Nearly everyone is accustomed to using the Copy and Paste commands on the Mac to easily copy data between apps, but fewer people know that you can also copy and paste between Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Apple calls this feature Universal Clipboard, and it’s so deeply integrated into macOS, iOS, and iPadOS that it can be easy to miss. You won’t find a switch for Universal Clipboard or any other mention of it in System Settings or Settings.
To use Universal Clipboard, you don't have to do anything special. All you have to do is copy some content—a bit of text, an image, a video—on one device, then on another device paste it into an app that can accept the copied content. It’s a great way to move data between your devices. When going from Mac to Mac, you can also copy and paste entire files in the Finder.
If your iPhone asks whether an app may paste, my Allow Paste guide explains the prompt and your options.
Or at least there’s no fuss if you have the right settings enabled on all your devices—miss even one of these and Universal Clipboard won’t work. Here are the necessary supporting conditions, which you are likely to already have set up:
- Apple Account: Each device must be signed in to the same Apple Account. Check System Settings > Your Name on the Mac and Settings > Your Name on iPhone and iPad.
- Bluetooth: Each device must have Bluetooth turned on. On the Mac, look in System Settings > Bluetooth (or Control Center, or the Bluetooth menu); on an iPhone or iPad, check Settings > Bluetooth (or Control Center). You don't have to connect to any particular Bluetooth devices, the Bluetooth sliders simply need to be on.
- Wi-Fi: Each device must have Wi-Fi turned on. It’s unlikely this wouldn’t be the case, but you can verify it in System Settings > Wi-Fi (or Control Center, or the Wi-Fi menu); on an iPhone or iPad, check Settings > Wi-Fi (or Control Center). If you have a desktop computer connected by Ethernet you will need to have Wi-Fi enabled, even if it's not currently in use.
- Handoff: Each device must have Handoff enabled. On Mac, check System Settings > General > AirDrop & Continuity (AirDrop & Handoff in earlier versions). On iPhone or iPad, check Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity (AirPlay & Handoff in earlier versions).
- Supported devices: Check Apple’s Universal Clipboard requirements to confirm that your Mac, iPhone, or iPad supports the feature. Keep the devices near each other, with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Handoff turned on.
If those settings are all correct but Universal Clipboard still isn’t working, restart your devices and check the settings again. You may also want to check for updates. On Mac, go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Software Update. On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > General > Software Update.
Most of the time, however, Universal Clipboard just works. It normally transfers the data between devices almost instantly, although if you copy a particularly large image or video on one device and switch to another, you may see a progress dialog while it finishes moving the data. In the screenshot below, Universal Clipboard didn’t even have time to calculate the time remaining before it finished pasting a photo.
Copied content stays available to paste on your other devices briefly, or until you copy something else. Paste soon after copying. For access to earlier things you copied on your Mac, see my macOS clipboard history guide.
(Featured image by iStock.com/voyata and Sielan)