- To paste as plain text with any app on Windows 11, open “PowerToys” and enable the “Paste As Plain Text” feature, then use the “Windows key + Ctrl + V” keyboard shortcut to paste it as plain text.
On Windows 11, you can now paste as plain text (without the original formatting of the content) from the clipboard to any application with a quick shortcut, and in this guide, you will learn how.
Although you can cut and paste content and then clear the text formatting using the commands available in the application, this adds some extra steps to the process. However, if you have to paste text without any formatting frequently, you can use a new shortcut to paste as plain text available with the PowerToys app.
PowerToys is a Microsoft application that allows you to enhance the functionalities of Windows 11, and in this case, you can enable a keyboard shortcut to paste content in the clipboard as plain text.
This guide will teach you the steps to paste clipboard content as plain text on Windows 11.
Paste as plain text on Windows 11
If you don’t have PowerToys, you first need to install the application from the Microsoft Store, or you can also use the winget install --id Microsoft.PowerToys command to install the app from Command Prompt.
To enable the keyboard shortcut to paste as plain text on Windows 11, use these steps:
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Open PowerToys on Windows 11.
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Click on Paste As Plain Text.
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Turn on the “Enable Paste As Plain Text” toggle switch.
Once you complete the steps, the next time you copy formatted text to the clipboard, you can use the “Windows key + Ctrl + V” keyboard shortcut to paste it as plain text.
If you prefer to use a different combo of keys, under the “Shortcut” section, click the “Edit” (pencil) button, and configure a different shortcut.
The PowerToys app also allows you to remap virtually any key or shortcut on Windows 11. You can use these instructions to learn how.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].