How to Copy-Paste Text and Images Between Your iPhone and Mac

Universal clipboard was one of many headline options introduced at WWDC 2016. This is the power to copy objects on one Apple gadget and paste them on one other. This works throughout iOS and macOS units and is a neat function to have when you preserve switching between your Apple units.

(Also see: What We Love and Hate About iOS 10)

Here’s an inventory of units which might be suitable with Apple’s common clipboard function:

• iPhone 5 or newer
• iPad Pro
• iPad (4th era)
• iPad Air or newer
• iPad mini 2 or newer
• iPod contact (sixth era) or newer
• MacGuide (Early 2015 or newer)
• MacGuide Pro (2012 or newer)
• MacGuide Air (2012 or newer)
• Mac mini (2012 or newer)
• iMac (2012 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013)

This function works solely on iOS 10 and macOS Sierra so be certain to replace your units to these working methods first. Once you could have achieved that, this is how to allow common clipboard in your iPhone, iPad, and Mac:

1. Sign in to the similar iCloud account on all units.
2. On iOS, head to Settings > iCloud to examine your iCloud account.
3. On macOS, open System Preferences > iCloud and examine it matches with what you observed in step 2.
4. Switch on Bluetooth on all of your units.
5. On iOS, head to Settings > Bluetooth to do that.
6. On macOS, open System Preferences > Bluetooth to swap on Bluetooth.
7. Switch on Wi-Fi on all your units
8. On iOS, head to Settings > Wi-Fi.
9. On macOS, click on the Wi-Fi icon on the highest bar.

Once you’ve got achieved all of these items, common copy-paste ought to begin working. Just copy something in your iOS units and paste in your Mac. There are not any toggles or switches to allow this. It ought to begin working by itself. You can use this to copy textual content and pictures between your iPhone and Mac, although textual content formatting could not at all times be preserved, relying upon the apps you’re utilizing.

Note that for common clipboard to work all units needn’t be on the identical Wi-Fi community, however Wi-Fi and Bluetooth want to be switched on, and the units want to be shut to one another, although Apple does not specify what ‘shut’ means. We examined this with a MacGuide Air linked to a Wi-Fi community and an iPhone on 4G, and common copy-paste labored simply high quality.

Is this a helpful function? Have you been utilizing it? Let us know by way of the feedback. For extra tutorials, head to our How To part.

(Also see: 20+ Hidden Features of iOS 10 You Probably Didn’t Spot Just Yet)