Windows has kept a clipboard history feature quietly available for years, and most people have never turned it on. It is one of those small changes that you cannot live without once you have it.
What it does
Normally, copying something replaces whatever you copied before. Clipboard history keeps the last 25 items, so you can paste any of them, not just the most recent.
How to turn it on
Press Win + V. The first time, Windows will offer to enable history, click yes. That is it. From now on, Win + V opens a panel of everything you have recently copied.
Where it shines
- Copying several things from one document and pasting them into another
- Reusing a phrase, address, or link you copied earlier
- Pinning items you paste often so they stay in the list
Thirty seconds to enable, and it quietly saves time every single day. For a full Excel, Word, and Windows shortcut library, see the Shortcuts and Tips section of the Learning Hub.
Humphrey MwangiFounder, Drive Technologies
Founder of Drive Technologies and a Director of Technology overseeing IT, fleet, and facilities for a multi-site nonprofit. He writes about managed IT, cybersecurity, healthcare technology, and running technology like a business. His work spans US and Kenya markets.
More in Security and Scams
The five phishing patterns every small business will see this quarter