Maccy History Disappeared After an Update? Here’s Why and How to Get It Back
Quick answer: Maccy history usually vanishes after an update for one of four reasons: the app is reading a different storage location (for example after switching between the App Store and GitHub/Homebrew builds), a data migration failed, “clear history on quit” or a lower item limit is active, or the history was cleared by a shortcut. If the old data still exists on disk or in a Time Machine backup, you can often recover it.
You updated Maccy App, pressed your shortcut, and the list that held last week’s API keys, snippets and half-finished emails is empty. Before assuming the worst, work out which of the following situations you’re in. They look identical from the menu, but they have very different fixes.
Step 1: Stop and preserve what’s on disk
Quit Maccy Mac (menu → Quit). Then, before you change any settings, make a copy of whatever Maccy Clipboard data exists. Every troubleshooting step after this is safer if you have a backup.
Maccy’s storage location depends on which build you run:
| Build | Typical data location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mac App Store (sandboxed) | ~/Library/Containers/org.p0deje.Maccy/Data/Library/Application Support/Maccy/ |
Sandbox container path. |
| GitHub release / Homebrew (non-sandboxed) | ~/Library/Application Support/Maccy/ |
Different folder from the App Store build. |
In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder… (⇧⌘G) and paste each path. If a folder exists and contains files, copy it to your Desktop. Note the modification dates: they tell you when each build last wrote history.
Step 2: Match your symptom to a cause
| What you see | Most likely cause | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Empty list, and it empties again after every restart | Clear history on quit is on | Cause A |
| Only the most recent items remain | History size limit is lower than before | Cause B |
| Everything gone, including pins, right after switching installs | Different storage location | Cause C |
| Everything gone after a major version jump | Failed or skipped data migration | Cause D |
| Old history intact, but new copies don’t appear | Content types or ignore rules | Cause E |
| Cleared at a moment you can’t explain | Clear-history shortcut triggered | Cause F |
Cause A: “Clear history on quit” is enabled
Open Maccy → Settings → General and look for the option that clears history when the app quits. An update restarts Maccy, so if this is on, the update itself wipes the list. Turn it off. Note that there may also be a companion option to clear the system clipboard as well. . This won’t bring back what was cleared, but it stops the loss from repeating.
Cause B: The history size limit changed
Maccy keeps a fixed number of items, and older ones are dropped as new ones arrive. If settings were reset or reduced, the app trims the list down to the new limit. Check the history size in Settings → Storage and raise it. Older items trimmed this way are not recoverable from within the app, but may be in a backup.
Cause C: You’re looking at a different install
This is the most common “disappeared” case, and it’s usually not data loss. If you moved from the App Store build to the GitHub or Homebrew build (or the reverse), the new app reads from a different folder and starts with an empty history. The old data is still sitting in the other location.
- Quit Maccy.
- Compare the two folders from Step 1. The one with files and a recent modification date holds your old history.
- Reinstall the original build, or copy the data files into the new build’s folder while Maccy is quit.
- Run only one build going forward. Having both installed invites exactly this confusion.
Cause D: A migration didn’t carry history across
Maccy has changed its underlying storage between major versions. When the stored data format changes, the app has to convert the old database. If that conversion fails or is skipped, you get a clean, empty history. Signs: it happened right after a major-version upgrade, not a patch release.
What to do: check the project’s release notes and GitHub issues for your version , restore the previous version from your backup, and update only after confirming a migration path. If your old data folder is intact, an older build can usually still open it.
Cause E: History exists, but nothing new is saved
This looks like “history disappeared” but is really “history stopped.” Check:
- Settings → Storage: make sure the content types you need (text, images, files) are enabled.
- Settings → Ignore: check ignored applications, ignored pasteboard types and ignored regular expressions. An overly broad regex can silently drop most of what you copy.
- Remember that password managers deliberately mark their clipboard content as concealed, and Maccy skips it by design. That’s expected behavior, not a bug.
Cause F: You cleared it by accident
Maccy has a “clear history” action with a keyboard shortcut (by default, Option+Command+Delete ). It’s easy to hit by mistake, and an update can leave you with a fresh habit loop of muscle-memory shortcuts. Check the shortcut in the app’s Settings if you want to rebind or avoid it.
Step 3: Try Time Machine
If the folders in Step 1 are empty or missing, Time Machine is your best chance.
- Quit Maccy.
- In Finder, open the folder where the data should be (use ⇧⌘G).
- Enter Time Machine and browse to a date before the update.
- Restore the whole Maccy folder, not individual files, so the database and any companion files stay consistent.
- Relaunch Maccy.
Library folders can be hidden in Finder. If you can’t see it, use Go to Folder rather than browsing manually. Third-party backup tools that capture ~/Library work the same way.
Honest limits
- If history was cleared by Maccy itself (Cause A, B or F) and you have no backup, the data is gone. Maccy stores history locally and doesn’t sync it to a server, which is good for privacy and bad for recovery.
- Copying database files between different Maccy versions can fail or corrupt data if the formats differ. Work on copies.
- I can’t promise a specific file name or format for your version. Check the Maccy GitHub repository if you need the exact details.
How to avoid this next time
- Pick one install channel and stay with it.
- Back up before major updates. Copy the Maccy data folder to Desktop before upgrading, or make sure Time Machine has run recently.
- Pin what you can’t lose. Pins survive normal operation but live in the same store, so they are not a backup. For anything important, keep it in a notes app or password manager.
- Disable auto-clear options you didn’t knowingly choose.
- Read release notes before a major version jump.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my Maccy history disappear after updating?
Common causes are a different storage location after switching builds, a data migration that didn’t carry history over, an active “clear history on quit” setting, or a lowered history limit.
Where does Maccy store clipboard history on a Mac?
Locally, inside your user Library folder. The App Store build uses a sandbox container path, while the GitHub and Homebrew builds use ~/Library/Application Support/Maccy/.
Can I recover deleted Maccy history?
Only if the data still exists on disk or in a backup. Quit Maccy, check both storage locations, and restore from Time Machine if needed.
Does Maccy sync history to iCloud?
No. Maccy is local-first, so history stays on your Mac.
Why doesn’t Maccy save anything I copy from my password manager?
Password managers flag copied secrets as concealed, and Maccy ignores that content by design.
Still stuck? Tell us which build you use (App Store, GitHub or Homebrew), your macOS version and the Maccy version before and after the update. Those three details narrow it down to one cause almost every time.
