How to Copy and Paste on a Mac

This wikiHow teaches you how to copy and paste text or files on your Mac computer. While your Mac's built-in menu bar is the preferred way to copy and paste information, you can also use your Mac's trackpad or keyboard to copy and paste....
Method 1 of 2:

Using the Menu Bar

  1. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 1How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 1
    Go to the text or item you want to copy. You can copy text in order to paste it into another document or text field, or you can copy one or more files to paste them into another location on your computer.
  2. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 2How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 2
    Select the text or item. To select text, click and drag your mouse across it to highlight it. You can select a file by clicking it once.
    1. If you want to select multiple files at once, hold down Command while clicking each one.
  3. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 3How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 3
    Click Edit. It's on the left side of the menu bar that's at the top of your Mac's screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  4. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 4How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 4
    Click Copy. You'll see this option in the Edit drop-down menu. Doing so copies any selected text or files to your Mac's clipboard.
    1. If you're copying an individual file, you'll see the file's name next to Copy.
    2. You won't see the text or files duplicate at this point.
  5. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 5How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 5
    Go to the place in which you want to paste the text or item. You can paste text into any text field or document, while files can be pasted into most folders on your computer.
    1. If you're pasting text into a text field, make sure you click the text field before proceeding.
  6. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 6How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 6
    Click Edit. It's in the menu bar. The drop-down menu will reappear.
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    Click Paste Item. It's in the drop-down menu. You should see your text or file(s) appear in the selected space.
    1. You'll click Paste Items if you copied multiple files.
    2. If you copied an individual file, you'll click Paste [file name] (e.g., Paste "Screenshot 1") in the drop-down menu.
Method 2 of 2:

Using the Trackpad

  1. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 8How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 8
    Consider using keyboard shortcuts instead. You can use your Mac's keyboard to prompt a right-click menu, copy items, and paste items:
    1. Holding Control while clicking an item will prompt a drop-down menu with Copy and Paste options.
    2. Pressing Command+C while text or an item is selected will copy the text or item.
    3. Pressing Command+V while text or an item is copied will paste the text or item.
  2. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 9How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 9
    Open the Apple menu
    How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 10How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 10
    . Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 11How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 11
    Click System Preferences…. It's in the drop-down menu. This will open the System Preferences window.
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    Click Trackpad. This is at the top of the System Preferences window. A pop-up window will appear.
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    Click the Point & Click tab. It's at the top of the System Preferences window.
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    Check the "Secondary click" box. You'll find this box on the left side of the window. Checking it enables the two-finger click feature for your Mac's trackpad.
    1. If this box is checked, secondary click is already enabled.
  7. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 15How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 15
    Find the text or item you want to copy. Go to the document or folder in which the content or document you want to copy is located.
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    Select text before copying it. You will need to click and drag your mouse across the text you want to copy before you can copy it.
    1. If you want to copy multiple files, hold down Command while clicking each file you want to copy.
  9. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 17How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 17
    Two-finger click the selected item. Placing the mouse cursor over a selected item and then pressing the trackpad with two fingers will prompt a drop-down menu.
    1. If you've selected multiple files, you only need to two-finger click one of the selected files.
  10. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 18How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 18
    Click Copy. It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so will copy the selected item(s) to your Mac's clipboard.
    1. You won't see the text or file(s) duplicate at this point.
    2. If you're copying an individual file, you'll see the file's name next to Copy.
  11. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 19How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 19
    Go to the place in which you want to paste the text or item. You can paste text into any text field or document, while files can be pasted into most folders on your computer.
  12. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 20How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 20
    Two-finger click a text field or a blank space. A drop-down menu will appear.
  13. How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 21How to Copy and Paste on a Mac Picture 21
    Click the Paste option. It's in the drop-down menu. You should see your text or file(s) appear in the selected space.
    1. You'll click Paste Items if you copied multiple files.
    2. If you copied an individual file, you'll click Paste [file name] (e.g., Paste "Screenshot 1") in the drop-down menu.
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