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Clipboard history

Updated July 21, 2026

Clipboard keeps a local history of what you copy, so you can reuse something from a few copies ago without digging back through apps. Pair it with right-side shortcuts for Copy, Paste, Undo, Redo, and Select All, and you spend less time stretching across the keyboard. Everything lives on the Clipboard tab.

Turning it on and off

Three controls at the top of the tab:

• Enable Clipboard — the master switch. Turning it off stops saving copies, hides clipboard history from the notch and menu bar, and deletes the history you already have.
• Save copies — a pause button. Turn it off for a short break: Lipo stops saving new copies but keeps what's already there. Turn it back on when you're ready.
• Show menu bar icon — puts a clipboard icon in your menu bar. Click it anytime to open clipboard history without opening the full Lipo window. This icon is only for clipboard; screenshots open from the main Lipo menu bar icon.

Right-side shortcuts

macOS's standard shortcuts — ⌘C, ⌘V, ⌘Z, ⇧⌘Z, ⌘A — all sit on the left side of the keyboard, and they keep working as always. Lipo lets you add a second shortcut for each action using keys that are easy to reach with your right hand. Click a shortcut field and press the combo you want. Some examples:

These are only examples — choose whatever is comfortable. If macOS reserves a combination, Lipo tells you to pick another.

Browsing your history

Clipboard history opens in three places:

• The notch — the default when history style is Notch (set in the Screenshot tab). Move your pointer to the top of the screen, then click an item to paste it or drag it into another app.
• The menu bar clipboard icon — when Show menu bar icon is on. If you use Classic Panels instead of the notch, this is the usual way in.
• Inside the app — the History section of the Clipboard tab is the full list of recent and starred items.

In the notch, the star button switches between recent and starred items — star anything you'll want again later.

Managing items

From history you can copy an item again, star it, edit its text, or delete it. Clearing recent history doesn't touch starred items — they're kept separately. Retention works like screenshots: choose 3 days, 1 week, or 1 month, older items are removed automatically, and saved items are never auto-deleted.

Privacy

Clipboard history stays on your Mac — nothing in it is uploaded. Lipo also skips anything macOS marks as sensitive, like passwords from your password manager.

Frequently asked questions

Does Lipo save passwords I copy?

No. Anything macOS marks as sensitive — which includes copies from password managers — is skipped and never enters the history.

I copied something an hour ago and it's gone. Why?

Check that Save copies wasn't paused, and look at your retention setting. If it keeps happening, star the items you care about — starred items are never removed automatically.

Can I use clipboard history without the notch?

Yes. Turn on Show menu bar icon and open history from the menu bar, or use the History section in the app. Switching history style to Classic Panels turns the menu bar icon on for you.