Have you ever copied and pasted something on your Mac only to be greeted with the error message “Sorry, no manipulations with clipboard allowed”? If so, you’re not alone. This error message results from a security feature in macOS known as Gatekeeper on MacBook and iMac Apple devices.
Gatekeeper is designed to protect your Mac computer from malicious software by only allowing apps from specific sources to be installed. However, this security measure can sometimes prevent legitimate apps from being used.

In this blog post, we will explore what does this message mean on Mac computers and how to fix the MacOS clipboard not pasting issue. We will also discuss why this error message occurs and how to deactivate Gatekeeper when it is needed for Mac users.
Fix ‘Sorry, No Manipulations With Clipboard Allowed’ MacOS Feature Error Message on a Mac Computer
There are a few things you may do if you’re receiving this copy-paste tool error message on your Apple laptop or desktop device with the latest MacOS version installed:
- First, try restarting your computer. This may fix the issue if it’s simply a glitch.
- If that doesn’t give any effect, try to reset the NVRAM (non-volatile random-access memory). This can be done by holding down Command + Option + P + R while your computer is booting up. Keep holding these keys until you hear the startup sound for a second time.
- If neither of those solutions work, you may need to take more drastic measures and reinstall your operating system. Obviously, this should only be done as a last resort since it will erase all of your files and data.
Other Ways to Fix the MacOS Gatekeeper Issue on Mac
There are a few other ways that you can try and do to fix the problem and unblock copy and paste tool if the main method does not work. Try these troubleshooting solutions and workarounds:
- Try updating your operating system. Sometimes this error can be caused by outdated software. By updating to the latest version of macOS, you may be able to fix the problem.
- Check for updates to the app that is giving you the error. If there is an update available for the app, install it and see if that fixes the problem.
- Delete the app and reinstall it. If none of the other solutions work, you may need to delete the app and reinstall it from scratch. This will likely fix any corrupted files that were causing the error in the first place.
How to Disable the Security Measure on MacOS Device?
In order to disable the security measure, you will need to follow these steps:
- Go to the “System Preferences”
- Click on the “Security & Privacy” icon
- Then, select the “Privacy” tab
- Next, click on the “Full Disk Access” option in the left-hand sidebar
- Over there, click on the “+” sign at the bottom of the list of apps and select Terminal from your Applications folder
- Close System Preferences
If you are seeing the “Sorry, No Manipulations with Clipboard Allowed” error message on your Mac computer, it is likely because you have not given permission for a specific app to access your clipboard.
Once you do the steps above, the error should no longer appear and you’ll be able to copy and paste as normal on your Mac.