How to clear clipboard content on Mac and iOS

This guide explains how to clear your Mac's clipboard and manage clipboard history. The clipboard temporarily stores copied or cut data until replaced. Clearing it frees memory and protects sensitive information.

Methods to Empty the Clipboard:

A quick overview of methods to clear your clipboard:

Method	Description
Replace Content	Copy a few spaces to overwrite existing clipboard content.
Terminal Command	Use the pbcopy command in Terminal.
Restart Mac	Restarting your Mac clears the clipboard.
One Switch App	Use the "Empty Pasteboard" toggle in the One Switch app.
Paste App	Manage unlimited clipboard history within the Paste app.
Unclutter App	Manage multiple copied items and history with the Unclutter app.
Yoink App	Manage temporary drag-and-drop items and a mini clipboard history with Yoink.

Upgrade Your Clipboard:

Setapp offers clipboard managers like Paste and Unclutter, allowing you to save and manage multiple clipboard items.

Try Setapp Free

Inspecting Clipboard Data:

To view your Mac's copy history:

1. Click an empty area on your desktop.
2. Go to Finder > Edit > Show Clipboard.

Clearing the Clipboard:

Several methods exist to clear your Mac's clipboard:

1. Replacing the Item: Copy a small piece of text (like a space) to overwrite the existing clipboard content. Use Command C to copy.

2. Terminal Command:

1. Open Terminal (Go > Utilities > Terminal, or use Spotlight search).
2. Type pbcopy and press Enter.

3. Restarting: Restarting your Mac also clears the clipboard.

4. One Switch App: Toggle the "Empty Pasteboard" switch in One Switch (a shortcut can be created in Preferences > Shortcuts).

Managing Clipboard Data Manually:

For advanced clipboard management, consider these apps:

• Paste: Provides unlimited clipboard history, accessible via Shift Command V.
• Unclutter: Acts as a temporary storage for various items, maintaining history even after restarts.
• Yoink: Focuses on drag-and-drop, offering temporary storage and a mini clipboard history.

Clearing Clipboard on iOS:

While iOS doesn't directly show clipboard history, pasting into Notes reveals the last copied item. For clearing, copy two spaces into any text field to overwrite existing content. Paste for iPhone offers better management across devices.

Conclusion:

Multiple methods exist to clear your clipboard, ranging from simple text replacement to dedicated apps. Clipboard managers offer superior control and history management. Setapp provides a trial period to explore these advanced options.

The above is the detailed content of How to clear clipboard content on Mac and iOS. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!