How to paste copied text: every method on every device

You've copied something. Now you need to paste it somewhere. The method depends on your device, the app you're pasting into, and whether you want formatting or not. This covers all of it.

Basic paste shortcuts

Paste without formatting

Regular paste (Ctrl+V) keeps the original formatting: bold, italic, font size, colors. Often you don't want that. Here's how to paste plain text only:

• Windows: Ctrl+Shift+V in most apps (Chrome, Google Docs, VS Code). In Microsoft Word: Ctrl+Alt+V → select "Unformatted text"
• Mac: Cmd+Shift+V or Cmd+Option+Shift+V depending on the app
• Universal trick: Paste into a plain text field first (like our tool at clipboardsyncer.com), then copy from there. Strips all formatting guaranteed.

Paste in terminal / command line

Terminal applications handle paste differently because Ctrl+C/V have other meanings:

• Windows Terminal (new): Ctrl+Shift+V or right-click
• Command Prompt (old): Right-click in the window to paste
• Linux terminal: Ctrl+Shift+V or middle mouse button
• Mac Terminal: Cmd+V (works normally)

Paste using mouse only

No keyboard shortcut needed:

1. Right-click where you want to paste
2. Select "Paste" from the context menu

This works everywhere: browsers, text editors, file managers, office apps.

Paste on mobile (touch)

iPhone/iPad: Tap and hold in a text field until the magnifying glass appears. Release. Tap "Paste" from the popup menu. iOS 16+ also shows a paste prompt when an app accesses your clipboard.

Android: Tap and hold in a text field. Tap "Paste" from the toolbar that appears above. Some keyboards also have a clipboard button showing recent copies.

Paste from clipboard history

Instead of pasting the most recent item, you can paste from history:

• Windows: Windows+V opens clipboard history. Click any item to paste it.
• ChromeOS: Search+V shows last 5 items.
• Android (some keyboards): Gboard has a clipboard button showing recent copies. Tap any to paste.

When paste doesn't work

Possible causes:

• You didn't actually copy anything (Ctrl+C missed, selection was lost)
• The field you're pasting into doesn't accept text (disabled input, read-only)
• Another app locked the clipboard (screen recorders, clipboard managers)
• The website blocked paste via JavaScript (some password fields do this)
• You copied on one device but are trying to paste on another (clipboards aren't shared by default)

For that last one: use ClipboardSyncer to bridge the gap between devices. Paste on one, sync to the other.

Paste special content

Paste an image: After copying an image or taking a screenshot, Ctrl+V in apps that support images (Word, Paint, Photoshop, Google Docs). Won't work in plain text fields.

Paste a file: Copy a file in File Explorer (Ctrl+C), navigate to destination folder, Ctrl+V. Creates a copy of the file.

Paste into a search bar: Click the search/address bar, Ctrl+V. Works in browsers, file explorers, and app search fields.