How to Open Clipboard History in Windows 11: 6 Ways

To open clipboard history in Windows 11, press Windows logo key + V. If history is off, the panel shows a Turn on button; select it, and from then on Win+V lists what you copy. You can also reach the same list from the emoji panel (Windows logo key + period), the touch keyboard, On-Screen Keyboard, or a shortcut of your own that sends Win+V.

There's no Start menu entry or app that opens the history list. Settings > System > Clipboard only turns the feature on and off; it doesn't show your copied items.

1. Press Windows logo key + V

Hold the Windows key and press V. The clipboard history panel opens with your newest copy at the top. Click an item to paste it into the app you were using.

The first time, you may see a Turn on button instead of a list. History is off until you enable it, either from that button or with Settings > System > Clipboard > Clipboard history. How to enable clipboard history in Windows 11 walks through both.

Win+V works the same way on Windows 10.

2. Press Win + period, then pick the clipboard tab

On Windows 11, clipboard history lives in the same panel as emoji, GIFs, kaomoji and symbols. Windows logo key + period (.) opens that panel on the emoji tab.

1. Click in a text field so the panel has somewhere to paste.
2. Press Windows logo key + . (or Windows logo key + ;).
3. Select the clipboard icon in the row of tabs at the top of the panel.

This helps when the V key is awkward to reach or another app has taken Win+V. How the tabs fit together is covered in clipboard history and the emoji/GIF panel overlap.

3. Click the Emoji and more icon on the taskbar

Recent Windows 11 updates add an Emoji and more icon to the system tray area of the taskbar. Clicking it opens the same emoji panel, where you can switch to the clipboard tab. Depending on your settings, the icon may appear only while you're typing in a text field.

To change when it shows, right-click the icon, or go to Settings > Personalization > Taskbar and look under System tray icons. If you don't see the option, your Windows version doesn't have the icon yet; use one of the other methods.

4. Use the touch keyboard

On a tablet or 2-in-1, the Windows 11 touch keyboard can paste from clipboard history without a physical Windows key.

1. Turn on the touch keyboard icon: Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > System tray icons > Touch keyboard.
2. Tap a text field, then tap the keyboard icon near the clock.
3. Tap the emoji button in the toolbar along the top of the keyboard and switch to the clipboard tab.
4. Tap an item to paste it.

The toolbar layout varies slightly between keyboard layouts and Windows versions, so look for the clipboard icon among the emoji, GIF and kaomoji tabs. If you work with a pen, copying and pasting with a Surface Pen covers the side-button menu and what pasted ink turns into.

5. Use On-Screen Keyboard or Sticky Keys if the Windows key doesn't work

If your Windows key is broken, missing on a compact keyboard, or locked by a laptop's Fn or gaming mode, you can still send Win+V.

On-Screen Keyboard is the full on-screen version of a physical keyboard, including a Windows key.

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn on On-Screen Keyboard.
2. Click in the app you want to paste into.
3. On the on-screen keyboard, click the Windows key, then V.

Sticky Keys lets you press shortcut keys one at a time instead of holding them together. Turn it on in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard > Sticky keys, then press the Windows key, release it, and press V. This also helps if you type with one hand; using Win+V with one hand on a laptop has more options.

6. Make your own shortcut that sends Win+V

Windows has no setting to change the clipboard history shortcut, but you can add a second shortcut that sends Win+V.

With PowerToys Keyboard Manager

Microsoft PowerToys is a free Microsoft utility.

1. Install PowerToys, open PowerToys Settings and select Keyboard Manager.
2. Make sure Keyboard Manager is enabled, then select Remap a shortcut.
3. Select Add shortcut remapping.
4. Under Select, record a free combination such as Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V. Avoid Ctrl+Alt+V: Word uses it to paste formatting and Excel uses it for Paste Special.
5. Under To send, choose Win+V.
6. Leave the target app empty so it works everywhere, then select OK.

Microsoft documents a few limits: PowerToys must be running for the remap to work, it doesn't apply inside apps running as administrator unless PowerToys also runs as administrator, and remaps that use Ctrl+Alt can clash with the AltGr key on some keyboard layouts. If that happens, pick a different combination.

With AutoHotkey v2

If you already use AutoHotkey, a two-line script does the same job:

#Requires AutoHotkey v2.0
^!+v::Send "#v"

Here ^!+v means Ctrl+Alt+Shift+V and #v means Win+V. Save it as a .ahk file and run it. More examples are in the best AutoHotkey clipboard scripts.

Don't remap Ctrl+V itself. That would break normal paste in every app.

What does not open clipboard history

If Win+V opens nothing at all, or the panel says history is off even though you turned it on, work through Win+V not working on Windows 11: 9 fixes. On a work PC, the switch may be greyed out by your organization's policy.

If you'd rather open clipboard history with the mouse

Every built-in route ends in the same 25-item Win+V panel. If what you really want is a history you can open without any shortcut, a clipboard manager may suit you better. Edge Drop, the free clipboard shelf made by the team behind this site, opens when you push the pointer against a screen edge or press its own shortcut (Alt+C by default), and keeps its own history separate from Win+V. Edge Drop in 10 minutes shows the setup.

FAQ

Can I pin clipboard history to the taskbar?

Not directly. Windows has no clipboard history app to pin. The closest options are the Emoji and more tray icon on newer Windows 11 versions, or pinning On-Screen Keyboard and using its Windows key.

Can I change the Win+V shortcut?

No. Windows doesn't let you reassign it. You can add another shortcut that sends Win+V with PowerToys or AutoHotkey, as shown above, and Win+V keeps working too.

Why does Win+V show "Turn on" every time?

Clipboard history is turned off, or something keeps turning it off, such as a policy on a managed PC. Turn it on in Settings > System > Clipboard. If it won't stay on, see what Win+V actually opens on Windows 11 and the fixes linked above.

Related reading

• How to Enable Clipboard History in Windows 11
• What Does Win+V Do on Windows 11? The Panel Explained
• Win+V Not Working on Windows 11: 9 Fixes
• Copy and Paste Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows 11 and 10

Sources

• Using the clipboard (Microsoft Support) — Win+V, Turn on, the Settings switch, and Win+period opening the same panel.
• Keyboard shortcuts in Windows (Microsoft Support) — Win+V, Win+period, Win+Shift+V, Win+Ctrl+V and Win+C.
• Remap keys and shortcuts with PowerToys Keyboard Manager (Microsoft Learn) — Remap a shortcut, elevation and AltGr limits.
• How to install PowerToys (Microsoft Learn) — install from GitHub or the Microsoft Store.
• Use the On-Screen Keyboard to type (Microsoft Support) — turning on On-Screen Keyboard.
• Announcing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 27858 (Windows Insider Blog) — the system tray icon for the emoji panel.
• Launch Windows Settings (Microsoft Learn) — ms-settings:clipboard opens the Clipboard settings page.

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How to Install Guide · First 10 Minutes Guide · Drag & Drop Guide · Edge Drop vs Win+V · Support