Maccy not working after a macOS update — fix

Fix 1 — Re-grant Accessibility permission

This resolves the large majority of post-update issues. macOS often drops or disables Accessibility access during an upgrade, and without it Maccy can copy but not paste for you.

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility.
2. Find Maccy in the list. If the toggle is off, turn it on.
3. If Maccy is greyed out or behaving oddly, toggle it off and on again, or remove it with the minus button and re-add it with the plus button (point to Maccy in Applications).
4. Quit Maccy completely and relaunch it.

Fix 2 — Update Maccy to the latest version

A new macOS sometimes needs a newer build of any app. Update Maccy via its built-in updater, by running brew upgrade --cask maccy, or by downloading the latest .dmg and replacing the app in Applications. See the install guide if you need the steps.

Fix 3 — Restart and re-check login items

Reboot your Mac (updates can leave services half-loaded), then confirm Maccy is set to launch in System Settings → General → Login Items. If it vanished from the menu bar entirely, see Maccy missing from the menu bar.

Fix 4 — Reinstall cleanly

If it still misbehaves, quit Maccy, move it to the Trash, download a fresh copy, and reinstall. Your history database in ~/Library/Application Support/Maccy is preserved, so you will not lose your clips.

Still stuck?

Work through the full Maccy troubleshooting guide, or check the documentation for permission details specific to the latest macOS.

Why macOS updates break Maccy

Every major macOS update can silently revoke Accessibility permission. This permission is what allows Maccy to paste items into other apps. Without it, Maccy can still capture your clipboard, but pressing Return on a history item does nothing — no paste happens.

This is a macOS security feature, not a Maccy bug. It affects all clipboard managers, password managers, and any app that uses Accessibility to interact with other applications.

The 90-second fix (works for 90% of cases)

1. Open System Settings (⌘ + Space → type “System Settings”)
2. Go to Privacy & Security → Accessibility
3. Find Maccy in the list
4. Toggle the switch off, then immediately back on
5. Quit Maccy: right-click the menu bar icon → Quit
6. Relaunch Maccy from /Applications/Maccy.app
7. Test: copy some text, press ⌘⇧C, select an item, check it pastes

Maccy not in the Accessibility list at all

After a major update, Maccy may be removed from the list entirely (not just toggled off):

1. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility
2. Click the + button at the bottom
3. Navigate to /Applications/ and select Maccy.app
4. Make sure the toggle next to Maccy is on
5. Relaunch Maccy

Maccy shortcut stopped working after update

If Maccy opens but the shortcut doesn’t trigger it, the Accessibility fix above usually resolves this too. If not:

1. Check System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts for conflicts
2. In Maccy Preferences → General, re-enter your preferred shortcut

Maccy missing from menu bar after update

macOS Tahoe changed how menu bar items work. If Maccy launched successfully but isn’t visible:

• Check if it’s hidden by overflow (hold Cmd and rearrange icons)
• On Tahoe: right-click menu bar → Customise to reorder items
• Ensure “Show in menu bar” is checked in Maccy Preferences → General

History was cleared during update

Maccy’s clipboard history is stored in ~/Library/Application Support/Maccy/. macOS updates should never touch this folder. If your history is gone, check:

• Did someone else use the Mac and clear history manually?
• Is Clear on Quit enabled in Maccy Preferences? (This clears history every time Maccy exits)
• Was the Mac migrated to a new user account or clean install?

If Clear on Quit is the cause, disable it in Preferences → History. Your history going forward will persist across restarts.

Completely reset and reinstall (last resort)

# Reset all preferences (does NOT delete history)
defaults delete com.p0deje.Maccy

# Or if you want a complete clean slate (DELETES history):
defaults delete com.p0deje.Maccy
rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Maccy

After resetting, relaunch Maccy and re-grant Accessibility permission.