If you recently made the move to ChromeOS from a Mac or Windows PC, the new keyboard layout can be confusing. One of the first things you probably noticed is that your new Chromebook keyboard doesn't have a Caps Lock key. After that initial shock subsided, you probably started thinking about your beloved keyboard shortcuts. When it comes to keyboard shortcuts, it's hard to find a more important trio than copying, cutting, and pasting. Whether you use your laptop primarily for work or for play, you likely use this functionality daily.

The good news is that copying and pasting information is just as simple on ChromeOS as on Windows or macOS. In this tutorial, we'll take a look at how to copy and paste on a Chromebook, plus a few bonus keyboard tricks for increasing productivity. For those who prefer to use their touchpad or mouse, we also discuss how to copy and paste using this method.

How to copy and paste on a Chromebook

Using a mouse

The easiest way to copy and paste on a Chromebook is to use your touchpad and mouse. In fact, plenty of people prefer using the touchpad or an old-fashioned mouse to get the job done. It's still incredibly easy to copy and paste text using either of these tools on a Chromebook. Here's the full process:

1. Highlight the text you want to copy and paste.
2. Place the cursor over the highlighted text.
3. Tap on the trackpad with two fingers (or right-click using your mouse).Or, hold the Alt button down and then right-click.
4. Select Copy (note you can cut text the same way, just select Cut instead).

   

5. Move the cursor to where you want to paste the text and tap on the trackpad with two fingers (or right-click using your mouse).
6. Select Paste.

   

7. You may also see Paste without formatting. This is helpful when pasting online content into a local document in the Microsoft Word Android app.

That's all there is to it. You can copy and paste text on your Chromebook using keyboard shortcuts, or access these options from the touchpad or mouse. If you want to learn more useful keyboard shortcuts for browsing, navigating, or editing on a Chromebook, check out our full guide to shortcuts on ChromeOS.

With the keyboard

Other than using your mouse or trackpad to copy and paste, you also can use keyboard shortcuts, too. A few of the text editing shortcuts you know from Windows or macOS carry over nicely to ChromeOS. Of those, copy and paste are almost exactly the same. Here's how to copy and paste on a Chromebook with a keyboard shortcut.

1. Use your mouse or trackpad to select and highlight the text you want to copy.
2. With the mouse, click on the first text you want to copy, and then drag it.
3. The words or text you're selecting will turn blue or some other color.
4. If you're in a document, press the Shift key, and use the right and left arrows to select various text.
5. Hit Ctrl + C to copy the text.

   

6. Go to where you want to paste, and then hit Ctrl+ V to paste the text.

That's basic copy and paste, but if you want more, check out our aforementioned guide. These cover various everyday things in ChromeOS, and in the Chrome web browser. For more sweet tips on setting up your Chromebook, see our full ChromeOS settings guide. And, while you're at it, also check out our guide to the best Chromebook keyboards.