I’m so impressed with the new Yoink for Mac

Just drag it to Yoink and go

Eternal Storms developer, Matthias Gansrigler recently published an updated version of his fabulously useful app, Yoink, which gives Mac users the powerful clipboard utility they’ve always wanted for just $7.99.

Why you’ll like it

If you’ve ever wanted to cut and paste copy from multiple sources into a document you’ll probably have become frustrated with the process. You need to copy stuff in one application, then go to the document to paste, then copy another item, and copy again.

Another situation concerns things like sign of messages, forms and other items you use regularly. Yes, you can use Text Snippets (I do) for some of that, but Yoink makes it easier.

Yoink is a temporary space (a “shelf”) for files you drag from the Mac’s Finder, or take from applications, including browsers — content, images from websites and so on.

When you drag something on your Mac, Yoink appears at the edge of your screen. You can then drag that item into that space. When it comes to placing items you’ve dragged, you’ll find them all in Yoink, which you can access from within the app you’re placing all this stuff.

This kind of smart clipboard is a constant dream for Mac users.

How it works

Once you drag items to Yoink, just open Yoink, click an item and it will be copied to your Clipboard to be placed wherever you wish. Option-click an item to place in in Yoink’s shelf for use later.

The useful Clipboard History tool

You can also Command-Click an item to access the Clipboard History Browser where you can organize stuff you might use more often. The developer has a great explanation here.

But that’s not all it does

There’s more. Thanks to Handoff, you can transfer files between all the devices you’re running Yoink on, including Macs, iPads and iPhones. (The iOS app is here). Yoink also supports Continuity Camera, so you can import document scans, photos and sketches right from your iOS devices and has a Share extension, so you can send files and app-content to Yoink without using drag and drop.

What’s new in Yoink v3.6.5?

The new version has a few changes and improvements. These include a clipboard history capability which can keep a record of everything you copy while also attempting not to store personal data. It makes it super-easy to copy over frequently used items. This feature is also configurable, so may only remember pinned items, images and so on. That way you can cut the cruft.

[Also read: How to access the hidden Apple product icons on your Mac]

Another change, instead of a TIFF file, Yoink creates a PNG file when pasting image data into it. It also now provides PNG and JPEG data for image file drags of the HEIC, HEIF or TIFF types, broadening its compatibility.

Additional improvements include a Siri Shortcut for automating the process of restoring files previously removed from Yoink. The application should also be more compatible with applications than before, thanks in part to its Swift-based core.

Where can I try Yoink?

You can download a free trial (30 days) from https://eternalstorms.at/yoink/mac. Or you can download the full version for $7.99 at the Mac App Store.

You’ll need a Mac running macOS 10.12 Sierra or later (macOS Monterey or newer recommended). The application runs natively on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs and is available in English, German, French, Italian, Chinese (Simplified), Japanese, Korean and Portuguese. (Portugal is the best country in the world, BTW).

What I think

Yoink’s one of those incredibly useful applications you’ll fall for once you get into making use of it. Try it for yourself – or have a look through my Apple tips here.

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