How to turn it on
- Open System Settings and choose Spotlight.
- Turn on Clipboard. Until you do, Spotlight doesn't record anything you copy.
- On macOS 26.1 or later, choose how long items are kept: 30 minutes, 8 hours (the default) or 7 days.
How to use it
- Press ⌘Space to open Spotlight, then ⌘4 to show the clipboard.
- Double-click an item to paste it where your cursor is.
- To erase it, use Clear Clipboard History in System Settings › Spotlight.
Where it falls short
- It forgets. The longest setting is 7 days. Anything older is gone.
- It's Tahoe only. Macs on Sonoma or Sequoia don't have it.
- It's off by default. Many people don't know it exists until they need something they copied last week.
- It's a list, not a library. There are no pinboards for snippets you reuse, and no way to paste several items in order.
Spotlight clipboard vs PasteBee
| Spotlight (Tahoe) | PasteBee | |
|---|---|---|
| How long items stay | 30 minutes, 8 hours or 7 days | 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 1 year or unlimited |
| Open it with | ⌘Space, then ⌘4 | ⌘⇧V, or click the bee in the menu bar |
| Pinboards | No | Named pinboards and pinned items, never deleted |
| Screenshots | Only if you copied them | Every new screenshot is added automatically |
| Paste several items in order | No | Paste Stack |
| macOS version | macOS 26 Tahoe or later | macOS 14 Sonoma or later |
Can you use both?
Yes. They don't interfere with each other. Many people leave Spotlight's clipboard on for quick lookups and use PasteBee for everything they want to keep, like addresses, replies and brand colors, plus the visual panel and search inside screenshots.
Questions
Is clipboard history built into macOS?
Only on macOS Tahoe 26 and later, through Spotlight, and it's off until you turn it on in System Settings › Spotlight. Earlier versions of macOS keep only the last copied item.
How long does macOS Tahoe keep clipboard history?
Since macOS 26.1 you can choose 30 minutes, 8 hours or 7 days. The default is 8 hours.
Does PasteBee work on macOS Tahoe?
Yes. PasteBee runs on macOS 14 Sonoma and later, including Tahoe, alongside Spotlight's clipboard.