of wonder and amazement. Apple offers yearly gifts to its users in the form of major system updates, which include performance enhancements, brand-new features, security patches, and more. Hence, it would be daft to think that the clipboard has not evolved beyond its humble origins.
Let’s first talk about the built-in Mac clipboard and then uncover advanced clipboard managers you can download from the App Store.
macOS Clipboard
You cannot actually see the macOS Clipboard, but it is constantly running in the background. Whenever you have copied a piece of text or an image, it quickly gets stored in Mac’s short-term memory. But it is essential to paste the copied item before it gets wiped out or replaced with something new.
Although the Clipboard is an excellent feature, it is not equipped to hold more than one item at a time. However, it does allow you to see the history so you can trace back your steps and know all the content you have copied.
But how to see Clipboard history Mac when you cannot see the Clipboard? The history can be viewed by opening Finder > clicking the Edit menu > choosing Show Clipboard. A window will appear on the screen showing the most recent contents of the clipboard for your review.
Starting with macOS Sierra, Apple also introduced the Universal Clipboard that gives users the opportunity to copy items on one device and paste them on another. But for this feature to work, both Apple devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi, have Bluetooth turned on, and be signed into the same Apple ID account.
Along with the advantages offered by this built-in feature, there are some limitations. As mentioned, you can only copy one item at a time. Moreover, history can be viewed up to a certain point or period.
So, if you need a clipboard for basic regular tasks, you can use the built-in feature. But if you want to overcome the limitations, you need to check out the following third-party clipboard managers equipped with advanced features.
Advanced Clipboard Managers for Mac
Flycut
This is an open-source clipboard application designed for developers. Although non-developers can use it too, it isn’t made for copying tables and images.
The application is based on Jumpcut, which is another clipboard manager. In function and form, both apps are interchangeable. The software is beneficial in managing snippets of code, URLs, and basic text.
When you launch the application, you will find their icon displayed in the menu bar. The moment you start copying and pasting snippets, you can easily access them by clicking the icon. Then, you can control + click the snippets you want to work with.
You can press Shift + Command + V in Flycut and use the right or left arrows to navigate the clipboard library.
Paste
This is a popular clipboard manager and allows users to store everything they copy on their Mac computer or iPad/iPhone. You can copy everything using this application, including files, images, links, and texts.
On this app, the copied content stays on top, and you can find it easily with a simple search. Furthermore, you can categorize the items you have copied and even pin them so you can find them quickly.
The app also allows users to paste content without formatting. You can simultaneously select and paste different copied items. To simplify pasting content, you can set up specific rules.
Last but not least, Paste allows users to sync the data across their devices using iCloud sync.
CopyClip 2
This is a simple clipboard manager for Mac users and allows users to access up to ten of their most recent clipboard items. All you have to do is press Command + 0-9. You can try the application by trying the seven-day free trial.
Clipy
Do you like the idea of pinned clips? Use Clipy’s Snippets feature. These act like pinned clips and can be easily re-accessed. The best thing is they don’t clog the top of the clipboard history list.
When you install Clipy on your Mac, you can access it by pressing Command + Shift + V. The clipboard manager allows users to record images. If you are recording images from the Internet, they will be recorded as links.
If you are copying a table, the manager remembers the formatting.
The Bottom Line
These clipboard managers are some of the best options for Mac users. If you need advanced features and options, you can look for third-party clipboard managers. If not, the built-in clipboard feature on your Mac works just fine.