Clipboard history for Mac, kept local

Clipboard content can be sensitive, so Peeker leaves history off until you enable it. It ignores concealed and transient pasteboard content and supports best-effort exclusions for apps you choose.

Peeker’s optional Clipboard history captures supported text, links, files, and bounded images, encrypts persisted history locally with a key in macOS Keychain, and lets you search, pin, re-copy, pause, exclude apps, choose retention, or clear entries without replacing your current system Clipboard.

How to use this workflow

  1. 1

    Enable history

    Turn on Clipboard history in Peeker when you want the app to retain supported copies.

  2. 2

    Choose retention

    Select a bounded retention option or keep history for the current session only.

  3. 3

    Copy normally

    Peeker observes supported pasteboard changes while capture is active and the source app is allowed.

  4. 4

    Search and re-copy

    Open Clipboard, filter the list, then choose an entry to place it on the system Clipboard again.

  5. 5

    Clean up

    Pin useful entries, remove individual items, clear unpinned history, or clear everything.

How is Peeker different from Spotlight Clipboard history?

macOS Tahoe 26 includes searchable Clipboard history in Spotlight. Peeker’s distinction is workflow: Clipboard lives beside recent files, chosen folders, Shelf, preview, and file actions in the same panel, and Peeker supports macOS 14 or later.

Choose the system feature if it already fits your workflow. Choose Peeker when you want Clipboard and active file work in one surface with explicit local retention controls.

What privacy controls are available?

Peeker provides pause, retention, clear-on-quit, manual clearing, and best-effort app exclusions. Persisted entries are encrypted locally; Peeker does not upload Clipboard history during ordinary use.

Frequently asked questions

Does Peeker upload Clipboard history?+

No. Clipboard entries remain on the Mac during ordinary use. Licensing and signed update checks do not include Clipboard contents.

Can Peeker ignore password managers or private apps?+

Peeker always ignores concealed and transient pasteboard content and can exclude selected apps on a best-effort basis. No clipboard monitor can promise awareness of every app-specific privacy behavior.

Does deleting Peeker history clear the current Clipboard?+

No. Clearing Peeker’s stored history does not replace the item currently held by the macOS system Clipboard.

Sources and further reading