How To Enable Clipboard History In Windows 10

Windows 10 has the ability to save temporary data on its clipboard which can be used later on. For example, you can copy a certain text or image from one source such as a browser, by highlighting it and pressing the control key + c then pasting it on another source such as your word processor by pressing control + v. Normally, you can only copy one piece of content at a time, but with the latest update you can now track the text and images that you copy. You can also view and paste content from the clipboard history, and even pin items that you copy and paste more frequently. In this latest installment of our troubleshooting series we will show you how to enable clipboard history in windows 10.

Turn On Clipboard History Feature In Windows 10

When you activate the clipboard history feature of your computer you will unlock multiple save slots to store items for later use.

Time needed: 1 minute.

Enable Clipboard History In Windows 10

  1. Click on the Start button.

    You will find this at the lower left side of the screen
    Turn On Clipboard History

  2. Click on Settings

    This has the icon that looks like a gear.
    Turn On Clipboard History

  3. Click on System.

    This is usually the first option on the upper left side of the new window.
    Enable Clipboard History

  4. Click on the Clipboard.

    This can be found on the left side of the window.

    Enable Clipboard History

  5. Turn on the Clipboard History switch.

    This allows you to save multiple items to the keyboard for later use.
    Enable Clipboard History

Testing Clipboard History

To verify if the feature is working you can click on the Windows key +V. A small window should appear on the screen indicating that it is active. Try copying something to the clipboard such as a string of text. Open the Clipboard History panel again. You will now see the copied text now on the screen. Try copying something else and it should also be visible on the panel on top of the older content.

Sync Clipboard History In Windows 10

If you have several Windows 10 devices and you would like to access your clipboard history on these devices then you can have your clipboard data uploaded to the cloud then downloaded to your other devices. This can be done by following the steps listed below.

  • Click on the Start button. You will find this at the lower left side of the screen.
  • Click on Settings. This has the icon that looks like a gear.
  • Click on System. This is usually the first option on the upper left side of the new window.
  • Click on the Clipboard. This can be found on the left side of the window.
  • Turn on the Sync across devices switch. When turned on, Microsoft will receive your clipboard data and sync this to your other devices.
  • Select the automatic syncing to use. You can choose the “automatically sync text that I copy” option  where your clipboard history will sync automatically to the cloud and across your devices. You can also choose the “never automatically sync text that I copy” where your data will have to be manually synced by you.

Clear Clipboard History In Windows 10

If you would like to clear the contents of the clipboard history then just perform the steps listed below.

  • Click on the Start button. You will find this at the lower left side of the screen.
  • Click on Settings. This has the icon that looks like a gear.
  • Click on System. This is usually the first option on the upper left side of the new window.
  • Click on the Clipboard. This can be found on the left side of the window.
  • Click on the Clear button under the Clear clipboard data field.

After performing the steps listed above your clipboard data will be erased from the device and Microsoft account. Your pinned items will remain until you remove them manually.

Disadvantage of Activating Clipboard History

One of the main disadvantages of activating this feature is that it is a potential security risk. Anyone who has access to your computer can access the data stored in the clipboard history. Anything copied to the clipboard is stored as a plain text file so if you usually copy sensitive information such as passwords then there’s a greater chance that this will be exposed.

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