The basic steps work the same way on every device

Copying means making a duplicate of text that stays in your device's temporary memory. Pasting means putting that text somewhere else. On a computer, you highlight the text you want, press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac), then press Ctrl+V or Command+V where you want it to go. On a phone or tablet, you tap and hold the text until a menu appears, tap Copy, then tap and hold where you want it and tap Paste.

The text you copy stays in your device's clipboard — a hidden holding area — until you copy something else. This means you can paste the same text multiple times without copying it again. Once you copy new text, the old text disappears from the clipboard.

The method changes slightly depending on what device you are using and what program you have open, but the idea is always the same: select, copy, move, paste.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows, use Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste; on Mac, use Command+C and Command+V instead.
  • On phones and tablets, tap and hold the text until a menu appears, then choose Copy or Paste from that menu.
  • Text stays in your clipboard until you copy something else, so you can paste it as many times as you need.
  • You can copy text between different programs — for example, from a web page into an email — as long as both programs allow pasting.
  • If pasting does not work, the program you are pasting into may not support it, or you may need to give the program permission to access your clipboard.

Copying text on a Windows computer

Click at the start of the text you want to copy and drag your mouse to the end. The text will turn a different color (usually blue or gray) to show it is selected. Once the text is highlighted, press Ctrl+C on your keyboard. You will not see anything happen — the text is now copied to your clipboard, but there is no confirmation message.

If you prefer not to drag, you can click at the start of the text, hold Shift, and click at the end. This selects everything between the two clicks. You can also triple-click on a word to select the entire paragraph, or use Ctrl+A to select all the text in the document.

After you copy, move to where you want the text to go — a different part of the same document, a different program, an email, a search box, anywhere. Click in that spot and press Ctrl+V. The text will appear.

Copying text on a Mac

The steps are nearly identical to Windows, except you use Command instead of Ctrl. Click and drag to select the text, or click at the start, hold Shift, and click at the end. Once the text is highlighted, press Command+C. Move to where you want the text and press Command+V.

If you have a trackpad, you can also use three-finger tap to bring up a menu with copy and paste options, though the keyboard shortcut is faster once you remember it.

Copying text on a phone or tablet

Tap and hold your finger on the text you want to copy. A menu will pop up with options including Copy. On most phones, you will see a highlight around a word or a few words — tap Copy to copy just that selection, or drag the blue handles at each end to expand what you are copying before you tap Copy.

Once you have copied the text, open the program or message where you want to paste it. Tap and hold in the spot where you want the text to go. A menu will appear with a Paste option. Tap Paste and the text will appear.

Some phones let you see everything you have copied recently by holding down the clipboard icon in your keyboard, but this varies by device and by which keyboard app you use.

Copying text from a web page or PDF

The same copy-and-paste steps work on web pages and PDFs. Highlight the text the same way you would in any other program, copy it, and paste it where you need it. Some websites and PDFs are locked to prevent copying — if you try to copy and nothing happens, the content owner has blocked it.

If you need text from a locked PDF or website, you have a few options. You can take a screenshot and use optical character recognition (OCR) software to turn the image into text, though this is slower and less accurate. You can contact the website or PDF owner and ask for permission or for the text in a different format. Or you can retype the text yourself, which is the slowest option but always works.

What to do when copy and paste does not work

If you copy text but pasting does nothing, the most common reason is that the program you are pasting into does not allow pasting. Some programs, especially older ones or ones designed for security, block the paste function. Try pasting into a different program — like Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac — to see if the problem is with the program or with your clipboard.

On phones and tablets, some apps need permission to access your clipboard. If you see a message asking whether to allow clipboard access, tap Yes. If you have already denied permission, go to your phone's Settings, find the app, and turn on clipboard access.

If the text still will not paste, try copying it again. Sometimes the clipboard clears if you wait too long or if you open certain programs. If that does not work, restart your device — this clears the clipboard and often fixes small glitches.

Copying and pasting between different programs

You can copy text from one program and paste it into another. Copy from a web page and paste into an email. Copy from a document and paste into a chat message. Copy from a PDF and paste into a spreadsheet. The clipboard does not care what program you are using — it just holds whatever you copied last.

One thing to watch: formatting sometimes does not copy over. If you copy bold or colored text from a web page and paste it into an email, the bold or color might disappear. The text itself will be there, but it may look plain. If you need the formatting to stay, look for a "Paste Special" option (usually under the Edit menu on a computer) and choose "Paste as Formatted Text" or similar. On a phone, you usually cannot control this — the app decides what formatting to keep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone see what I have copied?

On your own device, no — the clipboard is private to your device. But if you are using a shared computer, someone else who uses that computer can copy something new and overwrite what you copied. On a phone, some apps ask permission to access your clipboard, which means they can see what you have copied. Check your phone's settings to see which apps have clipboard access.

What happens to text after I paste it?

The text stays in your clipboard until you copy something else. You can paste it as many times as you want without copying again. Once you copy new text, the old text is gone and you cannot get it back by pasting.

Why does my pasted text look different from the original?

The program you pasted into may have changed the formatting — the font, size, color, or bold. This is normal. If you want the text to look exactly like the original, use "Paste Special" on a computer and choose "Paste as Plain Text" or "Paste Unformatted", then manually add back any formatting you need.

Can I copy text from a video or image?

Not directly — videos and images are not text. But some phones and computers have optical character recognition (OCR) built in. You can take a screenshot of the text in the image, then use your device's OCR tool to turn the image into copyable text. This works better with clear, printed text than with handwriting.

Is it safe to paste text from the internet?

Pasting text itself is safe — text cannot carry viruses. But be careful about what you paste where. Do not paste passwords, credit card numbers, or personal information into websites you do not trust. If you copy a link and paste it, make sure you trust where the link came from before you click it.