Win+V on a Mac
If you've switched from Windows, you've probably pressed Win+V on a Mac and got nothing. macOS has no single shortcut for clipboard history. Here is what it does have, and how to get the Windows behaviour back.
The short answer
macOS 26 Tahoe added a basic clipboard history to Spotlight. It is off by default. Turn it on in System Settings › Spotlight, then press ⌘Space followed by ⌘4 to see it. On macOS 15 and earlier there is no clipboard history at all.
That works for an occasional lookup, but it's not quite Win+V. It's two shortcuts, it opens in the middle of the screen, and it only keeps items for a limited time. If you want one shortcut that opens a panel next to where you're typing and pastes the item back for you, you need a clipboard manager.
Win+V, Spotlight and ClipStack side by side
| Windows Win+V | macOS Spotlight clipboard | ClipStack | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shortcut | Win+V | ⌘Space, then ⌘4 | ⌥⌘V |
| Opens | Near where you're typing | In Spotlight, mid-screen | At your pointer |
| Pastes for you | Yes | Yes, double-click an item | Yes, into the app you were in |
| How much it keeps | Last 25 items | Items from a set time window | Unlimited |
| After a restart | Cleared, except pinned items | Kept for the time window | Kept |
| Pinning | Yes | No | Yes |
| Images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Needs | Windows 10 or 11, turned on in Settings | macOS 26, turned on in Settings | macOS 14 or later |
| Cost | Built in | Built in | $12 once, 14-day free trial |
Windows details are from Microsoft's clipboard help page. Spotlight's time window is set in System Settings › Spotlight.
How ClipStack works
ClipStack sits in your menu bar and quietly keeps everything you copy: text, links and images. When you need something back, press ⌥⌘V. The panel opens at your pointer, you pick an item with the arrow keys or by typing to filter, and press Return. It goes straight into the app you were typing in, the same way Win+V does.
- ⌘1 to ⌘9 paste the first nine items without touching the arrows.
- Pin the things you paste every day so they stay at the top.
- Copies that password managers mark as confidential are skipped.
- Your history is a file on your own Mac. No account, no sync, nothing uploaded.
One-time purchase · macOS 14+ · Apple Silicon and Intel · 14 days, every feature, no card needed.
Setting it up
Download ClipStack, drag it to Applications and open it. macOS will ask for one permission, Accessibility, which is what lets ClipStack paste into other apps. After that, copy as normal and press ⌥⌘V whenever you want something back.
Other Windows clipboard shortcuts on a Mac
| On Windows | On a Mac | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl+C / Ctrl+X / Ctrl+V | ⌘C / ⌘X / ⌘V | Copy, cut, paste |
| Ctrl+Shift+V | ⌥⇧⌘V | Paste without formatting (Paste and Match Style) |
| Win+Shift+S | ⌃⇧⌘4 | Screenshot part of the screen straight to the clipboard |
| Win+V | ⌥⌘V with ClipStack | Open clipboard history |
Questions
Can I make ClipStack use Win+V?
Not yet. The shortcut is ⌥⌘V, which sits where your fingers already are for ⌘V.
Does it work on older Macs?
Any Mac on macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple Silicon or Intel.
Is it a subscription?
No. You pay $12 once and keep it.