Thoroughly read this article as we will provide you with easy steps on how to copy, cut, and paste on Mac. Various actions are performed on the Mac from time to time, and there is absolutely no way you won’t need these tips on how to copy, cut, paste in your Mac. This article will only arm you with the necessary details to work smarter and better.
At several ventures, you may need to move a text, an image, or copy a text or image from one application to another application or one particular document to another document. This is why you need to understand the copy, cut, paste options on your Mac.
Do note that the keyboard shortcuts for the Mac are quite different from other devices such as Windows or Linux.
To Highlight Text or Object;
Press Cmd + C to Copy your selected text or image, or press Cmd + X to Cut your selected text or image. Both command functions will save your selected text or selected object to the pasteboard.
- When you copy, your selected text or image will be left in place i.e.; It will be left where you copied it.
- When you Cut, your selected text or selected image will be removed from where it was cut.
Next, locate where you want to paste your selected text or image and place the cursor on it. Paste by pressing Cmd + V.
Always be mindful of where you want to paste your selected text or image and do not forget to save.
Alternative Method to Copy and Paste on Mac
You can decide to skip the option above, and there are alternatives. This time, once you have highlighted your selected text or image, simply, right-click, and then click Cut, Copy or Paste from the menu options. You can also select Copy, Cut or Paste from the Edit drop-down menu.
At times, there are certain potholes you can face when pasting. By this, we mean that when you paste between differently formatted documents, your pasted text may be simply out of shape. If you have come across this, it means that you could have also copied the formatting of the text (unknowingly).
You can avoid this by employing a command option that will ensure that the text which you have pasted follows the formatting of the document it’s joining. This makes sense, and it makes for better work.
- Simply go to the Edit menu,
- Select ‘Paste and match style’. There exists a keyboard shortcut for this, but understand that the command options are not the same in different apps. It is supposedly the Cmd + Shift + V function to paste and match. In other apps like the TextEdit, it is the Alt/Option command.
How To Copy And Paste Between Devices
We will enjoin you to also understand the copy and paste style between devices. It is possible to Copy on your Mac and Paste on your, let’s say, iPhone device and vice versa. This is not rocket science or voodoo. It simply came with the launch of the Universal Clipboard with macOS Sierra.
If you have your Universal Clipboard available;
- Simply highlight the text or image on your iPhone, for instance, and Copy.
- Then open the document on your Mac device.
- Press Cmd + V. It could take a few seconds for a text to appear and even longer for an image to appear. Then your copied item will be pasted.
Your Universal Clipboard is made available on your iOS 10 and macOS Sierra or later. But if not, ensure both of your devices be signed to the same iCloud account. Also, have your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi switched on. Both devices also need to pass Continuity requirements.
That is not all. You still need to make some settings of your own;
- On your Mac device, go to System Preferences then General.
- Ensure that you have a tick next to Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices, which is located near the bottom of the menu.
- Then, with your iOS device.
- Go to Settings.
- Then tap General.
- Proceed to Tap Handoff and ensure it has a green slider
And with that, you can roll in with your work!
This thoroughly simple article has shed the right amount of light on how to Copy, Cut, and Paste on your Mac device. We have provided you with the command options as well as the alternative method to copy and paste.
We also showed you the paste and match style, which is to ensure your selected text follows the formatting of the document it is joining. Finally, you have known about copy and pasting between devices with the aid of the Universal Clipboard.
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