Buzz
When you hear about copying and pasting, you might think of cutting and pasting in art class, but the process on a computer or mobile device is quite different. Using keyboard shortcuts to copy data and paste it elsewhere saves time and is incredibly useful if you know how to leverage your device's features. Certain shortcuts allow you to quickly copy and paste data into new locations, maximizing the functionality of your computer or phone.
Steps
On Windows and Linux
Select the data you want to copy. Use your mouse to highlight words, paragraphs, or images. Place the cursor over the data, left-click, and drag the mouse over the content you wish to copy. When the data appears in blue or black, it means it has been highlighted.
- You can also place the cursor on a line of text, press the Shift key, and use the arrow keys to select text character by character.
- duplicates the data to the clipboard while keeping the original content intact.
- Cut copies the data to the clipboard and removes it from the original document.
Press Ctrl+C on your keyboard. The Ctrl key is located on either side of the spacebar (most keyboards have two Ctrl keys). Simply press this shortcut to copy the data. Your computer won’t notify you that the data has been copied, but it will save the information to the clipboard.
- The clipboard works in the background to store copied information until you paste it or copy new data.
Navigate to where you want to paste the data. This could be a Word document, Excel sheet, Google Doc, or a webpage. Open the program on your computer and place the cursor where you want the copied data to appear.
- If you’re copying and pasting a file or folder, simply open File Explorer to access the desired location.
Press Ctrl+V on your keyboard. Similar to the previous step, press these keys simultaneously, but this time use the “V” key instead of “C.” The copied data will appear immediately after pressing these keys.
- The shortcut Ctrl+V is used for pasting data.
On Mac
Highlight the text or image. Place your cursor over the text or image you want to copy. Click and hold the left mouse button, then drag the cursor over the text or image. The data is highlighted when you see the text or image change color.
- If you want to copy a file or folder, select it by clicking on it once.
Press ⌘ Cmd+C on your keyboard. At the bottom row of your keyboard, you’ll find the ⌘ Cmd key, which stands for “Command.” Press this key along with the “C” key simultaneously to copy text or images.
- Your computer won’t notify you that the data has been copied, but rest assured, if you press these keys together, the data will be copied!
- duplicates the data to the clipboard while keeping the original content intact.
- Cut copies the data to the clipboard and removes it from the original document.
Navigate to where you want to paste the data. This could be in Pages, Numbers, or a webpage. Place the cursor where you want the copied data to appear.
- Pages and Numbers are the Mac equivalents of Word and Excel.
Press ⌘ Cmd+V on your keyboard. Similar to the previous step, press these two keys simultaneously. The shortcut ⌘ Cmd+V is used for pasting, so you’ll immediately see the content appear on the screen!
- You can paste the data multiple times if desired or copy new data.
On Mobile Devices
Tap and hold the content. Locate the content you want to copy, then place your finger on it. Tap and hold until you see the options appear.
- You can drag the highlight buttons to select different portions of the text.
- If you’re highlighting content in a text or message, be careful not to press other keys! You might accidentally replace the entire highlighted data with new content.
Drag the highlight to select content. Use your finger to drag the highlight over the area of content you want to select. The content will be highlighted with a color overlay.
- On iOS devices, the content will turn blue.
- On Android devices, the content will turn green.
Tap on . Lift your finger from the screen and wait for the menu to appear over the selected content. Tap the “” button to copy the text on your mobile device.
- Your phone won’t notify you when the text has been copied, as this process happens automatically.
Tap and hold the space where you want to paste the data. This could be in the Notes app, a web browser, a message, or a document. Place your finger where you want to insert the content, then tap and hold until the menu appears.
Tap on Paste. The content will appear immediately in the selected area. Now, you can continue pasting the copied content or copy new content!
Troubleshooting in Specific Cases
Highlight and insert mathematical symbols or superscripts into new text. If you need to add formulas or characters with superscripts, you can use shortcuts to copy and paste them into your text. Locate the content you wish to highlight, copy it, and then paste it into the desired location.
- You can find special characters by searching on Google.
and paste emojis from your computer screen. While you can highlight and copy emojis on your phone using the standard tap-and-hold method, on a computer, you can use a search tool to find the emoji you need and then copy it to your device. This allows you to add emojis to new input fields.
- Some applications, like email, do not support emojis.
and paste data between applications. Whether you're moving from Word to a webpage or from Pages to the Notes app, you can still use shortcuts. Otherwise, simply right-click and select '' or 'Paste'.
- Some websites have tools that block copying and pasting to prevent information theft. Scientific articles and pay-per-view content often restrict copying of text or images displayed on the screen.
Restart your computer if your actions aren't working. Occasionally, you might find that you can't copy and paste content on your computer using shortcuts. To resolve this issue, try turning your computer off and then on again.
- If this doesn't work, you may need to restart your computer's keyboard or update the keyboard driver.
Use Ctrl+Z to undo a mistaken action. Don't worry if you've highlighted a line of text and accidentally deleted it! On Windows or Linux, simply press Ctrl+Z. On Mac, this action is performed using the shortcut ⌘ Cmd+Z. This method helps you undo a mistake and try again.
- Just remember to undo the mistake immediately!
Advice
- If you accidentally highlight content you don't need to copy, click once or tap the screen to remove the highlight.
