Help & Keyboard Shortcuts
Everything you need to know about installing EasyClipboard, mastering keyboard shortcuts, and managing privacy & security on macOS.
π Quick Start & Installation
EasyClipboard runs natively on macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later as a lightweight Menu Bar application (no Dock clutter). You can install it via Homebrew (recommended) or direct .dmg download:
Option 1 β Install via Homebrew (Recommended, No Gatekeeper Prompts):
Option 2 β Direct .dmg Installer:
1. Click Download EasyClipboard.dmg and open the disk image.
2. Drag EasyClipboard.app into the Applications folder shortcut.
3. Launch EasyClipboard from Applications, then click the EasyClipboard icon in your top-right macOS Menu Bar or press ββ₯V!
π‘οΈ Seeing βEasyClipboard Not Openedβ on First Launch? (macOS Gatekeeper)
If you downloaded the .dmg directly from a web browser, macOS Gatekeeper may display a security prompt on first launch. You can allow it in seconds using either method:
β’ Method A (System Settings): Click Done on the prompt, open System Settings β Privacy & Security, scroll down to the Security section, and click Open Anyway next to "EasyClipboard was blocked to protect your Mac".
β’ Method B (Terminal One-Liner): Run this command in Terminal to clear the macOS download quarantine attribute immediately:
β¨οΈ Keyboard Shortcuts Reference
EasyClipboard is built for speed. Use these global and in-board shortcuts to navigate without touching the mouse:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| β β₯ V | Show or hide the EasyClipboard board (keep holding ββ₯ and press V to cycle through cards) |
| β 1 β¦ 9 | Hold β to reveal badges on the first 9 cards; press the number to copy/restore immediately |
| β© Enter / Double-Click | Restore / copy the selected clipping to the clipboard (or auto-paste if enabled) |
| Space | Toggle the full-size Quick Look preview modal for the selected card |
| Hold β₯ Option | Temporarily reveal all masked (β’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’) text and password cards while held |
| β β β β | Navigate across cards in the visual board |
| β C | Copy the selected card to the system clipboard |
| β§ β V | Copy / paste the selected item as Plain Text (strips rich text formatting) |
| β X / β« Delete | Cut or remove the selected card from history |
| β β₯ S | Show or hide the left Sidebar |
| β P | Anchor / Pin the board window so it stays floating above other windows |
| β + / β - | Increase or decrease the number of grid rows |
| β β₯ + / β β₯ - | Increase or decrease the number of grid columns |
| β . | Pause or resume live clipboard monitoring |
| β O / β§ β R | Open selected URL/File (βO) or Reveal File in Finder (β§βR) |
| β , | Open the Preferences window |
π Privacy, Encryption & macOS Permissions
1. Zero Permissions Required by Default:
Monitoring the system clipboard and copying items back via double-click, β© Enter, or the copy button requires no macOS Accessibility or Input Monitoring permissions.
2. AES-256-GCM Secret Encryption & Eye Masking:
Items copied from password managers (1Password, Keychain Access, Apple Passwords, Bitwarden) are automatically tagged as SECRET, masked on screen, and encrypted with CryptoKit AES-256-GCM before being stored on disk. For regular TEXT cards, click the π Eye icon in the top-right corner of the card to toggle privacy masking on or off at any time.
3. Local Storage Location:
EasyClipboard never uploads your clipboard to any cloud server. Your data lives locally on your Mac at:
π‘ Frequently Asked Questions
How do I clear items from a specific app or group?
Right-click any group in the left sidebarβsuch as All Clippings, Favorites, a custom Collection, a Source App, or a Content Typeβand choose Clear Content.
How do I open Settings from the Menu Bar?
Left-clicking the menu bar icon toggles the main board open or closed. Right-clicking the menu bar icon opens the quick settings menu (Layout presets, Appearance, Preferences, About, and Quit).
How do I enable direct auto-paste into the active app?
Open Preferences (β,) β General and enable "Paste directly into frontmost application", then grant Accessibility permission in System Settings β Privacy & Security β Accessibility.
Can I exclude specific apps from being recorded?
Yes! Open Preferences (β,) β Security & Storage to ignore confidential password managers or pause monitoring at any time with β..