Summary
If you’re like me, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve never used one of Windows' most underrated productivity features, even if you’ve been using Windows PCs for decades. The feature is called “Clipboard,” and we should all start using it immediately to improve efficiency.
What Is Clipboard History?
The Clipboard is a space that stores recently copied items. The feature is available in both Windows 10 and 11. Once youenable Clipboard History, you’re able to access it by pressingWindows+V instead of Ctrl+V to paste. The Clipboard holds up to 25 items, as long as they don’t exceed 4MB.
you’re able to use it to temporarily store text, HTML, hyperlinks, and images. Unfortunately, the Clipboard is somewhat limited, as it can’t hold files or folders. The limitation includes image files, but you can circumvent it by right-clicking on the image itself and clicking “Copy.” This works with all types of images, including files on your PC and images from the web browser. The more notable downside is that it doesn’t allow you to paste text without formatting likeCtrl+Shift+V, but you can alwayspaste your text into Notepadfirst to remove the formatting.
Say Goodbye to Copy-Pasting One Item at a Time
If you tend to copy and paste large amounts of data as part of your workflow, you have to give up Ctrl+V in favor of the mighty Clipboard History interface. We might forget about this feature because the previous version, called “ClipBook Viewer,” was removed with Windows Vista. The new and improved Clipboard didn’t return to Windows until theOctober 2018 Update, making it easy to overlook.
Instead of the Ctrl+V, you’re probably used to, you have to make the conscious effort to press Windows+V, but the effort is well worth it. you may copy and paste numerous images, pieces of text, and links simultaneously, potentially saving 20–30 minutes of your workday that you would have wasted on flipping through tabs. Oh, and did I mention that you cansync the Clipboard with your phoneand other Windows devices?
Pin Frequently Used Items
I see you, fellow writers, programmers, and customer support specialists. If much of your job involves copying and pasting the same templates, code snippets, and links, it’s time to optimize your workflow. The Clipboard allows you topin frequently used itemsso that the items stay even after turning the PC off orclearing the Clipboard History.
So, there you have it. If you haven’t enabled Clipboard History yet, or you always forget to use it like I do, consider this article a reminder to take advantage of it. It’s a small but incredibly useful productivity trick.
