How to copy and paste on Chromebook

Learning how to copy and paste on Chromebook is one of the first super useful things you’ll want to master on your Chromebook, and any computer. The good news is that the basic way to copy and paste works the same across all different types of Chromebooks, so once you learn it, you’re set. Let’s dive into the simple steps to get you how to copy and paste on Chromebook.

1. Using Keyboard Shortcuts (The Fastest Way)

This is the quickest and most common method, and it works just like on other computers:

• To Copy:
  1. First, select the text or image you want to copy. You can do this by clicking and dragging your mouse over the text, or by tapping and dragging your finger on the touchscreen. For images, just click on them.
  2. Once selected, press and hold the Ctrl key on your keyboard, and while holding it down, press the C key once. This copies the selected item to your Chromebook’s clipboard (a temporary storage space).
• To Paste:
  1. Click in the area where you want to place the copied item. This could be in a document, an email, a website form, etc.
  2. Press and hold the Ctrl key again, and this time press the V key once. The content you copied will now appear in the location you selected.

Example: Let’s say you’re reading a paragraph on a website that you want to include in a Google Doc. Simply highlight the paragraph with your cursor, press Ctrl + C, then go to your Google Doc, click where you want the text to go, and press Ctrl + V.

2. Using the Right-Click

This method uses the context menu that appears when you right-click with a mouse or use the equivalent action on your Chromebook’s trackpad or touchscreen.

• To Copy:
  1. Select the text or image as described above.
  2. Right-click on the selected item.
     • With a mouse: Use the right mouse button.
     • With a trackpad: You can usually right-click by either tapping the trackpad with two fingers at the same time, or by pressing the Alt key while tapping the trackpad with one finger.
     • With a touchscreen: Tap and hold on the selected text or image for a couple of seconds. A menu should pop up.
  3. In the menu that appears, look for and click on Copy.
• To Paste:
  1. Go to the location where you want to paste.
  2. Right-click (or two-finger tap/Alt + tap, or tap and hold on touchscreen) in that area.
  3. In the menu, find and click on Paste.

3. Copying and Pasting Images and Links

The methods above work for text, but here’s how you can specifically handle images and links:

• Images:
  1. Right-click on the image you want to copy.
  2. You’ll usually see options like Copy image or Copy image address.
     • Copy image will copy the image itself, allowing you to paste it into documents or other applications that support images.
     • Copy image address will copy the web address (URL) of the image, which is useful for sharing the image’s location online.
  3. To paste an image you copied, use Ctrl + V or the Paste option in the right-click menu of an application that accepts image input. To paste an image address, use Ctrl + V or Paste in a text field.
• Links:
  1. Right-click on the link you want to copy.
  2. Select Copy link address. This copies the URL of the link.
  3. To paste the link, use Ctrl + V or the Paste option in a text field, like in an email or a chat window.