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Windows users have "Win + V" for clipboard history since 2018. Mac users? Nothing built-in. ClipFlow fixes that for Mac.

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ClipFlow 📋

The clipboard history manager that macOS should have built-in

Windows users have Win + V for clipboard history since 2018. Mac users? Nothing built-in. ClipFlow fixes that for Mac.

💡 Note: This app is primarily for macOS users. Windows users already have Win + V built-in!

Platform Swift License

📸 Screenshots

Popup UI Menu Bar
ClipFlow Popup ClipFlow Menu Bar

📥 Installation

Option 1: Download DMG (Easiest)

  1. Download ClipFlow-1.0.0.dmg from Releases
  2. Open the DMG and drag ClipFlow.app to Applications
  3. Open ClipFlow and grant Accessibility permissions

Option 2: Homebrew

brew tap praneeth552/clipflow
brew install --cask clipflow

Option 3: Build from Source

git clone https://github.com/praneeth552/clipflow.git
cd clipflow/ClipFlowApp
./build.sh

⚠️ First Launch (Important!)

Since ClipFlow is not notarized (requires $99/year Apple Developer account), macOS will show a warning:

"ClipFlow can't be opened because it is from an unidentified developer"

To bypass this (one-time only):

  1. Right-click on ClipFlow.app → Open
  2. Click Open in the dialog

Or via System Settings:

  1. Open System SettingsPrivacy & Security
  2. Scroll down and click Open Anyway next to ClipFlow

🔐 Grant Accessibility Permissions

ClipFlow needs Accessibility access for global hotkeys:

  1. System SettingsPrivacy & SecurityAccessibility
  2. Click + and add ClipFlow.app
  3. Toggle ON

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Cmd + Shift + V Open clipboard history
Go to older item (like terminal)
Go to newer item
Enter Paste selected item
Esc Cancel
Release Cmd Paste selected item

✨ Features

  • 📋 Clipboard History - Saves last 50 copies (text + images)
  • ⌨️ Terminal-style Navigation - Use ↑↓ like shell history
  • 🖼️ Image Previews - See thumbnails in popup
  • 🎯 Cursor-following - Popup appears at your mouse
  • 🔄 Dynamic Resize - Smooth animations
  • 🖥️ Multi-Monitor - Works across displays
  • 🚫 Non-focusable - Doesn't interrupt typing

📦 Building

Requirements

  • macOS 12+
  • Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install)

Build Commands

cd ClipFlowApp

# Quick compile (development)
swiftc -o ClipFlow ClipFlowApp.swift -framework AppKit -framework Carbon

# Full build with .app bundle and DMG
./build.sh

Output

build/
├── ClipFlow.app      # Application bundle
└── ClipFlow-1.0.0.dmg # Installer for distribution

🔐 Privacy & Security

ClipFlow is 100% transparent and trustworthy:

Privacy Feature Status
Open Source ✅ All code visible on GitHub
Network Access ✅ Zero internet connections, ever
Analytics ✅ No tracking, no telemetry
Data Storage ✅ Local only - never leaves your Mac
Persistence ✅ History clears when app quits

Why the "unidentified developer" warning?

Apple's notarization requires a $99/year Developer account. ClipFlow is free and open source, so we don't pay this fee.

The warning does NOT mean the app is dangerous. You can:

  • 📖 Verify the code yourself - it's all on GitHub
  • 🔨 Build from source if you prefer: ./build.sh
  • Right-click → Open to bypass the warning (one-time)

💡 Many popular open source Mac apps (like Rectangle, MonitorControl, etc.) also show this warning. It's normal for indie/open source software!


🗺️ Roadmap

  • Persistent history (survives restarts)
  • Configurable max history size
  • Keyboard shortcut customization
  • Search through history
  • Pin favorite items

📄 License

MIT License - Use, modify, and distribute freely!


Made with ❤️ for Mac users who deserve proper clipboard history

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Windows users have "Win + V" for clipboard history since 2018. Mac users? Nothing built-in. ClipFlow fixes that for Mac.

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