Guide
How to share a clipboard between Windows and your phone
Short answer
Apple’s Universal Clipboard doesn’t work on Windows, and Windows shares its clipboard only with Android phones, through Microsoft SwiftKey or Phone Link, never with an iPhone. To copy between a Windows PC and any phone, open the UniClip web app in your browser, scan its QR code with the phone app, and text goes both ways with nothing to install on the PC.
What Windows has built in
Windows 10 and 11 keep a clipboard history on the PC: press Win + V to see it, or to turn it on the first time. It holds up to 25 recent items, and everything except pinned items is cleared when the PC restarts.
Under Settings, System, Clipboard, Clipboard history across your devices syncs text you copy with other Windows PCs on the same Microsoft account, and with an Android phone whose keyboard is Microsoft SwiftKey, signed in to the same personal Microsoft account. Synced clips last an hour. Phone Link’s cross-device copy and paste does the same for text and images with Samsung, HONOR, OnePlus, OPPO and some other Android phones. Neither works with an iPhone.
How to copy between a phone and a Windows PC
- Get the app on your phone. Install UniClip from Google Play or the App Store and sign in with Google or Apple.
- Link the computer. Open the web app in any browser, then in the phone app go to Settings, Linked devices, Link a computer and scan the QR code it shows. Nothing to install, no password to type.
- Send from the PC. Paste or type into the web app’s box and press Send. The clip is on your phone a moment later.
- Send from the phone. On Android, select text and choose Copy to Universal Clipboard from the ⋮ menu. On iPhone, select text, tap Share and choose Universal Clipboard. It shows up in the browser; click it to copy, then paste with Ctrl + V.
With the Chrome extension, you can also select text on any page and right-click Copy to Universal Clipboard, or press Alt + C. The same steps work on a Mac, a Linux PC or a Chromebook. On Free, clips of up to 200 characters reach all your devices and disappear after 1 minute. Pro keeps every clip until you delete it, in a searchable history on every device.
Ways to sync a clipboard with Windows, compared
| Option | iPhone | Android | What you install on the PC |
|---|---|---|---|
| UniClip | Yes | Yes | Nothing; a browser tab, or the Chrome extension |
| Windows clipboard sync with SwiftKey | No | Yes, with SwiftKey as the keyboard | Nothing; a Windows setting |
| Phone Link | No | Samsung, HONOR, OnePlus, OPPO and some others | Nothing; built into Windows |
| KDE Connect | Only when you send it by hand | Yes, on the same network | KDE Connect for Windows |
Questions
Can I use Apple’s Universal Clipboard on Windows?
No. It only works between Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account, and iCloud for Windows doesn’t include it.
How do I copy from my iPhone and paste on a Windows PC?
Open the UniClip web app on the PC and link it by scanning its QR code with the app on your iPhone. Then select text on the iPhone, tap Share, choose Universal Clipboard, and click the clip in the browser to copy it. The iPhone and Windows guide covers both directions.
How do I sync my clipboard between Android and Windows?
Windows does it for text when Microsoft SwiftKey is the Android keyboard and both are signed in to the same personal Microsoft account: turn on Clipboard history across your devices under Settings, System, Clipboard. Phone Link does it on supported Samsung, HONOR, OnePlus and OPPO phones. With any other phone or keyboard, link the PC to UniClip and send clips either way.
Do I need to install anything on Windows?
No. The web app runs in any modern browser. The Chrome extension is optional, for sending selected text from any page with a right-click.
How do I see my clipboard history on Windows?
Press Win + V. If it is off, the same shortcut offers to turn it on, or turn on Clipboard history under Settings, System, Clipboard.
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Clipboard in Windows
- Microsoft Support: Copy and paste text between Microsoft SwiftKey and Windows
- Microsoft Support: Copy and paste between your Android phone and PC with Phone Link
- KDE Connect: download for each platform
- Apple Support: Use Universal Clipboard to copy and paste between your Apple devices
UniClip – Universal Clipboard is an independent app by KharagEdition, not made by or affiliated with Apple, Google, Microsoft or Samsung. Facts about their products come from the sources above.