Clipboard history on Mac
macOS keeps only the last thing you copied. Here is how clipboard history works, what to look for, and how to keep secrets safe.
Outline. This guide is a structured draft. Each section lists what it will cover; the full text is still to be written.
The one-item clipboard
- What the macOS pasteboard keeps, and what happens when you copy again.
- Universal Clipboard between Apple devices, and its limits.
What a clipboard manager adds
- History, search, pinned items and snippets.
- Readable types: links, code, commands, colours, images.
Keeping secrets safe
- Why API keys and passwords end up in clipboard history.
- Masking on screen; links that carry a token.
Pasting several things in order
- Paste Stack: copy a few items, paste them back one after another.
Clipboard history with Toolnotch
- ⌘⇧V from the notch, list with preview or grid (⌘L), quick paste with ⌘1–9.