How to copy and paste on a Mac
2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 2 October 2026
Select the text or file and press Command + C to copy. Click where you want it and press Command + V to paste. Command + X cuts text. On a Mac the Command key does what Ctrl does on Windows.
The shortcuts are the same as on Windows with one change: use the Command key, next to the space bar, where you would use Ctrl.
The pictures are diagrams of the keys to press.
Step by step
Select what you want
Drag across text, double-click a word, or click a file once. Command + A selects everything.
Copy with Command + C
Nothing visible happens. The item is now on the clipboard.
Paste with Command + V
Click where the text or file should go first.
Cut with Command + X
This removes the selected text and puts it on the clipboard. It works for text, not for files in Finder.
Move a file
Copy the file with Command + C, go to the new folder and press Option + Command + V. That moves it without leaving a copy behind.
Good to know
Pasted text keeps its font and colour. To paste it in the style of the document you are in, press Option + Shift + Command + V, or choose Edit, Paste and Match Style.
Made a mistake? Command + Z undoes the last step.
With the same Apple Account on your iPhone and Mac, you can copy on one and paste on the other within a couple of minutes. This is called Universal Clipboard.
The same commands are in the Edit menu and in the right-click menu: how to right-click on a Mac.
In short: Command + C to copy, Command + V to paste, Command + X to cut.
- Apple Support: Mac keyboard shortcuts
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