Resources How To Copy and Paste: A Step-by-Step Guide By Olivia Edens Resources No comments August 2, 2024 Whether you’re tech-savvy or a digital novice, copy and paste is a fundamental keyboard command that eliminates tedious retyping. From iPhones to MacBooks, school papers to work assignments, knowing how to copy and paste boosts your productivity. If you’re struggling to transfer info from PDFs, PCs, Macs or mobile devices, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll cover the best way to copy and paste on your device! Cheat Sheet: How To Copy and Paste Windows PC Macbook Chromebook Android Phone iPhone PDF Microsoft Word 2016 & 2019 Google Docs FAQs The Wrap-Up How To Copy and Paste Copying and pasting text is a basic yet essential skill. Here’s a quick guide. Windows PC Follow the steps below to copy text or files on Windows PC. For Text: Step 1: Place your cursor at the beginning of the text you want to copy. Step 2: Click and hold the left mouse button. Then, drag the cursor to the end of the text. Step 3: After selecting, release the mouse button and Right-click on the text. Step 4: In the context menu that appears, click on Copy. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl C and Ctrl V. For Files or Folders: Step 1: Open File Explorer (Windows Explorer) and locate the file or folder. Step 2: Right-click the file or folder. Step 3: In the context menu, select Copy. Or use the keyboard shortcut: Ctrl C. Step 4: Right-click on the destination. In the context menu, select Paste or Ctrl V. Quick Tips Clipboard History (for Windows 10 and later): Press Win + V to open the clipboard history and access recently copied items. Cut and Paste: Instead of copying and pasting, you can also use the Cut function (Ctrl + X or right-click and select Cut) to move the selected text or files to a new location. Keyboard shortcut to copy and paste. Source MacBook Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to copy and paste on a Mac. Step 1: Select Using your mouse or trackpad, locate the text you want to copy. Click and drag your cursor over the selection to highlight it. The highlighted text will turn blue to indicate it’s selected. Step 2: Copy Once the text is selected, right-click on the highlighted text and select Copy from the context menu that appears. (You can also press Command + C on your keyboard). Drop down menu for copy and paste. Source Step 3: Paste Navigate to where you want to paste the copied text. Right-click on the location and select Paste from the context menu that appears. (You can alternatively press Command + V on your keyboard). How To Enable Right-Clicking on Your Mac Trackpad If your copy-and-paste function isn’t working, it’s most likely because you need to update your trackpad preferences. Follow the steps below: Step 1: Spotlight Search Pull up spotlight search by clicking command + spacebar. Step 2: Locate System Preferences Search system preferences in the spotlight search bar. Then click return on your keyboard (or double-click on system preferences). Step 3: Locate Trackpad in System Preferences On the system preferences menu, click the trackpad icon. Step 4: View Checkboxes in Trackpad Under the Point & Click tab, you’ll see three options: look up & data detectors, secondary click and tap to click. To right-click on your trackpad, make sure to check the secondary box. Step 5: Close and Update Closeout and changes will automatically save. Once updated, you can copy and paste by highlighting text and tapping on your trackpad’s right corner. Chromebook You can copy and paste by right-clicking or tapping with two fingers and then selecting copy and paste. What if the control key isn’t working? There’s a quick fix! Step 1: Click on settings. Step 2: Locate permissions Step 3: Select Enable copy and paste Step 4: Once enabled, close out and copy and paste. If it doesn’t update immediately, restart your Chromebook and try again. Android Phone With Android currently supporting 2.5 billion users, how to copy and paste on these devices is a popular question. The good news is it’s easy to learn! Step 1: Copy Tap on the area you need to copy, hold down until copy appears, then select it. Step 2: Paste Go to the note or doc app you want to paste in, hold down, and press paste. Step 3: Restart and Update If your copy-and-paste function isn’t working, check your device under Settings and make sure there are no pending updates. Restart if needed, then copy and paste like a pro! iPhone For many modern workers, phones aren’t just for communicating or scrolling social media; they’re an on-the-go method of getting things done (in fact, the average iPhone user checked their device 144 times a day in 2023). Once you’ve mastered copying and pasting on your iPhone, you’ll be able to lift and place text messages, notes, URLs, and even emojis. Step 1: Copy Double-click on the first word in a sentence, hold down and drag to highlight the rest. From there, click Copy. Step 2: Paste Go to where you want to paste it, tap once and the option to paste will appear. What if you only need to copy one word? Hold down the single word and press Copy. Go back to where you want to paste it, tap once and select paste. If you’re trying to copy and paste a longer paragraph, tap on the first word, hold down and press Select All. Repeat the steps above. How to copy and paste on an iPhone. Source How to copy and paste an emoji from an iPhone Step 1: Unlock Your iPhone Step 2: Access the Keyboard Open the app where you want to paste the emoji. These options include Messages, Notes, WhatsApp, Facebook or any other app where you can input text. Step 3: Open the Keyboard Tap on the text field to bring up the keyboard. Step 4: Access the Emoji Keyboard Tap on the globe or smiley face icon located at the bottom-left corner of the keyboard. This action will switch your keyboard to the emoji keyboard. Step 5: Browse Emojis Once the emoji keyboard is open, you’ll see various categories of emojis at the bottom. Swipe left or right to browse through smileys and people, animals, food and drink, activities, and more. Step 6: Select an Emoji Tap on the emoji you want to copy. This will insert the emoji into the text field. Step 7: Copy the Emoji Press and hold on the emoji you just inserted. After a moment, you’ll see a menu appear above the emoji. Step 8: Copy Tap on the Copy option in the menu. This will copy the emoji to your iPhone’s clipboard. Sep 9: Navigate to the place where you the emoji Tap and hold on the text field until the paste option appears. Step 10: Paste Tap on the Paste option to paste the emoji from your clipboard into the text field. PDF While most PDFs let you copy and paste without issue, sometimes it can be tricky. Some PDFs are scanned and considered images of written content. To copy and paste from a scanned PDF, you have to convert it to something that can be edited, like a Google Doc. Open the PDF and look for open in Google Docs. Click where it says open and copy and paste from the Google Doc version by right-clicking. You can also copy and paste using ctrl + c and then ctrl + v. If the PDF doesn’t say open in Google Docs, follow the steps below: Step 1: Log in to your Google Drive. Step 2: Upload the PDF by dragging and dropping (or go to File, then Upload PDF). Step 3: Allow the upload to finish, right-click on the PDF file, press Open With and then click Google Docs. Step 4: Now that it’s a Doc, you should be able to copy and paste. Step 5: Your converted file might take a few minutes to appear and open. Microsoft Word 2016 & 2019 Step 1: Copying Once you’ve pulled up the document you want to copy from, highlight the desired text. Right-click on your text. In the context menu, select Copy. Step 2: Pasting Move your cursor to the location where you want to paste. Right-click at the desired location. In the context menu, select Paste. You can also use this method when copying and pasting on Microsoft Word Online. Please note: The steps for copying and pasting may vary slightly depending on your operating system and any updates made to Microsoft Word. Google Docs Here’s a step-by-step guide to both methods for copying and pasting in Google Docs: Method 1: Using Keyboard Shortcuts Step 1: Select Use your mouse or touchpad to highlight the text you want to copy. Step 2: Copy On Windows or Linux: Press Ctrl + C. On Mac: Press Command + C. Step 3: Paste Navigate to the location in your document where you want to paste the copied text. On Windows or Linux: Press Ctrl + V. On Mac: Press Command + V. Method 2: Using the Toolbar Step 1: Highlight text. Step 2: Access the Toolbar. At the top of the Google Docs window, you’ll find a toolbar (displaying File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, Tools, Extensions and Help). Step 3: Click on Edit. Step 4: Select Copy from the dropdown menu. Step 5: Move to the location in your document where you want to paste the copied text. Step 6: Click on the Edit option in the toolbar again. Step 7: This time, select Paste from the dropdown menu. And voila, there you have it! Keep in mind, certain websites block copying and pasting information for security purposes. For example, financial websites, stocking websites, and banks commonly don’t allow the copying and pasting. FAQs Q: Can I use keyboard shortcuts to copy and paste on Windows? A: Yes. Copy and paste on Windows with Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste. Q: Can I copy and paste files or folders on a desktop? A: Yes, on both Windows and Mac, you can copy files or folders by right-clicking, selecting Copy, and pasting in the desired location by right-clicking and pressing Paste. Q: Can I copy and paste images? A: On most browsers, yes. Right-click on the image, select Copy Image, and paste it using the same method. Q: How do I copy and paste between different devices? A: You can use cloud-based platforms like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Airdrop (for Apple devices) to copy files or text on one device and paste it on another. Upload your content to the cloud, and then you can access it from other devices. Q: Can I paste content from my MacBook to my iPhone? A: Yes, you can with AirDrop. Select the content, click the Share button and then choose your iPhone from the AirDrop options. Q: What constitutes plagiarism when copying and pasting information? A: Plagiarism involves presenting someone else’s work or ideas as your own without proper attribution. Copying and pasting content without crediting the original author or source is a common form of plagiarism. Q: How can I avoid unintentional plagiarism? A: Always provide proper attribution by citing the source. Familiarize yourself with the rules of citation styles such as APA, MLA, or Chicago, depending on your field of work. Q: Can I copy and paste a text message? A: Yes, on an iPhone and an Android. On an iPhone: Locate the text message. Press and hold your finger on the text message until a menu appears. Tap Copy from the menu. Navigate to the desired location where you want to paste the text. Tap and hold the text field until a menu appears. Tap Paste. On an Android: Tap and hold on the text message until handles appear or a selection tool activates. Adjust the selection handles as needed and choose Copy from the menu. Go to where you want to paste the text. Tap and hold on the text input field until a menu appears. Select Paste from the menu. Note: Steps might vary slightly depending on the specific make and model of your iPhone or Android phone. Wrap-up Unlocking the time-saving magic of copy and paste is a game-changer for students and professionals worldwide. Learning how to copy and paste on your primary device is a huge time-saver and a very useful way to transfer information. Which device is your go-to for copying and pasting info? Comment below! Trending Articles How To Install OptiFine How to Cancel Hulu How To Change Your Name on Facebook How To Reset Airpods Olivia EdensHow To Copy and Paste: A Step-by-Step Guide08.02.2024