How to Get the Most From Windows Clipboard History

Most people know how to copy and paste. You copy something, then paste it once, and the copied item is gone the moment you copy something new. But Windows has a hidden feature called Clipboard History that saves everything you copy for later. So you can go back and paste any of the last 25 items you copied, in any order.

This feature is available in Windows 10 and Windows 11. It is turned off by default on some computers. So you may need to turn it on once before using it.

Once enabled, every time you copy text, an image, or a file path, Windows saves it to your clipboard history. You can then press the Windows key plus the V key (Win+V) to open a small panel showing your recent copies. Click on any item in the list to paste it into whatever you are working on.

This is particularly useful for repetitive work. If you are filling out forms online and need to type the same address, phone number, or reference number multiple times, copy it once and then use Clipboard History to paste it repeatedly without having to retype it each time.

Pinning is another valuable feature. If there is something you find yourself copying and pasting regularly — your mailing address, your email address, a often used phrase — you can pin it to the top of your Clipboard History so it is always available. Pinned items stay in the list even after you restart your computer, whereas unpinned items are cleared on restart.

Clipboard History can also sync across your Windows devices if you have a Microsoft account and turn on the sync option. If you copy something on your desktop computer, it becomes available to paste on your laptop as well — as long as both are signed in to the same Microsoft account.

Text from passwords or sensitive information should not be copied and left in Clipboard History. You can clear the entire history or delete individual items at any time from within the Win+V panel.