ClipboardlyCopy and Paste Not Working on Mac? 7 Fixes
If copy and paste stops working on a Mac, first try Edit → Copy and Edit → Paste from the menu bar to see whether only the shortcut is broken. Then restart the clipboard process: run killall pboard in Terminal or quit pboard in Activity Monitor. Still broken? Check shortcuts, quit clipboard apps and restart.
- Test with the Edit menu first: it tells you if the problem is the shortcut or the clipboard.
- killall pboard restarts the Mac clipboard service and fixes most cases.
- Conflicting shortcuts, clipboard apps and Universal Clipboard are the next suspects.
The fixes, in order
- Use the Edit menu. Select text, choose Edit → Copy, then Edit → Paste. If that works, the shortcut is the problem (go to step 4).
- Restart the clipboard service. Open Terminal and run
killall pboard. macOS restarts it at once. Or open Activity Monitor, search “pboard”, select it and click the stop button. - Try another app. If paste fails only in one app, quit and reopen that app. Some apps block pasting into certain fields.
- Check keyboard shortcuts. Open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → App Shortcuts and remove anything assigned to ⌘C or ⌘V.
- Quit clipboard and remote-desktop apps. Clipboard managers, screen-sharing and remote-desktop apps watch the clipboard. Quit them one at a time to find a conflict.
- Check Universal Clipboard. If you paste something you copied on your iPhone, Handoff is sharing the clipboard. Turn Handoff off briefly to test.
- Restart and update. Restart your Mac, then install macOS updates in System Settings → General → Software Update.
Match the symptom to the fix
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing pastes anywhere | Clipboard service stuck | killall pboard |
| Edit menu works, shortcut doesn’t | Shortcut conflict | Check App Shortcuts |
| Pastes the wrong, older item | Universal Clipboard or a clipboard app | Toggle Handoff, check the app |
| Fails in one app only | That app | Reopen or update the app |
Never lose a copy again
Once it works again, a clipboard manager means a glitch never costs you what you copied. Clipboardly keeps everything you copy; press ⌘⇧X to search it and paste. It's free: Download Clipboardly.
Frequently asked questions
What is pboard on Mac?
pboard is the macOS background process that runs the clipboard (the pasteboard). Restarting it with killall pboard often fixes copy and paste.
Is killall pboard safe?
Yes. macOS restarts the process immediately. You lose only what was on the clipboard at that moment.
Why does my Mac paste something I copied on my iPhone?
That’s Universal Clipboard. When Handoff is on and both devices use the same Apple Account, a copy on one device can be pasted on the other.
Sources
Checked September 2026. Prices and features of other apps can change; check each app’s site for the latest.
Written by Sheikh Saadi, founder of Growbig100. Updated .