The clipboard on your Android phone can be just as useful as the same feature on your Windows or laptop with macOS. Although it may seem that cut, copy and paste functions are not as well used on mobile devices as they are on desktop operating systems.
Whether you're pasting an image from the web into an email or copying an address from Google Maps into a chat, the Android clipboard can save you a significant amount of taps and swipes—if you know how to use it correctly.
Android's default clipboard actually has more features than you might have imagined, and it's likely that you'll want to take full advantage of them once you know what they are. Here's how the clipboard works on Pixel and Galaxy phones.
Clipboard on Google Pixel phones
To a certain extent, the features available through the clipboard on Android depend on the keyboard app you have installed. If you are on Google Pixel phone, then it will be Google's own phone Gboard by default, but you can install this keyboard on almost any Android phone and get access to the same features.
Open Gboard in any app (such as a messaging app) and you'll see a clipboard icon above the rows of letters. Click on this, then turn on the toggle switch or select Enable clipboard to get the full range of features offered by Gboard, including clipboard history. You'll immediately see some tips on the screen to help you get started.
There are several ways to put text, links, and images on the clipboard, depending on the application you're in. For example, in Google Chrome, long-press an image and then select Copy image to send it to the clipboard. In WhatsApp, long-press on a message, then tap the copy icon (two rectangles) at the top of the screen.
Once you copy or cut something, you'll see a small preview in the bottom left corner. Immediately click the Share button to the right of the preview window and you can quickly paste text, a link, or an image into another app. You'll see your most frequently used apps and the contacts you communicate with most often first.
To view items on your clipboard at any time, tap the clipboard icon in Gboard. You can then long-press on any item to paste, delete, or pin it—note that anything not pinned automatically disappears from the clipboard after an hour. You can also tap the pen icon in the top right corner to select multiple items at once.
Lastly, there are some clipboard settings that you can also access by tapping the four dots in the top left corner of Gboard and then Settings And Clipboard. The toggles on the next screen allow you to display recent clipboard items in the keyboard suggestions bar, save screenshots to the clipboard, and select phone numbers and addresses from items.
Clipboard on Samsung Galaxy phones
On Samsung Galaxy On phones, the clipboard works a little differently—unless, of course, you have Gboard installed, in which case it works basically as above. On Galaxy phones, the default keyboard is the original Samsung keyboard, which appears whenever you need to enter text in an app.
You'll notice that this keyboard has its own clipboard icon, just above the rows of letters. This time, however, there's no need to enable the full set of clipboard features like there is on Pixel phones: the Samsung keyboard's clipboard stores a few items from the start, which you can view at any time by tapping the clipboard icon.
To paste anything from your keyboard into your chosen box or box, simply click on it. Tap and hold and you'll be given the option to delete items or pin them so they're always available. Samsung doesn't specify how long loose items are retained, but if you want to make sure something doesn't get lost, secure it.
To go to your Samsung keyboard settings, tap the gear icon located to the right of your clipboard. There is only one notable setting related to the clipboard, namely: Saving screenshots to the clipboard Toggle Switch: Turn on this option if you want to see the screenshots you take on the clipboard as well.
As with Pixel phones, copying and pasting is somewhat dependent on the app you're using. For example, in the Samsung Internet browser, you can long-press an image and then select Copy image to send it to the clipboard. If you highlight text on a website by pressing and holding it, you will see Copy button on the pop-up toolbar above.
You don't get a clipboard preview like you do on Pixel phones, but you can paste the most recently added clipboard item anywhere by tapping and holding on the screen—usually somewhere in a text field. And also receiving Insert option, you will also see Clipboard button that allows you to go to the full clipboard view.
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