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Copy-Paste is probably one of the most common things people do while using a computer. Normally, you can only paste the most recently copied thing. But clipboard managers solve that, allowing you to recall loads of previously copied items for pasting.
In years past, I’ve used iClip for my clipboard manager. It stays out of the way, lives off at the side of the screen, and generally does all the things I ask of it. But it has one problem: it’s a 32-bit app. 32-bit apps won’t run on macOS 10.15. It hasn’t seen an update in a few years.
To be completely fair: it’s a great app, and it’s not anyone’s fault that it needs updates in order to run on the 10.15 coming version of macOS. But one of the things I want to do is make sure that I’m ready with 64-bit applications when macOS 10.15 is released.
That’s why I was so glad when I came across Pasta this morning. Pasta is a different interpretation of what a clipboard manager can be. It still copies all the items I’d want (images, text, links, etc.) but it does some things a little smarter.
Its interface is a larger window, with copied items available in columns and rows configurable in the app’s preferences. There’s a sidebar, with the names of the applications you were in when you copied an item. This makes it easier to filter and search for items. Or, you know, just use the Search field at the top and type something close to what you had copied, and it will filter the clips to show just the related things.
Equally cool is being able to type “image” and have it show only image clips. I mean, you could click on Image under Filter By Type in the sidebar, but it’s pretty neat knowing that it works from the search field as well.
A few things that makes Pasta truly stand out. First, it’s intended to store unlimited clips. The free version available in the Mac App Store stores 20 clips. Upgrading to the full version for $11.99 stores unlimited clips.
It supports dark mode on macOS Mojave. It works with the Touch Bar on Touch Bar MacBook Pros. You can sort clips into collections.
The other thing to know is how it handles passwords. If you copy and paste a password from a password manager like 1Password, Pasta will obfuscate it on screen and will encrypt it when saved to disk.
It’s easy to say that clipboard managers are a solved problem, and that people don’t need to spend time re-inventing them. That’s a mistake. Clearly, there was a need, and I’m really pleased with how this one has turned out so far. It’s rapidly becoming one of the first apps I’ll install on a fresh Mac. Check it out on the Mac App Store or getpasta.com.
