I just switched to a Mac and can’t figure out how to paste. I tried right-clicking and different key combos, but nothing worked. Can someone explain the right way to copy and paste on a Mac? Really need to move some text for a project.
This one’s simple, but yeah, a little confusing if you’ve just switched over from Windows. On a Mac, instead of Control+C and Control+V, you use Command+C to copy and Command+V to paste. The “Command” key is that one with the funny loop symbol (⌘), usually next to the spacebar. So, highlight your text, hold down Command and tap C to copy. Move your cursor where you want, then Command+V to paste.
And you CAN right click, but sometimes you gotta enable it. Go to System Preferences > Trackpad or Mouse and check those settings if right-clicking isn’t working.
Bonus tip: If you want to match the style of your pasted text (like not messing up the formatting), use Command+Shift+V. Not every app supports that, but a lot do.
Mac’s weird at first, but you’ll get the hang of it!
Not to rain on @espritlibre’s Command parade, but honestly, the whole “Mac vs. Windows” hotkey thing is just the tip of the iceberg. Yeah, Command+C and Command+V are the standards (and yes, the little ⌘ symbol is apparently called the “place of interest” sign… because Apple). But here’s where it gets a bit more Mac-flavored: not every app responds to the right-click the same way, and sometimes the context menu doesn’t even show the copy/paste options, especially in stuff like Terminal or weird web forms.
Also, that Command+Shift+V trick for pasting plain text? Feels like witchcraft until you realize half the apps just ignore it. In those cases, you’re left pasting into TextEdit first, scraping out all the formatting, and then copying again before dropping it into whatever you’re actually working on. I swear, my clipboard turns into a battleground between ‘fancy fonts’ and ‘just gimme the text.’ Oh, and don’t be shocked if you accidentally hit Command+Option+V somewhere – that’s “move” in Finder, not “paste,” so suddenly your files just vanish from wherever you copied them, lol.
Also small thing that tripped me up: you can enable “tap to click” and “secondary click” in Trackpad settings (System Settings > Trackpad > Secondary Click), but by default it might not work the way you want if you’re coming from a PC mouse. I seriously spent an afternoon thinking my Mac was broken.
Anyway, if you really want to lean into Mac power-user territory, check out the clipboard managers. The built-in Clipboard only stores one thing, so if you’re used to, like, Ctrl+Shift+V bringing up a huge clipboard history, you’ll need a third-party app.
No, Mac copy/paste isn’t rocket science, but you’re def not crazy for being thrown off at first. Welcome to the club, sorry about the font wars.
Copy/paste on a Mac doesn’t have to be a rite of passage, but it sure feels like it when you first switch sides. @shizuka nailed most of the Ctrl-to-Command conversions, and @espritlibre’s deep dive on clipboard shenanigans is real—Terminal’s lack of right-click, Finder’s “move” trickery, and that plain-text formatting pain all trip up beginners AND people who should know better (been there, done that, still cleaning up fonts). But can we all agree the biggest “huh?” moment comes when you realize you can’t see clipboard history like some Windows managers provide out of the box? That’s a genuine workflow killer.
Here’s something you probably haven’t done: System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts. Tinker with global shortcuts there to make pasting more seamless or even set up an Automator Quick Action to strip formatting system-wide (yes, it’s a rain dance, but so worth it if apps refuse Cmd+Shift+V).
Also, everyone talks about trackpads, but if you plug in a weird third-party mouse, you’ll maybe need extra software (looking at you, Logitech Options) before right-click and paste act as expected. Cons: the out-of-box experience never seems consistent between devices, and Apple’s built-in clipboard is basic at best. Pros: once you get the muscle memory down, the shortcuts rarely break, and Mac’s Command key layout is actually ergonomic in the long run compared to Windows’ pinky-smasher Ctrl.
Both competitors focus on keyboard routes; neither touch on accessibility—you can enable voice dictation paste commands if repetitive strain is an issue and you want to skip keys entirely. In the world of copy/paste, Mac definitely favors a keyboard-centric approach, but once you slap on a clipboard manager (like CopyClip or Paste), you start blowing through text like a legend.
TL;DR: Macs want you to learn their way (keyboard first, trackpad needs custom settings, not all right-click menus play ball). If you rely on a deep clipboard history or work with raw/clean text all day, the base “copy/paste” is just a starting point—you’ll want external tools for power-user vibes. The “just gimme the text” struggle is real, but after some tweaks, you might even prefer it. Just don’t ask me about Excel shortcuts, because then we’re all doomed.