Why is my copy and paste not working on my Mac?

Usually the pboard clipboard process has hung, another app is replacing the clipboard, or the app you are using blocks copying. Run killall pboard in Terminal, then test in TextEdit.

How do I reset the clipboard on a Mac?

Open Terminal and run killall pboard, or quit the pboard process in Activity Monitor. macOS starts a fresh one immediately.

Why is Command C not working on my Mac?

If Edit, Copy works from the menu but Command C doesn't, a keyboard utility or custom shortcut has taken over the key. If neither works, restart pboard.

Why is copy and paste not working from my iPhone to my Mac?

Universal Clipboard needs the same Apple Account on both devices, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on, Handoff on, and the devices close together. Restarting both devices fixes it most often.

Is it safe to kill pboard on a Mac?

Yes. It only restarts the clipboard service and doesn't touch your files or settings. macOS starts the process again by itself.

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Mac guide

Copy and paste stopped working on your Mac? How to fix it

By Aqib Javed · Updated Nov 2, 2026

When copy and paste stops working on a Mac, restart the clipboard service first: open Terminal and run killall pboard, or quit pboard in Activity Monitor. macOS starts it again on its own. If one app still can't read what you copy, check System Settings, Privacy & Security, Paste from Other Apps. Then quit clipboard, remote desktop and password manager apps one at a time, and restart the Mac if nothing else helps.

Restart the clipboard service (pboard)

Open Terminal, paste the command above and press Return. Nothing is shown, and macOS starts pboard again by itself.
Or open Activity Monitor, type pboard in the search field, select it, click the Stop button and choose Quit.
Copy something and paste it again to test.

The clipboard on a Mac is run by a background process called pboard. When it hangs, Command C seems to do nothing, Command V pastes old text, or an app says it can't use the clipboard. Restarting it fixes most of these cases and doesn't touch your files.

killall pboard

Check the Paste from Other Apps permission

Open System Settings, then Privacy & Security.
Click Paste from Other Apps.
Make sure the app you rely on is allowed. Apps only appear in the list after they have asked for access.
Quit and reopen that app, since the change may not apply until it restarts.

Recent versions of macOS let you control which apps can read what you copied in other apps without you pressing paste. Clipboard managers, launchers and automation tools need that access to work.

Find the app that is getting in the way

Clipboard managers can fight each other. Run only one, and quit the others to test.
Remote desktop tools and virtual machines often share the clipboard with another computer and can replace what you copied.
Many password managers empty the clipboard a set time after you copy a password, which can look like paste broke.
A keyboard utility or a custom shortcut can take over Command C or Command V. Try Edit, Copy and Edit, Paste from the menu bar: if the menus work but the keys don't, the problem is the shortcut, not the clipboard.
Some web pages and apps block copying on purpose. Test in another app, such as TextEdit, before you blame the Mac.

Restart your Mac if none of this helps. It resets every clipboard process at once.

Command V pastes the wrong thing

The copy didn't happen. If nothing was selected, or the app ignored Command C, the clipboard still holds the previous copy. Select the text again and use Edit, Copy to be sure.
Universal Clipboard replaced it. Something copied on an iPhone or iPad near your Mac can become the Mac's clipboard. To stop that, turn off Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices in System Settings, General, AirDrop & Handoff.
Two clipboard apps are writing to the clipboard. Quit one.
The app has its own clipboard. Spreadsheets and some editors, such as Vim in Terminal, keep an internal copy that a normal Command V doesn't use.

See what was actually copied

To check whether a copy worked, press Command V on the free Clipboard inspector on this site: it shows everything the clipboard holds, every format included. Notchet, a clipboard manager in the MacBook notch, keeps a card for every copy, so pressing Option Command V shows at once whether your last copy landed and lets you paste an earlier one. It doesn't repair a broken clipboard, but it makes a failed copy obvious, and its Settings, Privacy page shows whether it has clipboard access with a button that opens the right macOS setting.

Questions

Why is my copy and paste not working on my Mac?: Usually the pboard clipboard process has hung, another app is replacing the clipboard, or the app you are using blocks copying. Run killall pboard in Terminal, then test in TextEdit.
How do I reset the clipboard on a Mac?: Open Terminal and run killall pboard, or quit the pboard process in Activity Monitor. macOS starts a fresh one immediately.
Why is Command C not working on my Mac?: If Edit, Copy works from the menu but Command C doesn't, a keyboard utility or custom shortcut has taken over the key. If neither works, restart pboard.
Why is copy and paste not working from my iPhone to my Mac?: Universal Clipboard needs the same Apple Account on both devices, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on, Handoff on, and the devices close together. Restarting both devices fixes it most often.
Is it safe to kill pboard on a Mac?: Yes. It only restarts the clipboard service and doesn't touch your files or settings. macOS starts the process again by itself.