Free clipboard history on a Mac

Short answer: macOS keeps only the last thing you copied. For a history of recent copies without paying for another app, turn on Save recent copies in Pikori, a free menu bar app.

What macOS does on its own

The Mac clipboard holds one item. Copy something new and the old one is gone. In Finder, Edit › Show Clipboard shows what is on it right now, but not what came before.

Recent copies in Pikori

Pikori has a Clipboard tab in its menu bar panel. Turn on Save recent copies and it keeps what you copy:

• Up to 30 items for 24 hours, newest first. Older ones are deleted on their own.
• Click an item to copy it again.
• Text, links, images and files. Files are kept as their location, not as a second copy.
• Drop files and images onto the tab to keep them handy, then drag them out again. Dragging a file to a Finder folder moves it there.

Private by design

• It is off until you turn it on, and nothing from before is recorded.
• Copies that apps mark as private are skipped, such as passwords from password managers.
• Everything stays on your Mac. Pikori has no account and no analytics. Clear the list any time with Clear All.

Is it the right tool for you?

Pikori is a short-term shelf for the last day of copies, built into an app that also shows your AI limits and your Mac's health. If you want years of searchable history, snippets or sync between Macs, a dedicated clipboard manager does more.

Download Pikori for Mac (free, macOS 13 or later) · More guides