Clipboard history on Mac: what’s built in and what isn’t

Since macOS 26 the Mac has a clipboard history of its own, and for many people it is enough. I make SSPaste, a clipboard manager, so I have a reason to tell you otherwise. Here is what the built-in one does, taken from Apple’s own pages, so you can judge.

How to open it

Press ⌘Space to open Spotlight, then ⌘4, or click the clipboard button beside the search field (Apple’s guide). The first time, the Mac may ask you to enable it. After that you can type to search what you copied, and paste an item by double-clicking it or pressing Return.

How long it keeps things

This is the limit that matters. In System Settings, under Spotlight, you choose 30 minutes, 8 hours or 7 days, and Apple says the default is eight hours. Anything older no longer appears. So the built-in history is for what you copied this afternoon, or this week at the outside.

What Apple’s pages do not mention

Apple’s guide covers searching, copying an item back and clearing the history. It does not describe a way to pin an item so that it stays, to sort items into groups, or to keep a particular app out of the history. Its one note on the subject is a warning: “Sensitive information may appear on the Clipboard.” I cannot tell you those things are impossible, only that Apple does not document them.

When that is enough

If what you want is the thing you copied before the last thing, the Mac now does that and you need not install anything. I would rather say so here than have you install SSPaste to find it out.

When an app earns its place

You need things from more than a week ago. Maccy is free and keeps a few hundred items. SSPaste keeps everything, in its free version too. Paste keeps 30 days unless you raise it.
You reuse the same things: an address, a stock reply, a colour. Then you want somewhere to keep them. Paste calls these pinboards, and SSPaste calls them Spaces.
You copy passwords. Paste, Maccy and SSPaste all skip what a password manager marks as confidential. SSPaste also has a locked Private Space for the secrets you do paste by hand.
You want the same history on your iPhone. Of the three, only Paste does that.
You already run a launcher. Raycast includes clipboard history in its free plan and keeps up to three months of it. Alfred has one in its paid Powerpack, also up to three months. If either is on your Mac already, try that before installing anything else.

If you try SSPaste

It opens beside your pointer with ⌥⌘V, the free version has no history limit, and Pro is $9.99, once. It is not on the Mac App Store yet. The home page shows how it works.