How many clips does ClipHistory store on Mac?

ClipHistory stores up to 150 unpinned clips automatically, plus unlimited pinned clips. Pin important snippets and they stay forever. When you hit 150 unpinned items, the oldest unpinned clip is removed.

Can ClipHistory sync my clipboard history to the cloud or to other devices?

No. ClipHistory is 100% local and runs entirely on your Mac. There's no cloud sync, no accounts, and no team sharing. Your clipboard history never leaves your machine, which is critical for privacy when copying API keys and credentials.

Does ClipHistory work with VS Code?

Yes. ClipHistory is a system-level clipboard manager for macOS, so it captures everything you copy—including from VS Code. Press ⌘⇧V to search your history, and paste directly into VS Code or any app. It works universally across macOS.

Can I use my own AI API keys for transforms, or do I have to use ClipHistory's service?

You bring your own API keys. ClipHistory supports 5 providers: Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google, and Custom. Add your key once, then summarize, translate, rewrite, and clean clips privately. No vendor lock-in, no per-transform charges, and your content never leaves your Mac unless you explicitly send it to your chosen AI provider.

Clipboard History for VS Code on Mac: A Developer's Guide to ClipHistory

If you're a macOS developer working in VS Code, you've probably experienced that moment: you copy a code snippet, switch contexts three times, and then realize you can't find it anymore. Your clipboard can only hold one item at a time, and it disappears the moment you restart your machine.

This is where clipboard history becomes essential for modern development workflows.

Why VS Code Developers on Mac Need Clipboard History

VS Code developers juggle multiple clipboard items constantly. You're copying:

API endpoints and configuration values
Error messages and stack traces
Code snippets from Stack Overflow or documentation
Color hex codes for UI work
Email addresses, phone numbers, and URLs
Regex patterns and SQL queries

Without a clipboard manager, each copy operation overwrites the previous one. You lose the URL you copied five minutes ago. You have to re-search for that regex pattern. Developer productivity takes a hit.

A clipboard history tool solves this by storing everything you copy—up to 150 items for unpinned clips—and making them instantly retrievable with a keyboard shortcut.

What Makes a Good Clipboard Manager for Developers

The best clipboard history tool for VS Code developers on Mac should:

Be lightning-fast: Keyboard shortcut access (⌘⇧V) beats clicking through menus
Detect content type automatically: Recognize code, URLs, emails, colors, phone numbers, and images without manual tagging
Support search: Find that API key or function name you copied last week in seconds
Allow pinning: Mark important snippets so they never get auto-deleted
Run entirely local: No cloud accounts, no syncing delays, no privacy concerns with sensitive credentials
Transform text with AI: Summarize docs, rewrite code comments, translate snippets—without uploading to someone else's servers

ClipHistory: Purpose-Built for macOS Developers

ClipHistory is a native macOS clipboard manager designed specifically for developers' workflows. Here's what sets it apart:

Lightning-Fast Access with ⌘⇧V

Press ⌘⇧V and your clipboard history appears instantly—no loading, no delays. Search by typing a few characters. Pin items you'll reuse. Paste with a single keystroke. It's designed for muscle memory.

Intelligent Content Detection

ClipHistory automatically detects what you're copying:

Code snippets appear as code
URLs are clickable
Email addresses are formatted
Color hex codes show a preview swatch
Phone numbers are recognized
Images display thumbnails

This means you can visually scan your clipboard history and find what you need without opening everything.

Unlimited Pinned Clips + 150 Unpinned

Store your most important snippets forever with unlimited pinning. ClipHistory keeps 150 unpinned clips before auto-rotating, giving you substantial history without bloating your Mac.

AI-Powered Text Transformation

Copy a verbose API response? Summarize it with one click. Need to translate a code comment? Rewrite a Git commit message? Clean up messy JSON? ClipHistory's AI Transforms work on any clip:

Summarize: Condense documentation and long responses
Translate: Convert text between languages
Rewrite: Improve clarity and tone
Clean: Format messy data

Choose from 5 AI providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Google, or Custom) and bring your own API keys. No vendor lock-in. 100% local processing—your sensitive code and credentials never leave your Mac.

Zero Cloud, Zero Accounts

Everything stays on your machine. No cloud storage. No account creation. No telemetry. Your clipboard history is genuinely private—important when you're copying API keys, database credentials, or proprietary code.

Custom Boards and Paste Stack

Organize clips into custom boards for different projects. Use Paste Stack to replay a sequence of pastes without manual copy-paste repetition.

ClipHistory vs. Alternatives for VS Code Developers

vs. Paste: Paste requires a paid account and cloud syncing. ClipHistory is a one-time $19.99 purchase, entirely local.

vs. Maccy: Maccy is free but lacks AI transforms, doesn't detect content types, and has no pinning for unlimited storage.

vs. Alfred: Alfred's clipboard features are powerful but buried in its paid Powerpack tier. ClipHistory focuses specifically on clipboard history as its core feature.

vs. Raycast: Raycast requires a subscription and syncs to their cloud. ClipHistory has no recurring fees and no cloud.

vs. Pastebot: Pastebot is iOS-focused with limited macOS support. ClipHistory is macOS-native and universal (Apple Silicon and Intel).

For VS Code developers on Mac who want privacy, speed, and developer-focused features without monthly bills, ClipHistory is purpose-built.

Getting Started with ClipHistory in 3 Steps

Install: Universal binary for Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, signed and notarized for security
Set your keyboard shortcut: ⌘⇧V (or customize it)
Start copying: Every clip is captured, detected, searchable, and pinnable

Get ClipHistory — $19.99 and retire your broken clipboard forever.

Final Thoughts

Clipboard history isn't a luxury for developers—it's a productivity fundamental. If you're copying more than one thing per week, you need it. ClipHistory brings the speed and intelligence that VS Code developers expect, with a clean native interface and rock-solid privacy. No subscriptions. No accounts. No cloud. Just a $19.99 lifetime license and instant access to everything you've copied.