How to see your clipboard history in Chrome

Does Chrome have a clipboard history?

No. Google Chrome does not have a menu, page or shortcut that shows what you copied before. When you copy in Chrome, the text goes to your operating system's clipboard, which by default holds one item. The next copy replaces it.

That means "clipboard history in Chrome" really means one of two things:

1. The clipboard history your operating system keeps, if you have turned it on.
2. A history kept by a Chrome extension, which works on every operating system.

Option 1: use your operating system's clipboard history

Windows 10 and 11

Press Win+V. The first time, Windows asks you to turn clipboard history on. After that, every copy is added to a short list you can paste from, in Chrome or any other app. Unpinned items are cleared when you restart your PC. Details and limits are on our Windows clipboard history guide.

Mac

On recent versions of macOS, Spotlight has a clipboard history view. On older versions, macOS keeps only the last item you copied (Finder > Edit > Show Clipboard). See the Mac clipboard history guide.

Chromebook

Press Launcher+V (the Search or Everything key, plus V) to see the last few items you copied. Our Chromebook clipboard guide covers it step by step.

These tools are useful for recent items. They do not let you search, they keep a limited number of items, and the history does not follow you to another computer.

Option 2: add a clipboard history extension to Chrome

A clipboard manager extension keeps a full history and gives you tools the built-in versions do not have. Here is how to set up Clipboard History Pro, which is free:

1. Open the Clipboard History Pro page in the Chrome Web Store.
2. Click Add to Chrome, then Add extension.
3. Click the puzzle-piece icon to the right of the address bar, and click the pin next to Clipboard History Pro.
4. Copy something. Then click the Clipboard History Pro icon to open your history.

From the list you can:

• Search everything you have copied by typing a word from it.
• Click an item to put it back on the clipboard, then paste it with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V.
• Star favorites so the items you reuse are always at hand, also from the right-click menu.
• Tag items to keep work, code and personal snippets apart.
• Add a text shortcut to an item. Type the shortcut in any text box and it expands to the full text.

The free plan keeps an unlimited history. On Chrome, Clipboard History Pro also saves text you copy in other apps while Chrome is open.

Built-in history vs extension at a glance

What about Chrome on Android and iPhone?

Chrome on phones does not support extensions, so no extension can add history there. On Android, your keyboard app usually has a clipboard; see clipboard history on Android. On iPhone, see clipboard history on iPhone. With Pro, the Clipboard History Mobile app syncs clipboard text between your phone and the extension on your computer.

Can I find something I copied before I installed an extension?

Usually not. An extension can only save what you copy after it is installed. If you lost something important, check your OS clipboard history first (Win+V on Windows, Spotlight on recent macOS, Launcher+V on Chromebook). Our guide on recovering copied text in Chrome lists more places to look. Then install a clipboard manager so it does not happen again.

For the full feature list, see Clipboard History Pro for Chrome and the pricing page.