How to see clipboard history on Windows 11.
Press Win+V. The first time, click Turn on. From then on it shows what you copied recently and lets you paste any of it. Windows keeps only 25 items and clears them when you restart, so if you want a longer history, pins that stay and files, use a clipboard app such as ClipHat: free, open source, and on Mac too.
Updated: November 12, 2026 · Written by GuruHat, which makes ClipHat.
Turn on clipboard history in Windows
- Press Win+V.
- Click Turn on in the panel that appears. Or open Settings › System › Clipboard and switch on Clipboard history.
- Copy as usual. Press Win+V again, then click an item to paste it.
In the same panel you can pin an item, delete one, or clear everything.
Why Win+V is not working
- It is switched off. Open Settings › System › Clipboard and turn on Clipboard history.
- Nothing shows up. It only records what you copy after you turn it on.
- Work or school PC. An organization policy can disable it.
- Another app took the shortcut. Close tools that remap keys and try again.
What the built-in history can't do
- Only 25 items. Older copies drop off as you copy new ones.
- Cleared on restart. Only pinned items survive.
- Text, HTML and images only. Copied files are not kept.
- No filters. You can't narrow the list to links or images.
- No search. Finding something copied an hour ago means scrolling.
Keep a bigger, searchable history with ClipHat
ClipHat is a free, MIT-licensed clipboard history app for Windows 10 (version 1903 or later), Windows 11 and macOS 13 or later.
- Open it anywhere: Ctrl+Shift+V on Windows, ⌘⇧V on Mac. Type to search, press Enter to put the item back on your clipboard, then Ctrl+V to paste.
- Filter by type: text, links, images or documents.
- Files too: it stores copied files and images with previews, and you can drag a clip into another app.
- Pins that stay: it keeps your latest 500 items by default (up to 5,000), and pinned clips are never cleared.
| Windows Win+V | ClipHat | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Built in | Free, open source (MIT) |
| History size | 25 items | 500 by default, up to 5,000 |
| After a restart | Unpinned items are cleared | History is kept; pins never cleared |
| Copied files | No | Yes, up to 20 MB each |
| Search and filters | No | Search plus text, links, images, documents |
| Also on Mac | No | Yes (macOS 13+) |
Privacy: where your history lives
A clipboard history holds whatever you copied, so it matters where it goes. ClipHat for Windows stores history only on your PC, in %LOCALAPPDATA%\GuruHat\ClipHat. It has no account, no cloud sync, no analytics and no network calls. You can exclude apps such as your password manager. Read the ClipHat privacy page for details.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open clipboard history on Windows 11?
Press Win+V. The first time, Windows asks you to turn clipboard history on. You can also turn it on in Settings › System › Clipboard.
Why does Win+V not work?
Clipboard history is off until you turn it on. Open Settings › System › Clipboard and switch on Clipboard history. If it is still missing, an organization policy may have disabled it, or the keyboard shortcut may be taken by another app.
How many items does Windows clipboard history keep?
Up to 25. Older items drop off as you copy new ones, unpinned items are cleared when you restart your PC, and it holds text, HTML and images rather than copied files.
Is there a free clipboard history app with more than 25 items for Windows?
Yes. ClipHat is free and MIT-licensed. It keeps your latest 500 items by default (configurable up to 5,000), keeps pinned items, filters by type, and also stores files. Press Ctrl+Shift+V to open it.
Is clipboard history safe for passwords?
Treat any clipboard history as sensitive. ClipHat stores history only on your PC, has no account, sync or analytics, skips items marked sensitive and lets you exclude apps such as your password manager.