How to Copy & Paste on an iPhone or iPad

Learn how to copy and paste on an iPad or iPhone, so you can easily transfer images or blocks of text.

By Amy Spitzfaden–Both Updated 02/21/2021

* This post is part of iPhone Life's Tip of the Day newsletter. . *

Being able to copy and paste on your iPhone is a skill that can make your life so much easier, whether you want to move an image or text. You can also learn how to paste on an iPhone from your Mac, but for now let's focus on how to copy and paste on an iPhone or iPad.

Related: How to Easily Select Text on iPad or iPhone Using the Keyboard as a Trackpad

Once you learn how to copy and paste, it's easy to do, but it can still be a little frustrating to select text on your iPhone, so make sure to practice a bit if you're having trouble. For more quick ways to transfer data between apps, check out our Tip of the Day.

How to Copy Text on an iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the text you want to copy.

    Open the text you want to copy
     
  2. Long press on the text.


     
  3. The word you pressed on will be highlighted. Move the bars on either end of it to adjust your selection range.


     
  4. Tap Copy.

How to Copy an Image on the iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the image you want to copy.
  2. Long press on the image.

    Long press the image you want to copy
     
  3. Tap Copy.

    tap copy

How to Paste on the iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the app you want to paste the text or image into.

    Open where you want to paste
     
  2. Long press on the text entry field until a menu appears.
  3. Tap Paste.

    Tap paste
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Topics

How-To
iPhone

Author Details

Amy Spitzfaden–Both's picture

Author Details

Amy Spitzfaden–Both

Amy Spitzfaden Both is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, an award-winning novelist, and an iPhone enthusiast. Over the past decade, her work in the publishing industry has included live coverage of industry events including the Yale Publishing Course and Magazine Innovation’s ACT 9 Experience, providing editing services for several start-up publishing houses, and acting as newsstand consultant for magazines such as The Old Farmer’s Almanac and The New York Review of Books. She graduated from M.I.U. with a Bachelor’s in Literature and Writing, and has gone on to publish two novels and two short stories. Her debut novel Untold won the 2014 Chelson Award for Fiction.
Writing everything from book reviews to skincare tips, Amy discovered a passion for bringing exciting and useful information to even the most casual researcher. The mix of usability and endless possibilities is what drew her to Apple products originally, and the more she learns, the more she loves.
Amy lives in New Hampshire with her husband and daughter. When she’s not writing or glued to her iPhone, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and creating her own tea blends.

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