4 Quick Ways to Cut and Paste Text on Any Device

Cut and paste is similar to copy and paste, except "cut" removes the copied text from the original source. This makes it easy to move text and files without the extra step of deleting them. Here's how to cut and paste on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers, iPhone, iPad, and Android.

Things You Should Know

Cut and paste is similar to copy and paste, but "cut" deletes copied text from its original position.
To cut on a computer, highlight the text, and press "Ctrl" + "X" (PC) or "Cmd" + "X" (Mac).
Navigate to a new location, and paste with "Ctrl" + "V" (PC) or "Cmd" + "V" (Mac).

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

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1
Select the text you want to cut and paste. Click and drag the cursor from the beginning of the text to the end of the text to highlight it.
- To select all the text on the page, press Ctrl + A (PC) or Cmd + A (Mac).
- You can also cut and paste files on your computer. Click a file to select it, or hold the Ctrl/Cmd key and click to select multiple files.
- This method works on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
This is the Cut keyboard shortcut. The text or file(s) will be deleted from the original source and copied to your computer's clipboard.^{[1]
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3
Navigate to where you want to paste. This could be a Microsoft Word or Google Docs document or another place. Place the cursor in the text field.
- If you're pasting a file, make sure the location's folder is open.
This is the Paste keyboard shortcut. The text or file(s) will be pasted into the new location.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Right-Click

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1
Select the text you want to cut and paste. Click and drag the cursor from the beginning of the text to the end of the text to highlight it.
- You can also cut and paste files on your computer. Click a file to select it.
- This method works on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
To right-click on a Mac, press Control and then click to open the menu.
3
Click Cut. This will be in the drop-down menu. In most cases, this will be next to a scissors icon.
- The text or file(s) will be deleted from the original source and copied to your computer's clipboard.
If you're pasting text, place the cursor where you want the text to be pasted. If you are pasting files, open the location of where you want to paste.
The text or file(s) will be pasted into the new location.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Menu Options

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1
Select the text you want to cut and paste. Click and drag the cursor from the beginning of the text to the end of the text to highlight it.
- This method works on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers.
2
Click the Edit menu. This may not be available in all programs, or may be found under different menus. For example:
- In Google Docs, it can be found in the top toolbar.
- In Microsoft Word, this will be in the Home tab, in the Clipboard section.
The text will be deleted from the original source and copied to your computer's clipboard.
If you are pasting text, place the cursor where you want the text.
5
Select Paste. This will be in the same menu you used to select Cut.
- The text will be pasted into the new location.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using Mobile

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1
Select the text you want to cut and paste. Tap the text, and then use the circles to extend the selection until all the text is highlighted.
- This method works on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices.
2
Tap the highlighted text. This will bring up the text options.
- With some devices, such as iPhone and iPad, the text options menu will open automatically after text is highlighted. In this case, skip this step.
The text will be deleted from the original source and copied to your device's clipboard.
Make sure the cursor is placed where you want the text.
Tapping the cursor will open the text options menu again. The text will be pasted into the new location.

Community Q&A

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Question

How do you cut and paste a multiple-page document for an email?

Community Answer

Press ctrl + a and ctrl + c to copy all of it, and ctrl + v to paste. Or you could send the document over to Dropbox or Google Drive.

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How do I cut and paste a website?

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Community Answer

If you want to copy the whole website, press CTRL+A and then copy it by pressing CTRL+C. Then hit CTRL+V to paste it.

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How do I cut and paste on my iPhone?

Community Answer

Press the word and hold your finger there. After a while, the text you wish to copy/cut will be highlighted. Use the sliders at the side to adjust how much you want to be highlighted. Release your finger. There should be a word 'cut,' 'copy,' or scissors icon above. Click it, and it is copied onto your clipboard. To paste, press and hold on a text area, then release your finger. Select the pop up that says 'paste.'

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Tips

If you need to undo an action, you can use the Undo feature. This is usually at the top of the Edit Menu, or one of the first options under the right-click menu. The Windows shortcut is Ctrl+Z. The Mac shortcut is ⌘ Command+Z

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Warnings

Do not cut more than once without pasting. Unlike the copy function that duplicates the selected text or image, the cut function removes it from the document. Although there may be exceptions within a Windows clipboard, in general, cutting more text or another image will erase the previous selection.

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