Cross-platform clipboard sync: how to copy on one device and paste on another

Cross-platform clipboard sync means copying something on one device and pasting it on another, even when one is a Mac and the other runs Windows or Android. Apple and Microsoft each solved it inside their own walls. Here is what you get for free for every pair of devices, where it stops, and how third-party clipboard sync apps cross the gap.

What the platforms give you for free

Find your pair of devices in the left column. "Nothing" means neither vendor offers a built-in way to share a clipboard between them.

Phone Link's copy and paste works only on phones Microsoft lists: Surface Duo, Samsung phones on One UI 2.1 or later, and select HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo and Xiaomi models. For iPhone and Windows, reports in August 2026 said Apple intends to support clipboard sync, but not before fall 2027.

Where the built-in options stop

• Last item only. Universal Clipboard and Phone Link replace what you copied last. SwiftKey keeps one clip for an hour.
• Account walls. Every device needs the same Apple Account, or the same Microsoft account. SwiftKey's Cloud Clipboard takes only a personal Outlook.com or Hotmail.com account, not a work one.
• Text only, or resized images. Windows syncs the text you copy. Phone Link carries text and images and resizes images above 1MB.
• No history that travels. Win+V keeps 25 entries and clears them on restart unless pinned.
• No files across platforms. Universal Clipboard moves whole files only between Macs.
• Platform walls. Apple has no Windows or Android client. Microsoft's options do not reach a Mac, an iPhone, or an Android phone that is not on its list.

Three ways third-party tools cross the wall

1. Apps built on an account

Paste runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad and syncs between devices signed in to the same Apple Account, so it stays inside Apple's wall. It costs $29.99 a year, with a lifetime option and a 7-day free trial. Relic covers Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone, and syncs through its own service or a server you run yourself with Docker. On phones you send items to it yourself. Its free tier syncs 3 devices and keeps the last 500 copies; Pro is $60 a year.

2. Bring your own storage

Octoclip covers Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android. Nearby Sync connects devices over a local path, and for longer distances it syncs through WebDAV or S3 storage you supply, encrypted on your device with a master password, with no Octoclip account. Paid is $19.99 once for 2 devices or $39.99 for up to 5.

3. Device to device on your Wi-Fi

UniClipboard is open source (AGPL-3.0) with desktop apps for Windows, Mac and Linux and a separate mobile app: the iPhone version is a public beta, and Android installs from an APK on GitHub. Devices on the same network connect directly; across networks it tries a direct path first and falls back to an encrypted relay. It keeps a searchable history of text, images and files. Clipnest works this way too, covered below.

What to look for in a clipboard sync app

• All your platforms, phones included.
• History and search, so you can find what you copied an hour ago.
• Photos and files, not just text.
• No account: one less login, one less place your clips live.
• Encrypted on device and in transit.
• Secrets hidden: card numbers and login codes kept out of sight and out of search.
• A one-time price rather than a renewal date.

The clipboard-manager way: Clipnest

Clipnest is a cross-platform clipboard manager for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android, and every paired device shares one clipboard history. To add a device, open Clipnest on it, scan the code the other device shows (a PC types the other device's address instead), then type the six digits it shows. A stranger on the same Wi-Fi cannot join without that code.

From then on your devices talk to each other directly over your own Wi-Fi. Nothing you copy goes through our servers, and there is no account. History is encrypted on every device, and sync is encrypted end to end between your devices. A device that was off catches up when it is back.

• What syncs: text, links, photos and files. Folders, pins and deletes follow you everywhere. Saved files land in a Clipnest folder on each device.
• Capture: on Mac and Windows it saves everything you copy automatically. On iPhone and Android the system does not allow silent clipboard watching, so you add what you copied with one tap, or share anything into Clipnest from any app's share sheet.
• Search: Ctrl+Shift+V on Windows or ⌘⇧V on Mac, type, and Enter pastes into the app you left.
• Secrets: card numbers, login codes and secret keys are shown only as a hint like CARD: 4111•••• and kept out of search.

Free on every platform covers your latest 20 clips and files up to 10 MB on any number of devices, with every feature. Pro is paid once per platform inside the app: $14.99 for iPhone, iPad and Mac together, $9.99 for Windows, $9.99 for Android, with no subscription. Windows is on the Microsoft Store now; Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android are coming soon. Today both devices need to be on the same Wi-Fi. Syncing from anywhere is on the way, as an optional paid extra.

Guides for your exact pair of devices

• Sync clipboard between Android and Windows: Phone Link, SwiftKey, and what to do if your phone is not on Microsoft's list.
• Sync clipboard between iPhone and Windows: no built-in bridge yet, and what works in the meantime.
• Sync clipboard between Mac and Windows: why Win+V and Universal Clipboard each stop at their own wall.
• Sync clipboard between Android and Mac: the pair with nothing built in at all.
• Universal clipboard for Windows and Android: the closest thing to Apple's Universal Clipboard outside Apple.
• Universal Clipboard not working: what to check when copy on one Apple device will not paste on another.
• Copy on your phone, paste on your PC: the quickest ways to get text from a phone onto a computer.

Questions

Is there a universal clipboard for every device?

Not a built-in one. Apple's Universal Clipboard covers Apple devices on the same Apple Account, and Microsoft's options cover Windows PCs plus some Android phones. To share one clipboard across Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad and Android you need a third-party app on each device.

Can I sync my clipboard without an account?

Not with the built-in options: each needs an Apple Account or a Microsoft account. Some third-party apps skip the account. Clipnest pairs devices with a six digit code and they talk to each other directly over your Wi-Fi, with no account to make.

Does cross-device clipboard sync keep a history?

The built-in cross-device options do not: Universal Clipboard and Phone Link carry the last thing you copied, and SwiftKey keeps your last clip for an hour. Windows clipboard history keeps 25 entries, but only between Windows PCs. A clipboard manager keeps a searchable history on every device.

Can I sync photos and files, not just text?

Universal Clipboard carries images, photos and videos between Apple devices, and whole files only between Macs. Phone Link carries text and images, and resizes images over 1MB. Clipnest syncs text, links, photos and files: free handles files up to 10 MB, Pro any size.

Do my devices have to be on the same Wi-Fi?

It depends on the tool. Universal Clipboard needs Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on and the devices near each other. Phone Link uses mobile data unless you turn that off. Clipnest needs both devices on the same Wi-Fi today; syncing from anywhere is on the way as an optional paid extra.