How to Use Clipboard History in Windows 11 (Windows + V)

Normally, copying something new in Windows replaces whatever you copied before. Clipboard history in Windows 11 changes that: it keeps a list of the things you copy, so you can gather several pieces of text, links or screenshots and paste whichever one you need, when you need it. This guide shows how to turn it on, use it day to day, pin the things you paste often, sync it between PCs, keep it private, and fix it when Windows + V does nothing.

This is an independent guide and is not affiliated with Microsoft.

Turn on clipboard history

There are two ways:

1. Keyboard: press Windows logo key + V. If history is off, the panel says so and offers a Turn on button.
2. Settings: open Settings > System > Clipboard and switch on Clipboard history.

Clipboard history only records things you copy after it is turned on. Anything you copied before that is gone.

Copy and paste several items

Once it is on, nothing changes about how you copy: use Ctrl + C, right-click > Copy, or the Copy button in an app. The difference is in pasting:

1. Click where you want to paste.
2. Press Windows + V.
3. Select the item you want from the list. It is pasted straight in.

You can use the arrow keys and Enter instead of the mouse. Ctrl + V still pastes the most recent item, as before.

Microsoft’s tips page notes that clipboard history works across most apps, and that for text items there is an option to paste as text, which drops fonts, colours and links. That is handy when you copy from a web page into an email or document and do not want the website’s formatting.

Screenshots taken with Snipping Tool or Windows + Shift + S also land in clipboard history, which makes it a quick way to paste several screenshots into a document. Our screenshot guide covers the capture side.

Pin the items you paste often

Pinned items stay in the list even after a restart or after Clear all. Good candidates are a delivery address, a standard reply, a reference number or a template sentence.

1. Press Windows + V.
2. Select the three-dot menu (See more) on the item.
3. Choose Pin. Choose Unpin or Delete later to remove it.

Clear clipboard history

Everything that is not pinned is cleared when the PC restarts. To clear it sooner:

• In the Windows + V panel, select Clear all, or use the three-dot menu on a single item and choose Delete.
• Or go to Settings > System > Clipboard and select Clear next to Clear clipboard data.

Turning Clipboard history off in Settings also stops new items being saved.

Sync clipboard between your PCs

If you use more than one Windows PC with the same Microsoft account, you can paste on one what you copied on the other. In Settings > System > Clipboard, turn on Clipboard history across your devices (the exact wording can vary by version) and choose whether to sync automatically or only when you choose. Syncing needs you to be signed in with a Microsoft account rather than a local account; our guide to switching between a local and Microsoft account explains the difference.

Leave syncing off on shared or work computers unless your workplace allows it.

Keep it private

Clipboard history is convenient, but it remembers whatever you copy. A few habits keep it safe:

• Do not copy passwords or card numbers if you can avoid it. A password manager can fill passwords without the clipboard, and many clear the clipboard automatically after a short time.
• Clear history after copying anything sensitive, using Clear all or the delete option on that item.
• Lock the PC (Windows + L) when you step away, because anyone at your desk can press Windows + V.
• Be careful with copied text from untrusted web pages, chats or emails. Never paste a command you do not understand into Command Prompt, PowerShell or the Run box because a website or “support agent” told you to; this is a known scam trick.

Windows + V does not work

If nothing happens when you press Windows + V, or the panel opens but stays empty, work through these checks:

1. Is history on? Check Settings > System > Clipboard. If it is on, copy something new and try again; the list starts empty after a restart.
2. Is the keyboard fine? Test whether the Windows key works on its own (it should open Start). If keys do not respond, see keyboard keys not working. Some gaming keyboards have a “game mode” that disables the Windows key.
3. Is the app blocking it? Some apps, remote desktop windows and virtual machines capture keyboard shortcuts. Click on the desktop and try again.
4. Is it managed by your workplace? On work or school PCs, an administrator can turn clipboard history or syncing off. The switch then appears greyed out.
5. Restart Windows Explorer. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, find Windows Explorer, right-click it and choose Restart. If other parts of Windows such as Start are also unresponsive, see Start menu not working.
6. Install updates. Go to Settings > Windows Update and install what is waiting, then restart.

What clipboard history can and cannot hold

Clipboard history is designed for everyday copying: text, links, formatted text from documents and web pages, and images such as screenshots. A few things behave differently:

• Files and folders: copying a file in File Explorer with Ctrl + C works as usual, but files do not appear as reusable items in the Windows + V list. To move several files, copy them together or use the file transfer methods in our guide.
• Very large items: a whole spreadsheet or a huge image may be pasted normally with Ctrl + V but not kept in history. Copy smaller pieces if you need them in the list.
• Some apps: a few programs use their own internal clipboard. What you copy inside them may only paste inside the same program.

Clipboard history is also not a backup. Anything you have not pinned disappears at restart, so paste important text into a document or note rather than relying on the list to keep it.

Clipboard on other devices

On a Mac, the built-in clipboard holds one item at a time. With Universal Clipboard, Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account can copy on one and paste on another nearby. On Android, many keyboards (including Gboard and the Samsung keyboard) have their own clipboard history inside the keyboard’s toolbar.

Put it together with snap layouts

Clipboard history pairs well with side-by-side windows: put your source document on one half of the screen, the one you are writing on the other, copy several bits and paste them in order. Our guide to split screen in Windows 11 shows how to arrange windows that way. More Windows guides are in the Windows section.