It should come as no surprise that as time has passed everyone by, Chromebooks have progressed and become true productivity machines. And while these devices give us a lot of functionality that you won’t find elsewhere, you’ll likely want to know how to do some of the more basic tasks. One such task that is performed a plethora of times per day is to simply copy and paste text or other items from one place to another. Here’s how you can do so right from your Chromebook.
How to copy and paste with the touchscreen
Locate the text that you wish to copy and paste.
Double-tap the screen on the text that you wish to copy.
Drag the highlight handles to highlight all of the text you want to copy.
From the pop-up menu, tap Copy.
Navigate to the area where you wish to paste the text.
Tap and hold in the space where you wish to paste.
Tap Paste from the menu that appears.
Using the touchscreen on your Chromebook can be a bit finicky from time to time. For example, we have accidentally triggered the copy/paste menu without selecting all of the text that we were trying to. So if that’s the case, you might want to use a stylus or switch to the keyboard on your Chromebook.
How to copy and paste with a keyboard
Using the trackpad, place your cursor over the first word that you wish to copy.
Drag the cursor to highlight until the end of the phrase you are copying.
Press Ctrl + C on your keyboard.
Open the new application that you wish to paste the copied text into.
Click your cursor into the new document.
Press Ctrl + V on your keyboard.
Keyboard shortcuts are a real lifesaver, regardless of whether you’re using a Chromebook or something like a Windows PC or Mac. Ctrl+C / Ctrl + V are likely the two keyboard combinations you’ll find yourself using on a daily basis.
How to copy and paste with a mouse/trackpad
Using the trackpad, place your cursor over the first word that you wish to copy.
Drag the cursor to the end of the phrase you are copying.
Right-click (tap the trackpad with two fingers) to reveal the context menu.
Tap Copy from the contextual menu.
Open the new application that you wish to paste the copied text into.
Right-click (tap the trackpad with two fingers) to reveal the context menu.
Tap Paste from the menu.
If you want to paste without formatting, select Paste without formatting
How to copy and paste an entire document or webpage
If on a document or webpage, press Ctrl + A on your keyboard. (This can also be done by dragging your cursor from the top of the page to the bottom and pressing Ctrl + C.)
Open the blank document.
From the new document, press Ctrl + V on your keyboard.
Being able to copy and paste an entire document or webpage can really come in handy, especially if you need to move a boatload of text from one app to another. Let copy and paste become your ally, and you’ll get work done so much faster than before.
The best Chromebook
Lenovo Chromebook C340 (11″)
$320 at Lenovo
$320 at Amazon
$259 at Walmart
Best all-around package
The Lenovo C340 sports a 2-in-1 convertible design, is ultra-lightweight, and is perfect for getting some work done or sitting back and relaxing.
