How to copy and paste between iPhone and Mac (both directions)

Turn on Universal Clipboard

1. 1Sign in to the same Apple Account on the iPhone (Settings, then your name) and on the Mac (System Settings, then your name).
2. 2On the Mac, open System Settings, General, AirDrop & Continuity (AirDrop & Handoff on older versions) and turn on Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices.
3. 3On the iPhone, open Settings, General, AirPlay & Continuity (AirPlay & Handoff on older versions) and turn on Handoff.
4. 4Leave Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on for both. The Mac can stay on Ethernet, as long as its Wi-Fi switch is on.

Handoff is on by default, so on most setups you only need to check these once.

Copy on the iPhone, paste on the Mac

1. 1On the iPhone, select the text, link or photo and tap Copy.
2. 2On the Mac, click where you want it and press Command V, or choose Edit, Paste from the menu bar.
3. 3Paste soon after you copy. The copy only stays on the other device for a short time, and the next thing you copy on either device replaces it.

Copy on the Mac, paste on the iPhone

1. 1On the Mac, select what you want and press Command C, or choose Edit, Copy.
2. 2On the iPhone, touch and hold in a text field and tap Paste.
3. 3The first time an app pastes something copied in another app, iOS may ask whether to allow the paste. Tap Allow Paste.

Other ways to move text and photos

• AirDrop: share a photo, file or selected text from the Share menu and pick the other device. It suits files and several photos better than Universal Clipboard, which Apple recommends for small amounts of text or single images.
• Notes: anything you put in a note syncs to every device signed in to the same Apple Account with iCloud Notes on, and stays there until you delete it.
• Messages: send the text or photo to yourself. It shows up on every device where Messages uses your Apple Account.
• If nothing arrives, check the settings above on both devices and restart both. That fixes most cases.

Keep what you copy on either device

Neither the iPhone nor the Mac keeps a clipboard history, so a copy you didn't paste in time is lost. Notchet, my clipboard manager for the Mac, saves what arrives from your iPhone or iPad through Universal Clipboard, photos included, with a phone badge. Press Option Command V on the Mac to see it next to everything else you copied.

Notchet for iPhone and iPad, on the App Store, keeps a history on the phone as well. Turn on iCloud sync in Notchet Settings, Sync on both devices, and what you copy on one shows up on the others, encrypted before it leaves. Files you copy in Finder show up too, and clearing the history on one device clears it on the others.

Questions

Why can't I paste on my Mac what I copied on my iPhone?

Usually Handoff is off on one device, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is off, the devices use different Apple Accounts, or too much time passed before you pasted. Check the settings on both, then restart both if it still fails.

Does Universal Clipboard work from Mac to iPhone too?

Yes. Copy on the Mac with Command C, then touch and hold in a text field on the iPhone and tap Paste.

How long does a Universal Clipboard copy last?

Only a short time, and only until you copy something else. Apple doesn't give an exact time. A clipboard manager such as Notchet keeps your iPhone copies on the Mac for as long as you choose.

Can I see my clipboard history on iPhone?

Not with the iPhone alone: iOS keeps only your latest copy. Notchet for iPhone and iPad keeps a history and, with iCloud sync on, shares it with Notchet on your Mac.