Copy and paste isn't working

When copy and paste isn't behaving as expected in Paste, the cause is usually one of a few specific things. Find the symptom that matches below, then follow the link to the full fix.

I copied something but it won't paste

If selecting an item in Paste does nothing in your other app, Paste likely doesn't have permission to paste directly.

On Mac, pasting straight into another app requires Accessibility access. This access is sometimes lost after a macOS update, so it can stop working even if it worked before.

• Grant Accessibility access in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility, then turn Paste on in the list.

Without this access you can still use Paste — selecting an item copies it back to your clipboard so you can paste it yourself with Command-V.

See Paste directly to other applications to set up direct pasting and fix it when it stops working.

Paste pastes the wrong item, or drops the formatting

If the pasted result isn't what you expected, it's usually a formatting choice rather than a fault.

Paste can insert an item with its original formatting or as plain text. If everything comes out unstyled, a plain-text option may be turned on, which strips formatting from every item.

See Paste as plain text for how to paste a single item as plain text and how to change the option.

The item disappears when I paste into Word

If an item vanishes or changes the moment you paste it, the receiving app is altering what it accepts, not Paste.

Some apps reformat, strip, or reject certain clipboard content when you paste. This happens inside the other app after Paste hands the content over, so it isn't something Paste controls.

• Try pasting the same item as plain text to rule out a formatting conflict. See Paste as plain text.

• Try pasting into a plain text field or another app to confirm the receiving app is the cause.

Copies aren't being captured

If new copies never show up in Paste, the cause depends on your device.

On Mac, Paste saves everything you copy as long as it is running. Make sure Run in background is enabled in Paste Settings → General.

If only some apps are missing, an app may be excluded. Check Paste Settings → Privacy for Ignore Applications, Ignore transient content, and Ignore confidential content — anything matching these is skipped on purpose. See Exclude apps from Paste to review or change which apps are ignored.

On iPhone, iOS does not let apps read the clipboard in the background. Copies are captured when you open Paste after copying, through the share-sheet extensions, or with the Paste Keyboard. So if you copy several things quickly in another app, only the last one is kept until you bring it into Paste. See Clipboard history on iPhone for how capture works on iOS.

Still not working

If none of these match what you're seeing, Contact us with your device, your version of Paste, and what happens when you copy and paste.