Jumpcut is a macOS clipboard manager that provides Mac users with quick, intuitive access to their clipboard history, with an interface that stays out of their way. It’s been around for over fifteen years, saving users time and preventing frustration whenever they need to use a phone number, URL, or code snippet that they had just a minute ago. It’s absolutely free and open source under the MIT License.

How to use Jumpcut?

Jumpcut is designed to be simple. Move the Jumpcut application (the one with the pretty scissors icon) to your Applications directory. Launch Jumpcut. A scissors icon will appear in your menu bar. Now whenever you cut or copy a text item, it’ll be added to the “stack” of clippings that Jumpcut has recorded.

To get at a clipping, choose one from under the Jumpcut menu item. Or, set a global hotkey (from the Preferences menu) and begin using Jumpcut via keyboard. (The default value for this hotkey is Control + Option + V.) Typing it will bring up a pop-up bezel, similiar to the application switcher. Hold the modifier keys (Command and Option by default) and use the arrow keys or the non-modifier key (V, by default) to scroll through the stack. (Shift plus the non-modifier key scrolls in reverse. Release all keys to select the clipping, or hit Escape to cancel.

When you’ve selected a clipping, Jumpcut will put it on the pasteboard and attempt to paste it into your application. It does this by mimicking a user typing Command-V. (As such, the first time you run Jumpcut, you’ll be prompted by macOS to give Jumpcut access to type into other programs. If this access is not given or the “Clipping selection pastes” in preference in Jumpcut is unchecked, the clipping will still be put on your pasteboard and you can paste manually. (If you change your mind, you can add Jumpcut in the Accessibility pane of the “Security & Privacy” System Preference manually.) Read more about accessibilty.

Jumpcut remembers the last clipping you selected using the bezel. The next time you bring the bezel up, it will start with that clipping unless it’s scrolled off the stack.