How to Fix Copy and Paste Not Working in Chrome

Arshmeet has been a tech tinkerer since childhood, but she realized her love for technology and writing about 5 years ago. Since then, she has been honing her skills and helping people figure out how things work, troubleshoot problems, choose the right app and products, and dig deep into the new and old concepts of technology. She is a self-professed Apple Enthusiast who loves debating what’s good and what’s not. It is her passion for finding techniques, hacks, apps, and products that make everyday life simpler.

Note:While the article concentrates on solutions for the Chrome browser, you can use them to fix the issue in any other browser, such as Safari, Firefox, and Edge.

Basic Fixes

Fix 1. Disable Browser Extensions

While we use extensions to make our lives easier, sometimes they can bite us back. Maybe the copy-paste functionality is not working on Chrome because one of the installed extensions hinders it. So, disable all existing extensions and see if it fixes the problem.

Step 1: Click theExtensions iconfrom the top bar →Manage Extensions. Or click the three-line icon→Extensions→Manage extensions.

Step 2: Here,toggle off all extensions.

Now, try to copy and paste something. If Chrome can copy-paste now, it’s obvious that an extension was creating some tension (pun intended).

Next, repeat the steps above and toggle on extensions one by one. Try copying and pasting after each extension is enabled to find the culprit.

Fix 2. Clear the Browser Cache

Maybe the Caches stored or refreshed during your last session went faulty. And now, they are stopping you from copying or pasting in the current session. Clearing Google Chrome’s cache and cookies would help you erase the bug and hopefully fix the issue.

To do so, click thethree-dot iconat the top right → selectClear Browsing data→ check the box forCookes and other site dataandCached image and files→ clickClear data.

Fix 3. Clear the Clipboard Cache and History on Windows

Although rare, a jam-packed clipboard could disable copying and pasting on Chrome or other apps. So, if you’ve turned on clipboard history in your Windows device, clear it out for a fresh start.

The simplest way tocheck and click clipboard historyis to use the keyboard shortcut. Press theWindows icon+V on your keyboard→ clickClear all. Now, try to copy and paste.

Use Alternative Methods to Copy and Paste Text

If none of the above solutions work and you don’t have time to troubleshoot or uninstall/reinstall Chrome, try thesealternative methods to copy and paste text.

1. Copy From the Source Code

One quick way to bypass the error that prevents you from copying is to go to the webpage’s source code.

Step 1: Open the webpage, observe, and memorize one or more words from the text you want to copy. ClickCmd + Option + U(Mac) orCtrl + U(Windows).

Step 2: Here, clickCmd + F(Mac) orCtrl + F(Windows). Type the memorized words.

Step 3: Find the section you want to copy, select the text, and copy and paste (using the keyboard shortcut, mouse, or trackpad).

2. Copy Text From Chrome via Print to PDF

So you’re facing trouble copying text on Chrome browser, but you can do so in other apps. So, why not use the handy Print to PDF function to quickly copy content from the webpage?

Step 1: Open the website andselect the textyou need.Right-clickand selectPrint.

Step 2: In the print support window, select the text again and use the keyboard shortcut or mouse tocopythe content.

If you still can’t copy it, save it as a PDF. Then, open the PDF andcopythe text from it.

Note: You can even save the complete webpage and select the text to copy and paste.

What’s more? If nothing else works, you can take a screenshot of the webpage and use Live Text on Mac to copy-paste text from the image.

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Last updated on 07 August, 2024

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