How to Use Universal Clipboard on Mac 1

How to Use Universal Clipboard on Mac

Using your Apple devices in sync is getting easier every year. And these days, you can seamlessly copy and paste items from your Mac to your iOS device thanks to the Universal Clipboard feature.



person using macbook

Universal Clipboard is quick to set up and very easy to use. We’ll explain what Universal Clipboard is and show you how to enable and use the feature.

These tips should work as long as you’re using a device that meets Apple’s Continuity requirements, at least anything with macOS Sierra 10.12 or iOS 10.

What is the Mac Universal Clipboard?

Introduced in 2016, the Universal Clipboard allows you to copy and paste text and images, as well as other content, from one Apple device to another.

You can use the Universal Clipboard to share content from your Mac to your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch – as long as those devices support the required operating system software.

Universal Clipboard is useful because it allows you to work between multiple devices at the same time without friction. Therefore, there is no need to send content via email or social media as before.

When using this feature, it’s important to remember that you have a limited window that you can copy to one device and then paste to another.

To find the full list of devices that support Continuity, visit Apple’s support page.

How to Enable Universal Clipboard

Before using Universal Clipboard on your Apple devices, you must enable it. If you want to learn how to open Universal Clipboard on your Mac, follow the steps below.

Stage 1: Go to the Apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen.



Apple logo in mac toolbar

Step 2: Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.



choose system preferences mac

Stage 3: Click the first General icon below your name.



Mac general system preferences

Step 4: At the bottom of the next window, you will see a box next to “Allow Transfer between This Mac and your iCloud devices”. If you haven’t already, be sure to tick this one.



Allow transfer on Mac

After enabling Universal Clipboard from your Mac, you need to do the same from any Apple device you want to use. To do this, complete each step listed under this paragraph.

Stage 1: On your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, go to the Settings app.



Mac access system settings

Step 2: When the application opens, find the General tab and click on it.



Access general settings iphone

Stage 3: Go to AirPlay and Handoff.



Airplay and transfer iphone

Step 4: You will see a switch next to the option titled Handoff. Turn this on, so turn it on.



enable transfer iphone

How to Use the Universal Clipboard on Your Devices

When you enable Universal Clipboard on both your Mac and other Apple devices, make sure you turn on Bluetooth for each and make sure they’re within range of each other.

Before using Universal Clipboard, all your devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network. After doing all this, follow the steps below to use the feature successfully.

Stage 1: Highlight or select the text, video or image you want to copy on one of your devices.

Step 2: If you’re on your Mac, press Ctrl + C. Alternatively, you can click with your trackpad while pressing the Ctrl key before selecting Copy.

If you’re copying content from one of your other devices, all you have to do is press Copy.



copy text on mac

Stage 3: Go to the device where you want to paste the text, image or video and try to paste the content.



paste to clipboard iphone

As long as you follow the steps to enable Handoff everywhere, you shouldn’t run into any issues. If you do, review your settings and double-check if you’ve greenlit Universal.

Copy Content On Your Apple Devices

Apple has made it easier than ever to use your Mac with your other devices through a variety of Continuity features, and Universal Clipboard is one of the most useful.

After reading this article, you should clearly understand how to enable this feature on your Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPhone Touch. You’ll also have a better idea of ​​why it’s useful to use the Universal Clipboard.

Once you grasp this feature, you will find that you can share images, videos and texts without difficulty, be it short sentences or full articles.

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