In Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Microsoft introduces a new clipboard experience. The new clipboard is a lot more powerful than it ever was and comes with many new features that can make our lives easier. Now we can view the clipboard, paste old items from the clipboard, pin items to it, delete items, sync it across Windows 10 computers, and also clear the whole clipboard. If you want to learn more about how to use the new clipboard in Windows 10, read this guide:

NOTE: The new clipboard features are available starting with Windows 10 October 2018 Update. If you have an older version of Windows, you cannot use the new clipboard. If the new clipboard features do not work on your PC, make sure that you enabled the Clipboard history, as shown in the first section of this guide: How to sync the Windows 10 clipboard with other computers and devices.

How to view the clipboard in Windows 10

In Windows 10 October 2018 Update, checking your clipboard contents is easy: press the Windows + V keys on your keyboard simultaneously, and you should get a window called Clipboard that lists all the items you have copied to the clipboard. It should look similar to this:

All the items that you recently copied to the clipboard are listed vertically, starting from the most recent one at the top. If you want to see the older clipboard items, scroll downwards in the Clipboard window.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The clipboard in Windows 10 only supports text, HTML code and images that are less than 1 MB in size. Any other type of content or content that is larger than 1 MB is not saved into your clipboard, and there is no message telling you that.

How to paste the most recent item from the clipboard in Windows 10

If you want to paste the latest item that you sent to the clipboard, open the application in which you want to paste it, and press the Ctrl + V keys on your keyboard. Usually, you can also do the same thing by right-clicking in that app window and then by choosing the Paste option from the contextual menu displayed.

However, in Windows 10, you can also use the Clipboard window to paste the last item in it. Go to the window in which you want to paste it, press the Windows + V keys on your keyboard, and then click or tap the first element in the Clipboard window.

How to paste old items from the clipboard in Windows 10

If you want to paste older items from the clipboard, go to the app window in which you want to do that. Then, press the Windows + V keys on your keyboard, and click or tap the item that you want to be pasted, from the Clipboard window.

How to pin items to the clipboard in Windows 10

Sometimes, you might have some information that you use often, and you want it to be easily accessible. A good example would be an address or a phone number that you need to paste in multiple documents and at various times. In such a situation, the Windows 10 clipboard can be handy. You can copy that information to your clipboard and then pin it, so that it is always available in the clipboard, even if you reboot your Windows 10 PC or clear the other contents of the clipboard.

To pin an item in the clipboard, open the Clipboard window by simultaneously pressing the Windows + V keys on your keyboard. Then, find the item that you want to pin and click or tap the small pin button found to its right.

When you pin an item to your clipboard, the small pin to its right changes its direction from horizontal to diagonal.

To unpin an item from your clipboard, follow the same steps and press the same small pin button to its right.

How to delete items from the clipboard in Windows 10

If you want to delete an item from your clipboard, open the Clipboard window (press Windows + V), locate the item that you want to remove, and press the small X button found at its top-right side.

How to clear the clipboard in Windows 10

If you want to empty your clipboard, open the Clipboard (press Windows + V on your keyboard) and then click or tap on Clear all at the top-right side of the window.

Note that this action removes everything from your clipboard, except for the pinned items.

Do you like the new clipboard from Windows 10?

In previous versions of Windows 10, you could not see your clipboard contents unless you used a third-party application designed for this purpose. We like the fact that now we can do that using Windows 10 alone, and we appreciate that you can pin items to the clipboard. It is a useful way of keeping often used information close by. Furthermore, the new clipboard can also sync text between your devices, but we will talk more about that in another tutorial. Until then, share your impressions about the new clipboard experience. Comment below and let's discuss.