FAQ

FAQ

The basics

Is CopyPaste free? Yes, completely. No premium tiers, no subscriptions, no locked features. You can use it anywhere, including across a whole company. The only thing that needs other terms is redistributing it inside a product of your own: see COMMERCIAL.md.

Do I need an account? No. There are no accounts, no sign-up and no login.

Do I need internet? No. It works fully offline. Outside the Microsoft Store, it only checks for a newer version when you open Settings › About, at most once a day, and without sending any data of yours.

Which systems does it run on? Windows 10 (1809 or later), Windows 11 and macOS Ventura 13.3 or later, on Apple Silicon or Intel Macs. There is no Linux version.

Which languages is it in? English and Spanish. It follows your system's language, and you can change it in Settings › General › Language.

Privacy

Does it upload what I copy anywhere? No. Everything stays on your computer. No cloud, no server, no sync.

Does it store my passwords? It does not store what an app marks as secret, and most password managers mark it. But a password copied from an ordinary place, such as a text file, carries no marker and is stored like any other text. Details in Privacy.

Does it use AI to analyse what I copy? No, and it will not. The text in your screenshots is read by the operating system itself, on your computer.

Does it sync between my computers? No, on purpose. To take your history to another computer, [[export a .cpbackup and import it there|Backup-and-Migration#moving-to-another-computer]].

Where is my history stored? On Windows, in %LOCALAPPDATA%\CopyPaste\; on macOS, in ~/Library/Application Support/CopyPaste/. Settings › History › Data folder › Open folder takes you there.

Using it

Does it replace Ctrl+V? No. Ctrl+V still pastes the last thing you copied, as always. CopyPaste opens with its own shortcut, Ctrl+Alt+V (⌃⌥V on a Mac).

Can it replace the Windows clipboard history (Win+V)? Yes. Win+V keeps the last 25 items and forgets the unpinned ones when Windows restarts. CopyPaste keeps what you copy for as long as you choose, finds it in milliseconds and lets you pin, name and paste in another form. Since it uses its own shortcut, Win+V stays where it is.

How do I paste text only, without formatting? Open the panel and press Shift+Enter (⇧⏎ on a Mac). Alt+Enter (⌥⏎) offers the other forms: Markdown, formatted JSON, a colour in another notation, and so on. See Paste as….

Can I drag an image or a file from the history into another app? Yes, on Windows and on Mac. Drag the card into a web page, a chat or a folder.

How long does it keep things? 30 days by default. You can choose 7, 30 or 90 days, or Forever, in Settings › History. Pinned items are never deleted automatically.

How much space does it take? No limit by default. You can cap it at 256 MB, 512 MB or 1 GB in Settings › History › History size; once reached, the oldest unpinned items go first.

Does it start on its own when I turn on my computer? If you want. Turn on Settings › General › Start at login. It needs no administrator rights.

Why does it ask for the Accessibility permission on a Mac? So it can paste into the app you were in: the permission lets it send ⌘V. It does not read what you type. Without the permission, what you pick stays on the clipboard and you paste it yourself.

Installation and versions

Does it work on Intel Macs? Yes. There is a build for each chip. Homebrew picks the right one.

Why does Windows warn me when installing the .exe? Because it is signed with a self-signed certificate: commercial certificates cost between 200 and 800 dollars a year. The code is open and every release carries its SHA256 checksums. If you would rather avoid the warning, use the Microsoft Store.

I use CopyPaste 2. Will I lose my history? No. Version 3 offers to bring it over, and version 2 is left untouched. See Backup and migration.

Compared with others

Is it an alternative to Ditto, Maccy or CopyQ? Yes. The main difference: it is one app on Windows and macOS, it reads the text in your screenshots, it recognises fifteen kinds of content and it pastes the same card in another form. But each of those is better at something: CopyQ is scriptable and runs on Linux, Maccy is smaller and faster, Ditto syncs between computers. The README has an honest comparison.

Who is behind it? A developer, not a company. CopyPaste started as a personal tool and was shared in case it helped someone else.