Step 1 — Download and install
You have two ways to get Maccy, and they're the same app:
- Direct download from the official site — drag Maccy into your Applications folder.
- Mac App Store — a paid listing that funds development; updates are handled by the OS.
Either is fine. Grab it from the download page, move it to Applications, and launch it. Maccy lives in the menu bar — there's no Dock window to manage.
Maccy runs on Intel and Apple Silicon. For the newest release you'll want a recent macOS (Sonoma 14 or later).
Step 2 — Grant the one permission it needs
To paste directly into other apps, Maccy needs Accessibility access. On first run macOS will prompt you; if not, open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility and switch Maccy on. That's the only system permission required, and it's what lets pressing Return actually paste the selected item.
If pasting doesn't work after install, this toggle is almost always the reason. Turn it off and on again, then relaunch Maccy.
Step 3 — The four settings worth changing first
Open Maccy's preferences and set these up front:
- Launch at login — so your history is always building.
- History size — bump it up if you copy a lot; lower it if you're privacy-conscious.
- Popup hotkey — the default is ⇧ + ⌘ + C. Change it if it clashes with another app.
- Paste automatically / plain text — decide whether Return pastes immediately and whether to strip formatting.
Step 4 — Your first recall
Copy a few things. Then press ⇧ + ⌘ + C, start typing to filter the list, and hit Return to paste the highlighted item. Once it's muscle memory, paste the most recent items by number with ⌘ + 1 through ⌘ + 9. Pin anything you reuse so it stays at the top.
Get Maccy and follow along
Free, open source, native. Install it in under a minute and configure as you read.
Frequently asked questions
Is Maccy hard to set up?
No — install, grant Accessibility access, and you're done. The four optional settings above just tailor it to your habits.
Why does Maccy need Accessibility access?
So it can paste the item you pick straight into the app you're using. Without it, Maccy can still store history but can't auto-paste.
Does Maccy start automatically?
Only if you enable “launch at login” in preferences — which we recommend, so your history is always available.
Direct download or Mac App Store?
Same app. Direct download is free; the App Store version is a paid way to support development with OS-managed updates.