How to Copy and Paste on Your MacBook

So you recently transitioned from a Windows laptop to Apple MacBook and still need help understanding how to copy and paste text and files on MacBook from one window to another. Well, you have arrived at the right place. Below, we have stated various methods you can use to copy and paste on MacBook.

How to Copy and Paste on MacBook Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Like Windows computers, MacBook also allows you to copy and paste text and files using keyboard shortcuts. In fact, here’s a list of 200+ useful Mac Keyboard shortcuts you should check out to make your workflow efficient. While most keyboard shortcuts on Windows work with the Control key, those shortcuts work with the Command key on Mac.

Below, we have detailed how you can copy and paste text on MacBook using keyboard shortcuts. The steps remain the same if you wish to copy files and paste them to another location.

1. Click and drag the cursor to select the text you want to copy.

2. Once the text is highlighted, press the “Command + C” key combination to copy the text to the clipboard. 

3. Now, open the document where you want to paste the copied text.

4. Press the “Command + V” keys simultaneously to paste the text.

Note: To remove the original formatting of the copied text and match it with the destination document’s formatting, press the “Option + Shift + Command + V” keys.

How to Copy and Paste on MacBook Using the Trackpad

To copy and paste text and files on MacBook using the trackpad, you must first enable the “Secondary Click” feature in the settings on your Mac. Here’s how it works:

1. Open the System Settings on your MacBook.

2. Scroll down and open the “Trackpad” tab from the left sidebar.

3. Now, under the “Point & Click” section, locate the secondary click settings and choose the “Click or Tap with Two” Fingers option from the drop-down menu. You can also choose other options at your convenience.

This is how you can enable the secondary click feature on MacBook. Once enabled, you can copy and paste on MacBook using the trackpad. Here’s how it works:

1. Click and drag the cursor over the text to highlight it.

2. Place the cursor on the selected text and tap the “trackpad with two fingers” to open a drop-down menu.

3. Now, click on the “Copy” option to copy the selected text.

4. Next, go to the document where you want to paste the text. Place the cursor at the desired position and tap the trackpad with two fingers again.

5. Select the “Paste” option from the drop-down menu to paste the copied text.

How to Copy and Paste Text and Files on MacBook Using Menu Bar

If copying and pasting using keyboard keys and trackpad is not your thing, you can do the same using MacBook’s menu bar as well. Below, we have detailed how this method works.

1. Click and select the file you want to copy.

2. Click the “Edit” button in the menu bar at the top of the screen.

3. Next, click the “Copy [filename]” option from the drop-down menu to copy the selected file.

4. Now, open a new document or location and click the “Edit” button in the menu bar once again.

5. Click the “Paste Item” option to bring the copied file or text to the new location.

How to Copy and Paste on MacBook from Other Apple Devices

Thanks to its strongly knit ecosystem, Apple has a “universal clipboard” feature that allows you to copy a text, image, or video on one Apple device and paste it onto the other. But for it to work, you must enable the “Handoff” feature on your MacBook and iPhone or iPad. Once you enable the Handoff feature, here are a few things you will need to make sure of:

• The MacBook and iPhone or iPad must be signed in with the same Apple ID.
• The Handoff feature must be enabled on both devices
• Bluetooth and WiFi must be turned on for both devices.

Now that you have fulfilled the prerequisites, here’s how you can copy and paste files or text between two Apple devices:

1. Copy the text or file on your iPhone that you want to paste on your MacBook.

2. On your MacBook, open the location where you want to paste the text or file. Then, paste using any of the methods discussed above.

If the universal clipboard isn’t working for you, refer to our guide on how to fix the universal clipboard not working issue between iPhone and Mac.