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How to see your clipboard history on a Mac

Up to macOS 15, a Mac remembers only the last thing you copied. macOS 26 adds a short history to Spotlight that keeps copies for hours or days. Holdall keeps everything you copy, text, links, images and files, for as long as you choose, and opens it from the notch.

What macOS offers

  • macOS 14 and 15: only the latest copy. In Finder, choose Edit, Show Clipboard to see it.
  • macOS 26: open System Settings, Spotlight, and switch on Results from Clipboard. Then press Command-Space and Command-4 to see recent copies. They stay for 8 hours, unless you choose 30 minutes or 7 days there.

Fix it with Holdall

  1. Download Holdall, drag it to Applications and open it.
  2. Click Open Accessibility Settings and switch Holdall on, so it can paste into the app you're using. Without it, Holdall still saves your copies and puts the one you pick back on the clipboard for you to paste.
  3. Copy as you normally do.
  4. Press Option-Command-V, click the menu bar icon, or rest the pointer on the notch. A panel drops down with your copies, newest first, each with the icon of the app it came from. On a Mac without a notch it drops from under the menu bar.
  5. Type to search, or click a filter such as Images. Use the arrow keys and press Return to paste a clip where you were typing, or press a number key to paste that row.

Search also finds words inside images you copy, such as a screenshot taken with Control-Shift-Command-4. Holdall reads them on your Mac.

Keep what matters

  • Pin a clip with Command-P in the panel to keep it for good.
  • Collections keep clips together, such as addresses or replies. Right-click a clip and choose Add to Collection.
  • History size is up to you. In Settings, choose how many clips to keep, from 100 to 2,500, and for how long, from a day to forever. Holdall starts at 500 clips, kept until newer ones push them out.

Passwords stay out of the history. The guide on keeping passwords out of clipboard history explains how.

If it doesn't work

  • Holdall saves copies but doesn't paste. Switch it on in System Settings, Privacy & Security, Accessibility. If it is on and Holdall still asks, click Reset and try again in its Settings, or run tccutil reset Accessibility ai.lfglabs.holdall in Terminal and switch it on again.
  • macOS asks whether Holdall may paste from other apps. Choose Allow. Holdall's Settings shows a card with a button to that setting while macOS asks.