Microsoft Word gets paste as plain text shortcut

• Microsoft Word update brings paste as plain text shortcut support.
• The update enables the “Ctrl + Shift + V” shortcut on Windows 11 and 10.
• And the “Cmd + Shift + V” shortcut for macOS.
• The keyboard shortcut is in preview, but it’ll roll out soon to users.

Microsoft is finally updating its Word app with a new shortcut to allow users to paste the clipboard content as plain text. Although the ability to paste text only has been available on the Microsoft Word app for a long time, the option was only available from the ribbon or context menu when most other applications also have a keyboard shortcut.

You can even configure the app to always paste as plain text, but the keyboard shortcut was never an option. However, according to Microsoft’s Jennifer Gentleman, the company is in the process of updating the word processing app to enable the “Ctrl + Shift + V” keyboard shortcut to paste as plain text in Word for Windows 11 and 10 users. Also, macOS users will have this shortcut using the “Cmd + Shift + V” keyboard shortcut.

The Plain Text Only keyboard shortcut is currently available for those users enrolled in the Insider preview program of Microsoft 365 Home and Business Standard.

Once the Word app receives the update, you can select and copy the text using the mouse or the “Ctrl + C” keyboard shortcut from another document or another application, and then, you can use the “Ctrl + Shift + V” keyboard shortcut to paste as plain text in Word.

Although this is a minor update, it will save some extra steps for those who spend countless hours on Microsoft Word.

You can use the PowerToys app to bring the “Ctrl + Shift + V” keyboard shortcut to other apps that don’t support the feature. Interestingly enough, the PowerToys option doesn’t work in Microsoft Word.

If you want to try the new feature, you must be running Microsoft Word version 16.0.15831.20174 or higher on Windows 11 or, in macOS, version 16.67.1113.0 or higher.