With keyboard tools like Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V, it’s easy to learn how to copy and paste on a Chromebook, just like on a Mac or Windows PC. But here at EveryReview, we believe in giving you a full guide that covers more than just the basics. Aside from the usual keyboard shortcuts, we’ll also look at how to use your mouse and touchpad, as well as what third-party apps can do. Come with us as we look at the different ways you can easily copy and paste on your Chromebook. This will make your work go more smoothly and quickly.
Table of Contents
Copying a piece of text
You can copy and paste text on a Chromebook in the same way you do on a macOS or Windows computer. There are three easy steps to the process:
Picking Out Text
Tap and hold with one finger on a touchscreen while dragging the mouse over the text you want to highlight. Let go of both fingers to highlight the text.
Press down on the button with the mouse to make a box around the word, and then let go of the button.
Making a Copy of Text
Hold down the Ctrl and C keys at the same time. There are other ways to copy, such as right-clicking with the mouse to bring up a menu and selecting “Copy,” tapping the touchpad while holding down the Alt key, or using two fingers to touch the pad.
Putting Text In
Press Ctrl and V at the same time and click in the place where you want to paste the text. You could also right-click with the mouse to bring up a menu and choose “Paste,” hold down the Alt key and tap the touchpad, or use two fingers to tap the touchpad.
Note that the copied text stays on the clipboard until you press Ctrl + C again. This lets you paste more than once. But Chrome OS doesn’t save text layout, so you might need to make changes to get the style you want.
Getting pictures and movies
It’s easy to copy pictures and videos on a Chromebook, whether it’s a funny cat joke or a URL that you want to share. Here is a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Pick out the picture or video
Move the mouse over the picture or movie you want to download and right-click on it. On Chromebooks, press and hold the Alt key and tap the screen with one finger, or tap it with two fingers.
Step 2: Making a copy of a picture or video
From the pop-up menu, choose “Copy image” or “Copy image address” to copy a picture. The URL can be useful in some situations, but usually it’s better to just copy the picture itself.
A pop-up choice will appear. Choose “Copy video URL” “Copy embed code”, or “Copy video URL at current time” to copy the video. Some jobs can be done with the URL and embed code, but sharing the video is easy enough with just the URL.
Step 3: Paste the copied text
Hold down Ctrl and V at the same time and click where you want to paste the saved text. You can also right-click with the mouse and select “Paste” from the menu that appears, hold down the Alt key and tap the touchpad, or use two fingers to tap the touchpad.
Note: If you click on a thumbnail or a linked image, you might see a choice to “Copy link address,” which will take you to the website that hosts the image. There are times when you can copy both the thumbnail and its URL. Before you copy, make sure the original source lets you.
To copy a whole web page
The following steps can help you get the whole text of a web page, including headers, buttons, and other web elements: This way copies everything, but the layout might not be kept.
You might want to use the screenshot function to get a full picture of the page.
Step 1: Picking out the whole web page
Press Ctrl and A at the same time as clicking anywhere on the page (not on a picture). Everything on the page is highlighted when you press this key combination.
Step 2: Copying the Content You Chosen
Hold down Ctrl and C at the same time to copy everything that is underlined.
Step 3: Paste the copied text
Hold down Ctrl and V at the same time and click where you want to paste the saved text. You can also right-click with the mouse and select “Paste” from the menu that appears, hold down the Alt key and tap the touchpad, or use two fingers to tap the touchpad.
Note: Chrome’s large library of apps has useful tools for people who want more advanced copy-and-paste features. These add-ons can help with copying and pasting problems that native tools might not always be able to solve easily. Check out the different ways you can improve the way you copy and paste in Chrome.
FAQs
1. On a Chromebook, how do you copy and paste files?
- Moving and copying folders and files
- To copy a file or folder, click on it.
- Press Ctrl + C to copy or Ctrl + X to cut (move) after making your choice.
- Pick out the spot where you want to put the copied file or folder.
- To paste, press Ctrl + V once you get there.
2. On a Chromebook, what does Ctrl Alt Z do?
You can turn the screen reading on or off.
Press Ctrl + Alt + z from any page to turn ChromeVox on or off. For tablets, hold down the Volume down button and the Volume up button for 5 seconds.
3. How do I use Ctrl + W?
Press Ctrl+W to close the open page. Ctrl+X Cuts the words you’ve chosen. Ctrl+Y Undo the last thing you did. Ctrl+Z undos the last thing you did.