Apple Universal Clipboard: Copy & Paste Between Devices

One of the coolest and most convenient Apple features, Universal Clipboard lets you seamlessly copy, cut, and paste between multiple devices.

By Conner Carey Updated 11/03/2022

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If you have multiple Apple devices, you can copy or cut something from one device and paste it to the other. This productivity feature is extremely helpful for starting something on one device and completing it on the other device. Apple calls this the Universal Clipboard, and the feature couldn’t be easier to use. Read on to find out!

Why You'll Love This Tip

Copy and paste links, photos, and even large text between devices super fast.
Cut and paste between any Apple Device logged into the same iCloud account.

Copy on Phone & Paste on Mac with Handoff

In order for Universal Clipboard to work smoothly, make sure all your devices are connected to Wi-Fi and are logged in to the same Apple ID account. Next, you will want to make sure AirPlay & Handoff is turned on in your iPhone's settings. To do this:

Go to Settings on your iPhone.
Tap General.
Tap AirPlay & Handoff.
Toggle Handoff on. It will be green when activated.

Copy Across Devices: Mac to iPhone or iPad and Vice-Versa

Now that you've made sure you're logged in to your Apple ID on all devices, and you've turned on Handoff, you should be able to copy, cut, and paste between various devices. Let's start out with copying from your Mac and pasting on your iPhone.

Highlight the text or image you want to copy or cut and paste by clicking and dragging with your mouse.
Right-click in the highlighted text.
Select copy or cut depending on your needs.
Now, open your phone to the place you want to paste (I chose the Notes app).
Tap the screen twice where you're about to type to reveal the menu.
Tap Paste.

Now your copied text from your Mac should appear on your iPhone like magic.

How to Copy on Phone & Paste on Mac

Now, let's go the opposite way and paste text or images from iPhone or iPad to your Mac.

Highlight the text or image you want to copy or cut by tapping it twice to reveal the menu.
Drag the cursor handles to highlight the text.
Tap cut or copy depending on your needs.
Now, open up your Mac to the place you want to paste.
Right-click to reveal the menu.
Click Paste.

And that's all there is to it! I use this feature every day, and if you also have a few Apple devices you use regularly, you may find it helpful as well! Overall, Universal Clipboard makes copying and pasting things from one device to the other ridiculously easy. If you liked this tip, be sure to sign up for our Tip of the Day to learn more cool and useful tricks for working with your Apple devices.

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Author Details

Conner Carey

Conner Carey's writing can be found at conpoet.com. She is currently writing a book, creating lots of content, and writing poetry via @conpoet on Instagram. She lives in an RV full-time with her mom, Jan and dog, Jodi as they slow-travel around the country.

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