Many users frequently copy and paste text and images between programs. When you copy text or an image, the Windows 11 clipboard saves it so you can paste it later. As a result, many users consider the clipboard manager to be an essential feature.
In Windows 11, the clipboard manager has been redesigned. The improved clipboard manager is welcome, as Windows 10’s version is somewhat limited. Let’s look at how you can make the most of Microsoft’s new desktop platform’s enhanced clipboard manager.
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What is clipboard history?
Previously, you could only copy items to the clipboard one at a time in Windows, which is inconvenient. Many users have turned to third-party clipboard management software to copy multiple items due to this limitation.
Microsoft has finally listened to users and implemented the long-awaited Windows clipboard history feature. Windows 10 introduced a clipboard history feature in 2020, which saves up to 25 copied items. Then, from the Clipboard window, select the item you want to paste.
As a result, Windows 11’s clipboard manager is clipboard history. The clipboard panel in Windows 10 only shows a selection of copied items for you to paste. Additional tabs for images, emojis, and icons have been added to the top of the new version, making it even more useful.
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How to enable clipboard history in Windows 11
The Windows + V hotkey is used to access the clipboard history. However, if the clipboard history isn’t already active, you won’t be able to use that shortcut to access it. Here’s how to make that feature available in Settings.
- On the taskbar, click the Start button.
- From the Start menu, select the Pinned Settings app.
- On the System tab, select Clipboard.
- Toggle the Clipboard history toggle to make the feature available.
Clipboard sync must be enabled if you want to share copied items across devices. To do so, go to the Share across devices option and press the Get started button. Then, for identity verification, select an email address. Then, for the selected email address, enter the code you received and click the Verify option.
In the clipboard settings, you’ll be able to choose between two different sync options. If you want to sync automatically, first select Automatically sync text I copy. If you don’t want to use the auto-sync option, select Manually sync text that I copy instead.
You’ll be able to open the clipboard window after enabling clipboard history in Settings. To open the clipboard manager, press the Windows + V keyboard shortcut. This feature is now available in the new desktop platform.
Related: How to enable experimental Mode on Google Chrome in Windows 11
How to copy and select various copied items
It’s very easy to copy text to the clipboard. By holding down the left mouse button and hovering the pointer over some text in a word processor or web browser, you can copy it. Press Ctrl + C after you’ve selected the text.
Then, using the keyboard shortcut, open the clipboard manager. On the Clipboard history tab, you can see all of the items you’ve copied. There, select a copied item. To paste the selected item into a text editor, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V.
To copy the image, click the folder icon on the taskbar to open a File Explorer window. Then open the folder containing some photographs. Select Copy from the context menu when you right-click on the image file. You can also copy photos from web pages by right-clicking them and choosing Copy from the contextual menu.
Like any other text item in the clipboard history, you can select the copied image. Using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V, paste the selected item into an image editing application.
How to add emojis to documents
Using the Windows 11 clipboard manager, you can add emoji and kaomoji to your documents. Open any document to do so.
Make sure you open the clipboard manager by clicking inside the document file or text box. In the clipboard manager, select the Emoji or Kaomoji tab. Then, as shown in the screenshot below, choose an emoji to add to the document. Enter a keyword in the search box to find a specific emoji.
How to import symbols from clipboard history
A large number of keys for symbols and special characters must be included on the keyboard. So it’s great that you can use the Windows 11 clipboard manager to add more symbols to your document. Currency, Latin symbols, geometry, math, and languages, among other symbols, are all included in the clipboard manager.
To insert some symbols, open a document file and type text into it. Select the Symbols tab in the clipboard manager. To select an icon category, use the left and right arrows at the top of the tab. Then, to insert an icon into the document, choose one.
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How to choose a GIF image for a document
Do you need to spruce up a document or send an email with a few images? If that’s the case, the GIF tab in the Windows clipboard manager might come in handy. You can choose from a large number of images on that tab.
In a word processor, open the document (or a text editor that can handle GIFs). To open the clipboard manager, click where you want to add the image in the document and press Windows + V. After that, go to the GIF tab and select a photo to insert. Enter keywords in the search box to find more specific image assets.
How to quickly find recently used items
If you need to select multiple emojis or the same icon, keep the clipboard manager’s Most Recently Used tab in mind. This tab contains icons, images, and emojis that have been recently selected. As a result, you can quickly locate and select the symbols or emoticons that you frequently use in documents.
How to clear clipboard history
You might want to clear your clipboard history from time to time. It is not necessary to restart Windows 11 in order to accomplish this. Instead, go to Settings and clear the clipboard history.
- Select Settings from the menu by pressing the Start button on the taskbar.
- In the System tab, select the Clipboard navigation option.
- Select the Clear option from the drop-down menu.
You can also remove copied items from the clipboard history. With a keyboard shortcut, you can access the clipboard history. Then, on the Clipboard history tab, click the Clear all button.
On the Clipboard history tab, click the three-dot button for those copied items to remove them from the clipboard. For specific items, you can then use the Delete option.
Although the improved clipboard manager could be better, it is a significant improvement over the previous version. So consider how you can make better use of and improve this tool!
Related: How to Always Open an Application as an Admin in Windows 11
