Windows clipboard is more capable than you think, here's how to get the most out of it

When you think of your PC’s clipboard, you have a simple flow in mind: Ctrl + C to copy something and Ctrl + V to paste it. But did you know how much more Windows can actually do with the clipboard?

Some of it lives in a hidden panel behind a keyboard shortcut, the one that some users probably already know about. But some of it only shows up if you're willing to open PowerShell, and it's actually quite useful for anyone who uses the command-line tool. Either way, it's already built into Windows, no extra software required.

Best Clipboard History panel features

Let’s start with the most common tips. If you press Win + V, you’ll open the Clipboard History panel. If it's your first time, you'll see a prompt to turn it on, or you can enable it manually at Settings > System > Clipboard.

Once it's on, Win+V shows up to 25 of your most recent clipboard entries instead of just the last one. It handles text, HTML, and small images, though not full files or documents. So, if something you initially wanted to copy “ran away” because you accidentally copied something else, you can still access it here.