If you use a clipboard manager app on Windows 10, updating to the Windows 10 October 2018 update may negate the need for it. This new version lets you store your Windows 10 clipboard history and recall a previous entry with a simple keyboard shortcut. Here’s how you can view clipboard history in this version of Windows.
“>
First, make sure you’re on the October 2018 build by opening the run box and typing winver. The version should be 1809. If you’re using an older version, run Windows Update to get the latest edition.
Before you can view clipboard history on Windows 10, you need to first enable it:
- Open the Settings app (press Win+i to get there immediately).
- Select the System group of settings.
- Select the Clipboard tab.
- Turn on Clipboard history.
You can view clipboard history on Windows 10 from this point forward. Anything that you copied before enabling it will not appear.
How to Open Windows 10 Clipboard History
How you get to the clipboard history is easy: Tap Windows +v. A little panel will open that will list all items, images, and text, that you copied to your clipboard. Scroll through it and click an item you want to paste again.
If you look closely at the panel, you will see that each item has a little pin icon on it. Clicking it will exempt the item from being cleared when you clear your clipboard history.
Speaking of which, you can clear your history by clicking the Clear all button on the clipboard history panel. You can also delete it from the Clipboard tab in the Settings app.
The clipboard can also be synced across devices, but this option isn’t enabled by default.
A word of caution on clipboard history
Users tend to copy and paste sensitive information like logins, passwords, and even banking information to their clipboard.
This isn’t a good idea, ever, but before the 2018 update, it wasn’t as dangerous because Windows only remembered the last entry on your clipboard.
If you enable clipboard history on Windows 10, you need to take special care that you do not copy sensitive information to your clipboard. If you do copy sensitive information to the clipboard, make sure that you clear it out immediately. You can remove individual items from your history.
Disabling Windows 10 Clipboard History
Turning off the clipboard history on your computer is easy. Whether for privacy reasons or something else, reverse the setup steps above, this time turning off the Windows 10 clipboard history:
- Open Settings (press Win+i).
- Go to System > Clipboard.
- Find the Clipboard history toggle and select it to switch it off.
Parting words
The history will persist past a system restart so you have to be proactive about keeping it clean.
Sensitive information shouldn’t be stored there but to make sure that it’s still usable, you should trim the items on the clipboard regularly so that only important items are kept long term.
There doesn’t seem to be any limit on how many items it can store but since this is a native Windows 10 feature, you can expect it to store a reasonably large number of items.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I turn on my clipboard history? Select Windows logo key + V, and then select Turn on.
- How do I sync my clipboard items to my Computer? Select Start > Settings > System > Clipboard . Choose On under Sync across devices.
- How do I clear my clipboard history? Select Start > Settings > System > Clipboard > Clear clipboard data > Clear — this will clear everything on your device and the cloud, except for pinned items. Select Windows logo key + V and then select the Clear all option at the top — this will clear your device clipboard history.
- What if I want to get rid of something in the clipboard history? Select Windows logo key + V to open the clipboard settings and then next to the item in question, select Delete.
- How do I sync my clipboard to my phone? Unfortunately, you can’t sync your clipboard history to your phone yet. This feature will be added in the future.
Fatima Wahab
Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014.
Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks
Access clipboard history
Save time and effort with shortcuts. Press Windows logo key + V to save recent copied or cut items on the cloud-based clipboard so you can paste them in other apps or sync across devices.
To start using clipboard history, press Windows logo key + V.
Sync your clipboard items to your PC
Copy images and text from one PC to another with a cloud-based clipboard. To sync clipboard items to your PC, you’ll need to make sure the sync feature is on.
- Select Start > Settings > System > Clipboard.
- Set the Sync across devices toggle to On.
- Select Automatically sync text that I copy. The sync feature is tied to your Microsoft account, or your work account, so remember to use the same login information on all your devices.
Frequently asked questions
-
Make sure you’ve turned on clipboard history. To turn your clipboard on for the first time, select Windows logo key + V and select Turn on.
Clipboard history gets cleared each time you restart your PC, except for the items you’ve pinned.
-
You can quickly clear everything—except pinned items—on your device and the cloud.
- Select Start > Settings > System > Clipboard.
- In the Clear clipboard data area, select Clear.
You can also clear your device clipboard history by selecting Windows logo key + V and then selecting the Clear all option at the top.
-
You can clear any specific item on your clipboard.
- Select Windows logo key + V.
- Next to the item in question, select See more (…) and then select Delete.
-
Your clipboard history is limited to 25 copied entries. Older items—unless they’re pinned—are removed automatically to make room for new clipboard items.
Related features
Keyboard shortcuts in Windows
Save time by navigating Windows using keyboard shortcuts. Explore a full list of taskbar, command prompt, and general Windows shortcuts.
Keyboard shortcuts in apps
Discover keyboard shortcuts in apps like Microsoft Edge, Maps, Photos, Groove, Calculator, Paint, Game bar, Movies & TV, and Voice Recorder.
Windows keyboard shortcuts for accessibility
Accessibility shortcuts can help you use your PC with a keyboard or assistive device.
Всё, что нужно знать о полезной функции для более продуктивной работы.
Что такое журнал буфера обмена
Стандартный буфер, который все привыкли использовать через контекстное меню «Скопировать» и «Вставить» или через сочетания Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, имеет лишь одну «ячейку памяти». Чего бывает очень мало. Начиная с Windows 10 Microsoft внедрила журнал буфера обмена, который умеет запоминать до 25 элементов. Копировать и вставлять при этом можно текст, ссылки, изображения и другой контент.
Как включить журнал буфера обмена Windows 10 и Windows 11
По умолчанию функция неактивна. Её можно активировать следующим образом.
Удерживая клавишу Win (с символом «окошка»), нажмите V на клавиатуре. Вы увидите предложение включить журнал буфера обмена с помощью соответствующей кнопки.
Если при нажатии Win + V ничего не происходит, то активировать функцию можно в настройках. Для этого сделайте правый клик по меню «Пуск» и выберите «Параметры». Далее в разделе «Система» → «Буфер обмена» включите тумблер как на скриншоте выше.
Как просмотреть буферы обмена Windows 10 и Windows 11
После включения система начнёт хранить всё, что вы копируете или вырезаете, в буфере обмена.
Для просмотра журнала нажмите Win + V. На экране отобразится плавающее окошко со списком сохранённых элементов, которое можно переместить в удобное место. Запомнить сочетание легко — как обычная вставка, только вместо Ctrl используется клавиша Win.
Как вставить куда-то скопированный элемент
Для вставки элемента в документ или, например, в строку поиска достаточно кликнуть по нужному тексту, ссылке или изображению в списке, после чего буфер автоматически закроется. Помимо этого можно использовать стрелки клавиатуры для навигации и Enter для вставки.
Как закрепить нужный элемент
Если вам часто приходится вставлять одинаковые данные вроде реквизитов, ссылок или номеров телефонов, можно закрепить их в буфере, чтобы они всегда были под рукой.
Для этого просто кликните по значку иголки напротив нужного элемента.
Как очистить журнал буфера обмена
Как упоминалось выше, в памяти буфера всего 25 ячеек. При их заполнении во время записи новых элементов самые старые стираются.
Каждую из них можно удалить по отдельности, кликнув на троеточие в списке и выбрав значок корзины. Для освобождения места во всём буфере используется кнопка «Очистить всё».
При этом буфер автоматически очищается после перезагрузки и выключения компьютера. Из памяти исчезают все элементы, кроме закреплённых.
Sign in to your How-To Geek account
Quick Links
-
What Gets Stored in Clipboard History?
-
How to Enable Clipboard History in Windows 10
-
View Clipboard History in Windows 10 with the Clipboard Shortcut
-
How to Disable Clipboard History in Windows 10
Summary
To enable clipboard history on Windows 10, open the Settings app, navigate to System > Clipboard, and then click the toggle next to «Clipboard History.» You can open the clipboard history window by pressing Windows+V.
Windows 10 takes copy and paste to another level with a feature called Clipboard history, which lets you see a list of items you have copied to the clipboard recently. Here’s how to turn it on and view your clipboard history.
What Gets Stored in Clipboard History?
Currently, Clipboard history supports storing text, HTML, and images less than 4 MB in size. Larger items won’t be stored in the history. Clipboard history stores a maximum of 25 entries, with the oldest items disappearing as new ones appear. Also, unless an item is pinned to the Clipboard, the Clipboard history list will reset every time you restart your computer or device.
The clipboard history feature first appeared in Windows 10’s October 2018 Update (Version 1809)
How to Enable Clipboard History in Windows 10
First, click the «Start» button, and then click the «Gear» icon on the left side of the Start menu to open the «Windows Settings» menu. You can also press Windows+i to get there.
In Windows Settings, click on «System.»
On the Settings sidebar, click on «Clipboard.» In Clipboard settings, locate the section called «Clipboard history» and toggle the switch to «On.»
Clipboard history is now turned on. If you’re signed in with a Microsoft account, you can also enable Sync here too. Then your clipboard history will be accessible across all of your devices. You can now close Settings and use the feature in any application.
View Clipboard History in Windows 10 with the Clipboard Shortcut
Once you have enabled Clipboard history, you can call up a list of items you have copied recently while using any application. To access the clipboard, press the clipboard shortcut: Windows+V.
A small window will pop up. The most recent items you’ve copied are at the top of the list.
You can click on any item in the Clipboard history list to paste it into an open application.
To remove items from Clipboard history, click on the ellipses (three dots) beside the item you’d like to delete. Select «Delete» from the small menu that pops up.
If you’d like to remove all the items from Clipboard history, click «Clear All» In the ellipses menu.
It’s also possible to pin an item on the Clipboard history list. That way, it will stay on the list even if you reboot the computer or click a «Clear All.» To do so, click on the three-dot menu and select «Pin.» You can unpin the item later by selecting «Unpin» from the ellipses menu.
The Clipboard history interface has a slightly different look to it on older versions of Windows. Here are instructions for those running a build prior to 1909.
How to Disable Clipboard History in Windows 10
To turn off Clipboard history in Windows 10, navigate to Settings > System > Clipboard. Locate the option titled «Clipboard history» and toggle the switch to «Off.»
Once disabled, if you press Windows+V, you will see a small window alerting you that Windows 10 cannot show your clipboard history because the feature is turned off.
Windows 10 clipboard history is a feature that allows users to see a list of items that they have copied over time. Users can also select a specific item to be pasted from the clipboard history list.
The clipboard history is a set of all data that you copied to the clipboard. This includes texts in various formats (plain text, rtf, html), images, file lists, etc.
In Windows 10, the clipboard history is disabled by default. But the new clipboard has many advantages if used properly. Here are some of the benefits you will get using the Windows 10 clipboard:
- You can copy multiple items and paste them anywhere you want.
- You can pin the item you use frequently. In this way, the item is kept in clipboard memory and can be used without copying the item again.
- You can synchronize the clipboard across multiple devices wherever you login with your Microsoft ID.
If you want to take your clipboard experience to the next level, you must make use of Windows 10 clipboard management.
Let’s begin by enabling the clipboard history feature in Windows 10.
See also: Windows 10 Power Toys
Table of Contents
How to enable or disable Windows 10 clipboard history?
There are four ways to enable/disable clipboard history.
1. Enable or disable Clipboard history using Windows Settings
- Open Windows Settings by pressing Windows key + i
- Go to System –> Clipboard.
- Under Clipboard history, switch the toggle button to ON.
To verify that the clipboard history is enabled, press Windows key + V. This will bring up the list of items you copied in Windows clipboard memory.
Please note that clipboard memory is temporary. It will be erased when you restart the computer. The clipboard history is not maintained upon restart.
You can also disable clipboard history at any time. Just do the following:
- Go to Windows Settings –> System –> Clipboard
- Under Clipboard history, toggle the button to OFF.
2. Enable Clipboard history using Keyboard shortcut
If you want to quickly enable clipboard history, follow these steps:
- Simply press the Windows key + V.
- It will open the clipboard history prompt.
- Click on Turn on.
- Now the clipboard history is turned on, and anything you have copied can be viewed on the clipboard.
3- Enable or disable clipboard history using Windows Registry
If you are an advanced user, you can easily enable clipboard history using the Registry. Here are the steps:
- Open Registry Editor (Run –> regedit)
- Go to the following key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Clipboard - In the right-hand pane, right-click –> New –> DWORD Value. Name it EnableClipboardHistory.
- The following values will enable or disable the clipboard history:
- 1 = Enable clipboard history
- 2 = Disable clipboard history
Please note that you will need to restart the computer for the changes to take effect.
4- Enable or disable clipboard history using Group Policy
If you are a sysadmin or want to enable or disable clipboards for multiple users, the best way is to use the Group Policy settings.
- Open Group Policy Editor (Run –> gpedit.msc)
- Go to Computer Configuration –> Administrative Templates –> System –> OS Policies.
- From the right hand pane, double-click Allow clipboard history.
- Select Enable to enable clipboard history
- Select Disable to disable clipboard history
Please note that this will disable or enable clipboard history for all users in the system.
How to sync clipboard history?
You can sync your clipboard history across various devices.
Follow these steps to enable clipboard history sync:
- Go to Windows Settings –> System –> Clipboard
- Under Sync across devices, click on the Get Started button.
- Follow the instructions to enable synchronization options.
Please note that the sync option requires that you use Microsoft ID instead of your local account to sync all data across devices. All devices that have the same Microsoft ID signed in will share the same clipboard history.
How to clear clipboard history?
You can easily clear clipboard history. There are several ways to do it. However, I am providing a method using Windows Settings:
- Go to Windows Settings –> System –> Clipboard
- In the right-hand pane, under Clear clipboard data, press the Clear button.
This will delete your entire clipboard history.
How do I clear specific items from the clipboard?
- Open the clipboard history list using Windows key + V.
- Click on the three dots in the section of the data you wish to remove.
- Select Delete
- Now this particular thing will be removed from your clipboard history.
Conclusion
Clipboard can be a handy tool, especially when you wish to copy multiple things into a space or into different spaces.
Synchronization feature allows you to use the same copied data to use across different devices so you can paste data on different devices too.
How do you use the clipboard on your Windows 10 computer? Do you use it for copying multiple items or just a single item?