5 Fastest Ways to Copy and Paste on a Mac or MacBook

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Copy and paste text or files on a Mac computer or laptop
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Do you want to move something from one location to another? It's easy to copy and paste text on your computer using keyboard shortcuts, your trackpad, and built-in menu bar. You can also copy and paste files if you need to move them to a different folder. This wikiHow will show you how to copy and paste on a Mac or MacBook with or without a mouse.

Quick Steps

  1. Select the text you want to copy and paste.
  2. Press Command + C to copy.
  3. Navigate to where you want to paste.
  4. Press Command + V to paste.
Section 1 of 5:

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

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  1. Click and drag the cursor to highlight the text you want to copy in your document or on a website. [1]
    • Using keyboard shortcuts may be an easier way to copy and paste for some Mac Pro users.
    • If you can't use your mouse to highlight the text, press Command + Tab to make sure the correct window is highlighted. Then, use the arrow keys to place the cursor at the start of the text. Hold Shift and use the arrow keys to place the cursor at the end of the text. This should highlight it.
  2. This keyboard combination will copy the selected text to your clipboard. [2]
    • Some keyboards may show Command as CMD or a bowen knot icon.
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  3. You can paste text into any text field or document.
  4. This keyboard combination will paste the copied text. [3]
    • Alternatively, use Paste Special . These options can be accessed by pressing Control + Command + V , within the control-click menu, or in the Edit menu.
      • If you're pasting formatted text into a document, you can click Paste and Match Style or press Shift + Option + Command + V to format the text with the document's style. This can be helpful if you copied text that has a different size or font style and only want to paste the plain text. [4]
      • Depending on the application you're pasting to, you may see other options, such as Paste Formatted , Paste HTML text , Paste Object , or other.
    • If you made a mistake, you can press Command + Z to undo the paste action.
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Section 2 of 5:

Using a Trackpad

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  1. You must have this feature enabled in order to use the trackpad to copy and paste. Be sure to update your Mac computer . [5]
    • Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen.
    • Click System Settings → Trackpad → Secondary click .
    • Select "Click with two fingers".
  2. Go to the document or folder where the content is located.
  3. To select text, click and drag your mouse across it to highlight it.
  4. Place the mouse cursor over the selected text, and then press the trackpad with two fingers. This will open a drop-down menu. [6]
  5. It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so will copy the selected text to your Mac's clipboard.
  6. You can paste text into any text field or document.
  7. A drop-down menu will appear.
  8. It's in the drop-down menu. You should see your text appear in the selected space.
    • Alternatively, use Paste Special . These options can be accessed within the control-click menu or by pressing Control + Command + V . You can also access them in the Edit tab for most applications, such as Word and Pages.
      • If you're pasting formatted text into a document, you can click Paste and Match Style to format the text with the document's style. This can be helpful if you copied text that has a different size or font style and only want to paste the plain text.
      • Depending on the application you're pasting to, you may see other options, such as Paste Formatted , Paste HTML text , Paste Object , or other.
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Section 3 of 5:

Using Control-Click

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  1. To select text, click and drag your mouse across it to highlight it.
  2. This will open a menu.
  3. This will copy the selected text to your Mac's clipboard.
  4. You can paste text into any text field or document.
  5. This will open a menu.
  6. It's in the drop-down menu. You should see your text appear in the selected space.
    • Alternatively, use Paste Special . These options can be accessed within the control-click menu or by pressing Control + Command + V . You can also access them in the Edit tab for most applications, such as Word and Pages.
      • If you're pasting formatted text into a document, you can click Paste and Match Style to format the text with the document's style. This can be helpful if you copied text that has a different size or font style and only want to paste the plain text.
      • Depending on the application you're pasting to, you may see other options, such as Paste Formatted , Paste HTML text , Paste Object , or other.
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Section 4 of 5:

Using the Menu Bar

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  1. You can copy text in order to paste it into another document or text field.
  2. To select text, click and drag your mouse across it to highlight it.
  3. It's on the left side of the menu bar that's at the top of your Mac's screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  4. You'll see this option in the Edit drop-down menu. Doing so copies any selected text to your Mac's clipboard.
  5. You can paste text into any text field or document, such as a Pages file or TextEdit document .
    • If you're pasting text into a text field, make sure you click the text field before proceeding.
  6. It's in the menu bar. The drop-down menu will reappear.
  7. It's in the drop-down menu. You should see your text or file(s) appear in the selected space.
    • Alternatively, use Paste Special . These options can also be accessed in the Edit menu, within the control-click menu or by pressing Control + Command + V .
      • If you're pasting formatted text into a document, you can click Paste and Match Style to format the text with the document's style. This can be helpful if you copied text that has a different size or font style and only want to paste the plain text.
      • Depending on the application you're pasting to, you may see other options, such as Paste Formatted , Paste HTML text , Paste Object , or other.
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Section 5 of 5:

Copying and Pasting Files

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  1. You can select a file by clicking it once.
    • If you want to select multiple files at once, hold down the Command key while clicking each file.
  2. It's on the left side of the menu bar that's at the top of your Mac's screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. You'll see this option in the Edit drop-down menu. Doing so copies any selected files to your Mac's clipboard.
    • You can also use the keyboard shortcut Command + C . [7]
  4. Files can be pasted into most folders on your computer.
  5. If you copied multiple files, you'll see Paste (number) Items .
    • This will place a copy of the file in the specified location.
    • If you want to move files with copy and paste, hold the Command key while the Edit drop-down menu is open. Paste Items will change to Move Items Here .
      • This will remove the file from the original location and move it to the new location.
      • You can also use the keyboard shortcut Option + Command + V .
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I copy and paste without a command?
    Community Answer
    Highlight the text. Click with two fingers at once, then press Copy. Go to the place you want to insert it. Click with two fingers at once, and press Paste.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 49 Helpful 45
  • Question
    How do I switch between applications on my Mac?
    Community Answer
    If your application is in full screen mode and you don't know how to exit, press the key marked "esc" in the very top left hand corner of your keyboard to exit. If you want to open a new application, drag your mouse down the bottom of the screen, and the "dock" will appear. (This is sometimes on the right hand or left hand side of the screen instead.) The dock contains a selection of applications, but not all of them. The rest are located in the launchpad. Click on the grey rocket icon in the dock to open launchpad.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    Not Helpful 6 Helpful 9
  • Question
    How do I email a lot of people at once on a mac?
    Community Answer
    Go to your email, compose your letter, and then add all the people at once to the addressee.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Tips

      • If you want to paste content between your linked Apple devices, you can use the Universal Clipboard feature. Both devices must be signed into the same Apple account, have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on, and have Handoff enabled. When you copy content on one device, it will be added to the clipboard of your other nearby device. You can then paste it on your other device. [8]
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      • If you have a Mac with a mouse (e.g., an iMac), pressing the right side of the mouse will prompt a drop-down menu with Copy and Paste options.
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      • You can use the "Cut" feature to delete text from a document or text field after copying it to your clipboard. You'll find Cut in the Edit drop-down menu, or you can press Command + X to cut selected text.
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      Warnings

      • Copying another item or piece of text before you have a chance to paste the last-copied item or piece of text will overwrite the previously copied information. This can be disastrous if you're copying and pasting sensitive information between documents or folders.
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      • Some text won't be viewable in certain contexts. For example, copying a text message with emoji in it from your Mac's Message app and pasting it into a text field on Facebook or similar may result in some of the emoji not showing up.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102553
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102553
      3. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102553
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102553
      5. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/right-click-mh35853/mac
      6. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/right-click-mh35853/mac
      7. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102553
      8. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102430

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Select the text or file(s) you want to copy.
      2. Click Edit , then click Copy .
      3. Go to the location in which you want to paste the copied item(s).
      4. Click Edit , then click Paste .

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