Getting started

Is Clipboard History free?

Yes. It is free, open source, has no account, trial, ads, or paid upgrade. You can inspect the source on GitHub.

Which Macs does it support?

Any Intel or Apple silicon Mac running macOS 14 Sonoma or newer.

How do I open clipboard history on Mac?

Press Shift + Command + V in any application. Type to search, use the arrow keys to select an earlier copy, and press Return. With optional auto-paste permission it returns to the previous app; otherwise press Command + V manually.

You can record a different global shortcut in Settings. See the complete keyboard shortcut guide.

Does it start automatically?

First-run setup lets you choose whether Clipboard History launches at login. You can change that choice later in Settings → General. Clipboard recording starts only after setup is complete.

Privacy and storage

Will it record my passwords?

Copies made while 1Password, Bitwarden, Dashlane, KeePassXC, Apple Passwords, Keychain Access, or LastPass is frontmost are skipped. Clipboard items their source app marks concealed, transient, or automatically generated are also ignored. Clipboard History cannot identify every secret copied as ordinary content, so add other sensitive applications to the skip list or pause recording when needed.

Does it sync between Macs?

No. Clipboard History is intentionally local-only. Copied content stays on the Mac where it was captured.

Where is my clipboard data stored?

In a local SQLite database inside the app's macOS sandbox container:

~/Library/Containers/app.clipboard-history/Data/Library/Application Support/Clipboard History/clipboard.sqlite

Current releases migrate history from the older unsandboxed location. Read the complete privacy overview for storage, network, and deletion details.

Features and performance

How is it different from the built-in macOS clipboard?

macOS 26 Tahoe includes recent clipboard history in Spotlight: press Command + Space, then Command + 4. Clipboard History also supports macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 15 Sequoia, keeps 1,000 items by default (adjustable up to 10,000), opens directly with Shift + Command + V, saves Finder file and folder references, and preserves starred or grouped clips. See the complete macOS clipboard history guide.

Does it support copied files, images, and rich text?

Yes. Files and folders copied in Finder are saved by reference with a small preview; they paste back as real items, and Command + R reveals the original. Direct PNG and TIFF clipboard images are stored with bounded preview thumbnails. RTF or HTML is preserved together with a searchable plain-text fallback. The app does not perform OCR or QR recognition.

Can I change the shortcut and appearance?

Yes. Record any global shortcut in Settings → General and choose System, Light, or Dark appearance.

Will it slow down my Mac?

It is designed to stay out of the way, checking the clipboard twice a second. Clipboard payloads are size-limited and Finder items are stored by reference. Download size varies by release.

Permissions, updates, and removal

Why does auto-paste request permission?

Automatic paste needs optional macOS permission to post a Command + V keyboard event. Without it, pressing Return still puts the selected clip on the clipboard and you can paste manually.

How do updates work?

The app checks for signed updates with Sparkle. Every update is cryptographically verified before it installs.

How do I uninstall Clipboard History?

Quit it from the menu bar and move Clipboard History from Applications to the Trash. Follow the uninstall guide if you also want to remove sandbox-container data.