How to change the default paste to “Match Style” on macOS Tahoe
To set “Paste and Match Style” as your default on macOS Tahoe, navigate to:
System Settings > Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts > App Shortcuts
Add a new shortcut for “All Applications.”
Name the Menu Title exactly Paste and Match Style, and record Command + V as the shortcut.
This override strips unwanted formatting from copied text automatically.
This is the technical detail that makes or breaks the shortcut: the Menu Title must be a character-for-character match of the command found in your app’s ‘Edit’ menu.
- Application: All Applications
- Menu Title:
Paste and Match Style - Keyboard Shortcut:
Command + V
There’s a (paid) app for that
If you’d rather not dig into System Settings, Sindre Sorhus has created an app called Pure Paste that automates this entire workflow.
It sits in your menu bar and clears formatting automatically.
Wrap-up
Once you hit Done, the shortcut is live. Most modern apps will now give you a clean, formatted paste every time you use the standard shortcut. If an app isn’t cooperating, check its Edit menu — some legacy tools use the phrase Paste and Match Formatting instead. If that’s the case, just add a second shortcut for that specific title.
