Suddenly, selected text is copied to clipboard

PopClip
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I started using PopClip a few months ago and find it incredibly useful. I also use ClipboardHistory, one of the numerous clipboard managers available.

When I first started using PopClip I do not remember selected text being automatically copied to the clipboard. My main uses of PopClip are changing capitalization, removing spaces, or adding hyphens. Recently I started noticing my ClipboardHistory being littered with these bits of text that I had applied PopClip actions to.

In another thread Nick implies this is a bug in MacOS (I’m on Catalina). The only update I may have done recently was maybe a security update or something minor, not a system upgrade. Sequential Paste just FASTER! - #4 by nick

I would like for this not to happen if possible, but it’s an annoyance, not a dealbreaker. I could see it being problematic on for someone not using a clipboard manager because it would change the sole contents of the clipboard.

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Are you finding that the selected text is being copied and actually left on the clipboard? Or only appearing in the history?

PopClip uses the clipboard as its way to see what text you have selected oin some apps. Specifically, will get the app to copy, look at the text, then put back the original contents. It all happens in a few milliseconds.

But some clipboard managers are so fast at detecting the changed clipboard, that they show this very brief clipboard change in the history. Normally you don’t notice but having a clipboard manager can make it show up. (Not all clipboard manager are affected, indeed a couple have specifically added a mechanism to make sure it doesn’t happen for PopClip clipboards.)

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Thank you for that explanation – it explains a lot. And yes, the contents of the clipboard are changed.

I use ClipboardHistory by Agile Route. I tried adding PopClip to its ignored apps list, and restarted CH, but it still happens. No doubt because CH is only looking at the frontmost app for its exclusion list.

I don’t see PopClip putting back the original contents of the clipboard, if that’s what you meant. Experimentally, I quit ClipboardHistory and then applied PopClip to some selected text. It still copied it to the clipboard, without doing an explicit Copy command. So it doesn’t appear to be Clipboard-History-specific. I experimented in Mail, TextEdit, and Safari (under Catalina).

Did I misunderstand what you meant about PopClip restoring the contents of the clipboard?

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I just ran across this discussion from last year.

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It sounds like you are experiencing a bug rather than the expected behaviour. When I’ve debugged this in the past, PopClip is trying to put back the contents but the macOS clipboard for some reason does not accept the update. It has only happened to me once or twice in the last 10 years or so, so I’ve never been able to reliably reproduce the fault to debug it. And then, usually it goes away again quite quickly. Very frustrating. Does the problem persist past reboots?

BTW Clipboard History is one of the clipbpoard managers that does work well with PopClip (when it’s all behaving itself).

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I feel so special!

I think it does persist past reboots, because I started noticing it a week or two ago. But I’ll try a reboot and see, because I wasn’t paying close enough attention and I don’t reboot that often.

Thanks for the reply. You’re very attentive :slight_smile:

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@nick I am also experiencing this problem with Paste app , popclip automatically copying selected texts to clipboard so in Paste app clipboard history .Its too annoying as being scholar i need to work upon several texts daily. Paste History daily getting filled with 100s of selected texts. I tried adding POPCLIP in ignored apps list but no avail.
Please HELP ! sir
Thanks

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Hi @Genxster , thanks for reporting this.

Previously, PopClip has been compatible with Paste, because the Paste developers made a change in their app especially to be compatible.

Can you tell me the following info:

PopClip version:
Paste version:
Name of app selecting text in:

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To avoid the annoyance when this happens, either turn PopClip auto-appear off completely (i.e. turn OFF in settings) or add the app where the problem happens (not Paste, but the app you’re using text in) to PopClip’s Excluded Apps list. Then, use PopClip’s keyboard shortcut to make PopClip appear only when you want it.

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Hi, @nick thanks for reply.
PopClip version : 2023.7
Paste version: 3.1.5
Application : Almost everyone like Word, Firefox
I am on catalina so i can not upgrade Paste app i think.

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I think using shortcut for popclip defeat the half purpose of using it. I already have tons of keyboard shortcut mapped , i am not comfortable with shortcuts every time . but as you said if it can not be solved then i may use it very less at last indeed.
Thanks & Regards

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I tried it on the latest Paste 4, and it worked OK. And like I mentioned, Paste has been designed specifically to avoid the problem, including version 3, which you have.

There’s nothing I can offer for Word (apart from adding it to the PopClip excluded apps list) but in Firefox:

  1. Type about:config in Firefox address bar.
  2. Set the value of accessibility.force_disabled to -1.

This will allow PopClip use the Accessibility API to read the text and avoid meeting with the clipboard.

Beyond that I can suggest quit and restart both PopClip and Paste, and also try a full reboot, which sometimes help.

I know what you mean about keyboard shortcuts (which is why PopClip only has one to remember… and for years, it had none at all, but it seemed to be necessary for these sort of cases).

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Thanks sir , will try the above recommendations . BTW it has been very useful for scholar persons like me .

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4 posts were split to a new topic: Pasting with ⌘V sometimes pastes current selection

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Hello team, any update on this issue?
I had to stop using PopClip because this auto-copying bug was driving me insane :pensive_face:

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There seem to be more than one issue in this thread so it’s hard for me to comment on particular issue.

However please don’t assume I haven’t already done eveything I can. Some glitches just can’t be fixed because of complex interactions with the apps & macos ecosystem.

First of all ensure you are using the latest version of PopClip (either 2024.12 or latest beta)

Whenever there is any compatibility issue like this, I recommend to use PopClip with Auto-appear turned off — either completely, or just in any apps that exhibit a problem — and use the keyboard shortcut to activate it.

If you have a particular issue with reproducible steps please either start a new topic or email me support@pilotmoon.com including version numbers of eveything and detailed reproduction steps. Thank you!

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@djonathan I split the topic onto two treads since two different issues. Other one is Pasting with ⌘V sometimes pastes current selection

Which one was yours? :sweat_smile:

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I think it may be the combination between both :thinking:
Sometimes when I copy something and select the text before pasting it, the selected text will be copied to the clipboard and pasted.

Example:

  • Copy “TEXT_A”;
  • Go to the text editor (usually vscode);
  • Select the existing text on the code editor “TEXT_B”;
  • Command + V to paste;
    Expected result: Paste the “TEXT_A”
    Current result: It will paste “TEXT_B”

Notice I’m using the Paste app which may be conflicting with PopClip.

This won’t occur everytime as ptuchik detailed here. It seems to be random…

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Thanks, and can you confirm PopClip version please? Just because there was a fix in that improved this a bit 2024.12 and some people are still on 2023.9 because they don’t know about moving off the MAS.

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It’s PopClip 2024.12 (4688) Setapp Edition