Apple Expands Spotlight Clipboard Settings in macOS Tahoe 26.1
Apple quietly added a small but notable enhancement to Spotlight in macOS Tahoe 26.1, which was released on Monday. The update introduces new clipboard history controls for Spotlight, allowing users to decide how long copied items remain accessible in search results.

Previously, Spotlight could optionally retain clipboard contents for up to eight hours, but the latest update expands that flexibility with three options – 30 minutes, 8 hours, or 7 days. There's also a new "Clear Clipboard History" button in System Settings ➝ Spotlight, giving users the ability to manually wipe stored clipboard data without having to wipe Spotlight search history wholesale.
The changes should be welcomed by anyone wanting finer control over how long potentially sensitive information is retained by Spotlight, and it puts the feature more on par with third-party clipboard management apps. Apple did not mention the change in its macOS 26.1 release notes, suggesting it may be just one of several under-the-radar refinements to macOS Tahoe 26.
Popular Stories
Apple today provided the second beta of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming two weeks after the first beta.
Developers can download the macOS Tahoe 26.5 update by opening up the System Settings app, selecting the General category, and then choosing Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is ...
Apple today provided public beta testers with the second releases of upcoming iOS 26.5, iPadOS 26.5, watchOS 26.5, and tvOS 26.5 updates for testing purposes. The public betas come a day after Apple provided the betas to developers.
After signing up for beta testing on Apple's beta site, public beta testers can download the updates using the Software Update section of the Settings app on...
Apple today provided the third beta of an upcoming macOS Tahoe 26.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the update coming a week after the second beta.
Developers can download the macOS Tahoe 26.5 update by opening up the System Settings app, selecting the General category, and then choosing Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is...