How to use the Windows 11 Clipboard

The Windows 11 Clipboard is disabled by default. To use this feature, you must enable it. Go to Settings, which you can open either with the key combination [Windows] + [i], or via “Settings” in the Windows Start menu.

Select “System” in the left-hand side menu, then scroll down the list of Settings on the right-hand side and select “Clipboard”.

Move the slider at “Clipboard history” to the right (“On”) to turn on the Windows 11 Clipboard.

You can view the Windows 11 Clipboard at any time and from any application by using the key combination [Windows] + [V].

Many applications also have their own function to view the clipboard. In Microsoft 365 apps, for example, you will find the option for “Clipboard” in the menu ribbon:

Alternatively, you can right-click the item and click “Copy” then paste it.

To insert a saved item or a GIF, icon, emoji, or kaomoji from the Windows 11 Clipboard into another program, first open the tool using the [Windows] key + [V] key combination.

After that, either left-click the thumbnail preview of the desired item, or switch from the Clipboard history to a category to search for a suitable GIF, icon, etc.

As previously mentioned, to pin an item to the Windows 11 Clipboard, it must be marked it as a favorite. It will count as one of the 25 items in the Clipboard and will be automatically saved in the Clipboard after Windows has shut down.

Pinning items works as follows:

1. Copy the desired item.
2. Open the Windows 11 Clipboard with the key combination [Windows] + [V].
3. Click the pin icon beside the desired item in the Clipboard.

When you restart your device, all items on the Windows 11 Clipboard that were not pinned are automatically deleted. However, you can also delete individual items or the entire history manually without restarting your device.

Firstly, open the clipboard with the usual key combination [Windows] + [V]. To delete the entire clipboard history, click “Clear all”:

To remove individual items, click on the three-dot icon next to the item and then click on the trash can icon:

You can disable the Windows 11 Clipboard at any time if you no longer want to save items when copying. Simply turn off the Clipboard history via the Settings:

1. Open Settings via the Start menu or by using the key combination [Windows] + [i].
2. Click on “Clipboard” in the “System” section.
3. Move the slider at “Clipboard history” to the left (“Off”).