A Complete Guide on How to Copy and Paste on Mac and Between Other Apple Devices

Whether you’re a new Mac user or have recently joined the Apple world, learning new shortcuts can be difficult.

But don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as it seems. Once you’ve got the hang of the commands, you’ll be good to go!

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It doesn’t make much difference if you’re a Windows user, because most of the keys have been renamed, but their function remains the same.

As long as you understand this, you will eventually get the result you want. One of the most common commands that confuse users with different keyboards is ‘How to copy and paste Mac?’.

Let’s get rolling and quickly tell you all the methods to do it!

Content:

4 ways to copy and paste on Mac1. Keyboard shortcuts 2. By right clicking3. Through the application menus4. with tampon
1. Keyboard shortcuts
2. By right click
3. Through the application menus
4. with tampon
Ways to Copy and Paste Multiple Items on Mac
- Use of the search engine
How to copy and paste from Mac between other devices?
- since the transfer
- Via AirDrop
How to paste on Mac without formatting?
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4 Ways to Copy and Paste on Mac

One of the most basic and common commands used on any desktop is the copy and paste command. However, the ways to do this may differ from device to device, although the end result is the same.

Whether you’re a new Mac user or just looking for ways other than the usual keyboard keys to copy and paste on your Mac, we’re here to tell you all about it.

On Mac, you can copy and paste text, images, files, folders, and much more! So now, let’s get into the methods and get started!

Keyboard shortcuts

To copy and paste on your Mac using the most common method, which is command keys, you can follow the steps below:

Highlight the text you want to copy.

Then press Command + C to copy the selected text.

Now move to the space where you want to paste the copied text. Press Command + V.

And now the text will be pasted.

To copy and paste on a Mac, keyboard shortcuts are one of the most common methods. However, if you want to do this with the mouse, read the next section.

By right click

Another way to copy and paste on a Mac is to right-click with a mouse pad or trackpad on a Mac. If you’re using a mouse and want to copy and paste text without moving your hands, follow these steps:

Highlight and select the text you want to copy.

Once selected, right-click anywhere on the selected text.

After that, an options menu will appear, select Copy.

Then go to the place where you want to paste the text.

Right-click on the space and tap Paste. The text will now be pasted there.

With the help of these steps, you will be able to copy and paste on your Mac. If you want to use another method, read on.

Through the application menus

Apart from the methods explained above, you can also copy and paste on Mac using the application menu. Each app has a menu that appears at the top left of your Mac screen. So, to copy and paste on Mac using it:

Select by dragging the cursor over the text you want to copy.

After that, move your mouse to Edit at the top of the open application and click on it.

After the options appear, select Copy.

Now go where you want to paste the copied text.

Press Edit > Paste. And now the text will be pasted successfully!

And that is! You now have the copied text pasted in the desired location. If you’re using your iPhone or iPad clipboard more and want to explore it on your Mac for copy and paste as well, the next section covers that briefly.

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One of the easiest ways to copy and paste on a Mac is through the clipboard, as it stores recently copied items. So you can just take the text from there and copy it.

However, you first need to know where you can view your clipboard history on a Mac: Finder > Edit > Clipboard.

Please note that the official Apple clipboard does not track all copied items and they may disappear after a while. Now let’s get started with the steps to copy and paste on Mac:

Once you get to the clipboard, select and copy the desired text by pressing Command + C or right-clicking on it and selecting Copy.
Now go where you want to paste the text and just press Command + V or right click and tap Paste.

Now the copied text will be successfully pasted into the document. However, it was about pasting a specific text or element. If you need to copy and paste more than one item on your Mac, what’s the problem? Let’s look.

Ways to Copy and Paste Multiple Items on Mac

As you may have learned in the previous section on copying and pasting on Mac, let’s take a look at the steps to do the same but with more elements.

Use of the search engine

The Finder is an important space on the Mac and is often used in comparison to other applications. However, if you want to copy and paste documents and files on your Mac using Finder, follow the steps below.

Select the documents you want to share.

Now right click on them and select Copy.

Go to the folder where you want to paste them.

Tap Paste 2 items.

Then the copied items will be successfully pasted into the other folder.

These were the copy and paste methods on Mac. But if you want to do it between Mac and other Apple devices, you can refer to the next section of the article.

How to copy and paste from Mac between other devices?

The copy and paste process may vary from device to device. For example, if you want to copy and paste on a Chromebook, it has its own corresponding keys for that.

However, if we talk about Mac, then the copy and paste process can be done not only on it but also on other Apple devices. And here we are not talking about individual devices, but about copying and pasting from Mac between other devices. We tell you how.

since the transfer

Before you start sharing files between your Mac and other Apple devices, make sure that it’s enabled on your devices and that you’re signed in with the same Apple ID on all applicable devices.

Now, to keep it simple and short, Handoff is a unique Apple feature that basically allows you to do more than just sync. According to Apple, you can “pick up where you left off with Handoff on Mac.”

To make sure Handoff is enabled on your Mac:

Solution Brief: System Preferences > General > AirDrop & Handoff > Allow transfer between this Mac and your iCloud devices

You need to do the same for your iPhone or iPad and make sure Handoff is enabled.

Now we will give the steps to copy paste on Mac with the help of Handoff feature.

Select the text you want to copy and press Command + C.

Now open the other device where you want to paste the copied text.

Touch and hold where you want to paste the text, and when the options appear, click Paste.

A message will now appear indicating that the text is being copied from the Mac.

After that, the text will be pasted successfully.

You can do the same process for images. However, to do this with other media files and documents, follow the next section.

Via AirDrop

You might be wondering what AirDrop does in the copy and paste section, but in the case of sharing files and folders on Apple devices, it is quite useful.

If you need to transfer an entire document, and not just copy and paste the data into it, you can use the AirDrop feature. First, make sure it’s on:

Solution Brief: Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff > AirDrop (contacts only)

After enabling it, navigate to the file or document that you want to transfer or share with another Apple device.

After that, just right-click on it and tap on Share. Now select AirDrop and send it to your device. Accept the request if your device is not paired and you’re done!

But if you recently changed your AirDrop name, there may be a little situation…

How to paste on Mac without formatting?

It can be frustrating if you have to copy and paste from one document to another, but the copied text is not in the desired font or formatting. To copy text on Mac without formatting, follow these steps:

Select the text and press Command + C to copy or Command + X to cut.
Now go to the place where you want to paste the selected text. Press Command + Option or Alt + Shift + V to paste.

Pressing these command keys may seem like quite a difficult task. But if you do it right, the text will be pasted without formatting the previous document and according to the desired document style and formatting.

Note, however, that this shortcut works in Apple’s Pages app, and if you want to paste it into another document or app, try Command + Shift + V.

For Microsoft Word, click the File menu > Paste > Select Keep Text Only. You can also set this as the default paste if you use the same format in most of your documents.

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Apple has a lot of great features like dark mode on the Mac if you start to do some digging. However, navigating everything smoothly may not be that easy. The same thing can happen with slightly different key combinations on the MacBook.

While many users are initially confused by basic commands like copy and paste on the Mac, once they get used to the keys and their functions, it certainly becomes much easier. All they need to do is use the correct command keys frequently and keep trying different methods as explained in the articles instead of sticking to the same one.

Sources:

How to Copy and Paste on Mac Apple Support Rain Kengly 4 Easy Ways to Copy and Paste on Mac wikiHow Pick up where you left off with Handoff on Mac Apple Support