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When Using Copy and Paste

How to copy and paste text in a document or another program

Updated: 04/12/2021 by Computer Promise

Microsoft Word document with several words to copy and paste.

This folio provides details on how you can copy and paste text or other data from one program or web page to some other. Nosotros've also included keyboard shortcuts, tips, and areas where you lot can practice copying and pasting text.

Note

Keep in mind that when y'all copy, you lot're duplicating the text. If you want to remove text from one area and place it in another, run into: How to cutting and paste.

How to re-create and paste text on a desktop or laptop figurer

Copy 1

Copying text

Highlight the text you desire to copy. For example, y'all could highlight a word, a line, a paragraph, or all the text in the document. Once highlighted, perform any of the steps below.

Right-click the selected text and select Re-create.

- OR -

Click Edit from the top file menu in the program and so click Copy.

- OR -

Highlight the text and use the shortcut key combination Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert on a PC or Command+C on an Apple Mac.

Note

You must highlight or select something before it can be copied.

Paste from right-click and file menu.

Pasting the text

Once you've completed the steps in a higher place, the text is moved into a temporary storage area, known as the clipboard. To paste that text, move the cursor to where you want to paste and perform any of the following steps.

Right-click where yous want the text to appear and select Paste.

- OR -

Click Edit on the top file menu in the program, and and then click Paste.

- OR-

Press the shortcut key combination Ctrl+V on a PC or Control+V on an Apple tree Mac.

Tip

Yous can paste text in the clipboard as much as you want until something else is stored in it. Too, once something is placed into the clipboard, information technology tin can exist copied into other documents and programs.

Note

If nothing is in the clipboard, naught can exist pasted; the Paste pick will exist grayed out. Something must be cut or copied before it can exist pasted.

Practice copying and pasting text

Example of copying

Use the two text fields below to copy (Ctrl+C or Command+C) the text in the first box and pasting (Ctrl+V or Control+5) into the second. Afterwards copying and pasting the text, "Case re-create text" will be in both boxes.

How to copy and paste text in a document

To copy and paste text in a document, such equally a Microsoft Word document, follow the steps below.

  1. Highlight the text you want to copy.
  2. Utilise the shortcut cardinal combination Ctrl+C on a PC or Command+C on a Mac to copy the text.
  3. Move the text cursor to where yous want to paste the text.
  4. Press Ctrl+Five on a PC or Command+V on a Mac to paste the text.

Tip

Most programs also allow you to right-click with your mouse to re-create and paste text.

Practice copying and pasting text

Animated example of copy and paste

Employ the two text fields below to copy (Ctrl+C or Command+C) the text in the starting time box and paste it (Ctrl+V or Control+5) into the 2nd. After copying and pasting the text, "Case copy text" is in both boxes.

What keyboard keys copy and paste?

The keyboard key shortcuts for copying and pasting all depends on the type of computer you're using. Beneath is a list of the nearly common types of computers with the shortcut key combinations for re-create and paste. Memorizing these ii keyboard shortcuts is very helpful as they are some of the most commonly-performed actions on a computer.

PC running Microsoft Windows or Linux

Re-create = Ctrl+C or Ctrl+Insert
Paste = Ctrl+V or Shift+Insert

Apple tree Mac computer running macOS

Copy = Control+C
Paste = Command+V

Google Chrome calculator

Copy = Ctrl+C
Paste = Ctrl+V

Apple tree iPhone and iPad with iOS

There are no keyboard shortcuts for iPhones and iPads. See our copy and paste text on an Apple tree iPhone and iPad steps on how to copy and paste on these devices.

Google Android phone and tablet

In that location are no keyboard shortcuts for Google Android devices. Run across our copy and paste text on an Android smartphone and tablet steps for help with copying and pasting on these devices.

Practice copying and pasting text

Copy and paste animation

Use the ii text fields below to copy (Ctrl+C or Command+C) the text in the beginning box and pasting (Ctrl+V or Command+5) into the second. After copying and pasting the text, "Example re-create text" is in both boxes.

Copy and paste in a Windows command line

  1. Open the Windows command prompt.
  • How to get to an MS-DOS prompt or Windows command line.
  1. Double-click the text you desire to copy, or highlight information technology.
  2. With the text highlighted, printing Ctrl+C to copy.
  3. Motion your cursor to the appropriate location and printing Ctrl+V to paste.

Note

If there are spaces in the text yous are copying, you need to highlight it rather than double-clicking.

Copy and paste from a Linux beat to the X11 clipboard

To re-create text from a Linux control shell running in an X11 terminal, use xclip to send text to the clipboard.

Yous tin install xclip with your packet manager. For example, for Linux operating systems that employ the Debian software bundle repository (such equally Debian, Ubuntu, and Linux Mint), you tin install it with apt.

sudo apt update && sudo apt install xclip

Use xclip -sel prune to copy text to the X11 clipboard. It reads from standard input, and then you can piping text to xclip. For instance:

cat /etc/passwd | xclip -sel clip

For more than information, visit the official xclip repository on Github.

Copy and paste in a Linux GUI

Whether you lot're using X11 or Wayland equally your display server, the standard cut-and-paste methods should work equally expected in your Linux window manager.

Copying text

Highlight the selectable text you want to copy, and press Ctrl+C.

Pasting text

Place the mouse cursor where you desire to paste the text, and then printing Ctrl+V.

X11 native methods

If you're using X11 without a window manager, highlight text (elevate cursor with the left mouse button) to copy it to the clipboard. To paste, place the text cursor where you want to paste the text, then middle-click, or press Alt and left-click.

Copy and paste text on an Android smartphone and tablet

Copying text

Android copy

Press and hold your finger on any text and then let get. Upon letting get, a menu should announced (shown to the correct) that allows you lot to copy. Highlight any other text you lot want to re-create and and then tap Copy.

Pasting text

Printing and hold your finger on the screen where you desire to place the text, and select Paste.

Practice copying and pasting text

Using the two text fields beneath, attempt copying the text in the get-go field and pasting it into the second. After copying and pasting the text, "Example copy text" will be in both boxes.

Re-create and paste text on an Apple tree iPhone and iPad

Note

These steps are only for the Apple iPad and iPhone. If you lot accept an Apple desktop or laptop calculator, come across our desktop and laptop steps.

Copying text

iPhone copy

Double-tap (tap twice) your finger on whatever text. If successful a card appears, tap your finger on Copy or Select.

Tip

You tin can tripple-tap (tap iii times) on a word in a paragraph or sentence to select all text.

Tip

To re-create more than the default selected text, printing your finger on the left or right blueish circle, and while pressing downward move in the direction you desire to select.

Pasting text

Tap once where you desire to paste and and then tap Paste. If you want to paste this text in a dissimilar app, open up the other app before pasting the text.

Practice copying and pasting text

Using the two text fields below, attempt copying the text in the first field and pasting it into the second. After copying and pasting the text, "Case copy text" will be in both boxes.

Copy and paste text on a Chromebook

Copying text

For Chromebooks that accept no mouse buttons, you tin can re-create and paste text by following the steps below.

  1. Press downwardly on the touchpad.
  2. While continuing to hold down the touchpad, elevate your finger in the direction yous want to re-create text.
  3. In one case the text is highlighted, tap two fingers on the touchpad to bring up the right-click menu and select Copy.

- OR -

  1. Highlight the text you want to copy.
  2. Perform the Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut.

Pasting text

  1. To paste text, move your cursor to where yous want to paste.
  2. Right-click by placing two fingers on the touchpad.
  3. Select Paste from the drop-downwardly menu that appears, or printing Ctrl+5.

Practise copying and pasting text

Copy 3

Using the two text fields below, effort copying (Ctrl+C) the text in the get-go box and pasting (Ctrl+V) into the 2d. After copying and pasting the text, "Instance re-create text" is in both boxes.

Re-create and paste text on a Kindle

Unfortunately, in that location are no copy and paste options on a Kindle. Still, y'all can Highlight text in any book, which is added to your highlights. After adding highlights, they that tin can be viewed online or copied from the Kindle to your estimator. You tin can re-create and paste any saved highlights using any of the steps mentioned above depending on the device you are using.

When Using Copy and Paste

Source: https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001665.htm