Windows 11 Copy Paste Clipboard History: How to Enable and Use

Affiliate Disclosure
BinaryFork uses affiliate links. That means that when you will decide to buy or download something by clicking a link on our website, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This commission is meant to keep our website up and running. More details
  • A list of the last 20 copied items is available at any time in the Clipboard History tool in Windows 11.
  • A simple keyboard shortcut can open this list so you can paste past items when needed.
  • The Paste function only remembers the last item copied in the clipboard, but what if you need to get the previously copied item?
notes history

Say what you want about Microsoft Windows, but each new version adds a few little utilities that can help you be more productive. One such tool is the Clipboard History, which exists since Windows 10. It has been upgraded a bit in Windows 11.

Copy Paste Clipboard History is deeply integrated into Windows and retains the last 20 items copied (text with formatting and images). These can be pasted at any time in a note-taking app, a text field, and pretty much anywhere where the Paste function is supported.

For me, this is probably the most used utility throughout the day. Hands down.

How to Enable and Use the Windows 11 Clipboard History Tool

1. Click in an input field or text document (not mandatory, but will allow you to paste directly at the cursor position).

2. Press WIN + V. If this is the first time you access the tool you need to open the clipboard history popup and press on Turn on first.

3. Click on the item you want to use. This will automatically insert the item contents (including formatting) at the cursor position.

windows 11 copy paste clipboard history

There are other actions you can perform: (1) clear the list, (2) pin items to always be accessible for pasting, (3) delete individual entries, and (4) another option to Paste as Text, which will insert only the text, without formatting. The last two options are hidden under the three-dot menu. The last option is new to Windows 11.

Note: the clipboard history also retains images, not just text.

Know any other hidden useful utilities in Windows? Leave them in a comment below and I’ll check them out.

Did you know you can sync the clipboard contents between Windows and Android? Here’s how you do it. There’s also a neat way to copy full file paths in Windows 11. You can also automatically sync Windows settings between your devices.

Avatar for Ionuț-Alexandru Popa
I'm obsessed with technology, science, and gadgets. I write about them since 2003. I make websites because I like to build stuff. I'm also passionate about digital marketing and graphic design. I watch movies and play games in my spare time. I'm also reading books, mostly SciFi.

Be the first to get notified when we publish new content. Subscribe for FREE!

Receive notifications for newly published articles directly to your Inbox.

We want to hear what you have to say:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Our readers appreciate heated debates, as long as they remain polite, so they ask for your respect, even if you don't completely agree with them. Thanks!

The written content on our website is available free of charge because of the ads we're showing. Please support our efforts and deactivate your AdBlocker when you visit our site. Thank you!

Get FREE content updates directly to your inbox

Subscribe and receive notifications for newly published content.