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How to Use Clipboard History on Windows

Applies toWindows 10Windows 11
6 min fix Updated 8 Aug 2026

By , 10+ years in IT support and helpdesk How these guides are checked

Quick Answer

Press Windows Key + V to open the Clipboard History menu. If it's your first time, click Turn on. From then on, pressing Win+V will show a list of everything you've recently copied, allowing you to paste older items.

Checked against Microsoft Learn - Windows release health and Microsoft Learn - end of support and retirement between 5 Aug 2026 and 12 Sep 2026. Nothing published in that period has been linked to this guide.

Summary ​

Clipboard History lets you view and paste from a list of recently copied items instead of being limited to the last thing you copied. This article explains how to enable the feature, use it with Win+V, and manage your clipboard history.

Before You Start ​

  • Your device must be running Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or Windows 11.

Instructions ​

1. Enable Clipboard History ​

Turn on the feature in Settings.

  1. Open Settings (press Windows key + I).
  2. Go to System > Clipboard.
  3. Toggle Clipboard history to On.

Tip: You can also enable it instantly — press Windows key + V and click Turn on if prompted.

2. Copy and Paste from History ​

Access multiple previously copied items.

  1. Copy items as usual using Ctrl + C (text, images, file paths, etc.).
  2. When you want to paste, press Windows key + V instead of Ctrl + V.
  3. A floating panel appears showing your recently copied items, newest at the top.
  4. Click the item you want to paste. It is inserted at your cursor position.
  5. Press Ctrl + V as normal if you only need the most recent item.

3. Pin Frequently Used Items ​

Keep important clips from being cleared.

  1. Press Windows key + V to open Clipboard History.
  2. Hover over the item you want to keep.
  3. Click the pin icon. Pinned items remain in your clipboard history even after clearing or restarting.
  4. To unpin, click the pin icon again.

Note: When the clip you keep pinning is a single character — é, £, —, ½ — the emoji panel's Symbols tab is the better tool. Press Win + . and those characters are there in every app, with no clipboard to curate: How to Type Emoji, Accents, and Special Characters on Windows.

4. Delete Clipboard Items ​

Remove individual items or clear the entire history.

Delete a single item:

  1. Press Windows key + V.
  2. Hover over the item and click the three-dot menu (⋯) or X button.
  3. Select Delete.

Clear all history:

  1. Press Windows key + V.
  2. Click Clear all at the top of the panel. Pinned items are preserved.

From Settings:

  1. Go to Settings > System > Clipboard.
  2. Click Clear under Clear clipboard data.

5. Sync Clipboard Across Devices (Optional) ​

Share your clipboard between Windows devices signed into the same Microsoft account.

  1. Go to Settings > System > Clipboard.
  2. Toggle Sync across your devices to On.
  3. Choose Automatically sync text that I copy or Never automatically sync text that I copy (manual sync with Win+V).
  4. Items you copy on one device will appear in the clipboard history on your other devices.

Troubleshooting ​

INFO

Clipboard History stores text and images up to 4 MB each. Larger items (e.g., full spreadsheets) are not stored in history but can still be pasted normally with Ctrl + V while they remain on the clipboard.

Symptom / ErrorPotential CauseSolution
Win+V shows "Can't show history"Clipboard history disabledGo to Settings > System > Clipboard and toggle Clipboard history to On.
Copied item not appearing in historyItem exceeds size limitItems over 4 MB are not stored. Copy smaller portions or use the item directly with Ctrl + V.
History cleared after restartNormal behavior for unpinned itemsPin important items to keep them across restarts. Unpinned items are cleared when you shut down.

Last updated:

Frequently asked questions

Does clipboard history save things forever?
No. Your clipboard history is wiped clean every time you restart your computer, unless you specifically 'pin' an item by clicking the three dots next to it in the Win+V menu.
Can I sync my clipboard between two different computers?
Yes. Go to Settings > System > Clipboard, and turn on 'Sync across your devices'. If you are signed into both computers with the same Microsoft account, copying on one will let you paste on the other.