You may not realize it, but you copy and paste a lot of stuff throughout the day. Links, addresses, tracking numbers, the list goes on. The problem is that every time you copy a new thing, your Android replaces the previous item. That means the coupon code or the email address you grabbed five minutes ago disappears the moment you copy something else.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. The keyboard apps on Android include a clipboard feature that can save you from such frustrations. It can save every text you copy and screenshot you take on your phone, so you can use them whenever you want.
Clipboard history is the productivity boost you’re missing
Stop losing what you just copied
A clipboard manager is something that’s available in all the popular keyboard apps, including Gboard, SwiftKey, and Samsung Keyboard. So no matter which keyboard you use, there’s a good chance you already have access to one.
And that clipboard feature isn’t just for text. Snap a screenshot of a payment confirmation or a QR code, and it also becomes available in your clipboard. This is great when you have to take multiple screenshots and send them to someone.
The best part is that the clipboard isn’t just for items you’ve copied recently. You can also pin specific items so that they stay there permanently. Things like your address, email ID, and common replies can live inside the clipboard for easy access, so you don’t have to type the same thing over and over.
Pin, edit, and reuse text and photos in seconds
Make repetitive typing a thing of the past
The clipboard feature doesn’t come pre-enabled on most Android keyboards, so the first thing you need to do is head to your keyboard settings and turn on the clipboard history feature. Once you’ve done that, anything you copy will be saved to the clipboard.
To access it, all you have to do is tap the clipboard icon on the keyboard. On Gboard, SwiftKey, and Samsung Keyboard, the icon sits right above the keys or inside the toolbar. Tap it, and you’ll see your clipboard history. From there, you can tap the item you want to paste.
If you copy something that you don’t want sticking around, removing it is just as easy. Simply long press the clipboard entry, tap the trash icon, and it’s gone. I usually do this every time I copy a password or something sensitive.
The most useful clipboard feature, though, is the ability to pin specific items. Long press on an item, tap the pin icon, and the clipboard will keep it forever. This is handy for saving things like your home address, frequently used replies, or any text you find yourself typing over and over.
This brilliant new Android keyboard makes typing effortless
I speak and this keyboard types, and it’s damn brilliant.
You can even sync it with your PC
Your workflow, unified
The clipboard feature on Android is already a huge upgrade, but you don’t have to stop there. You can sync that clipboard with your PC and move text between your phone and computer, almost as if they were a single machine.
On Windows, this works through Phone Link. Once you connect your Android phone to a Windows PC via Phone Link, you can enable the clipboard sync feature. There’s a small catch, though. Right now, the clipboard sync only works when you use SwiftKey as the default keyboard app on Android and sign in with the same Microsoft account on both devices. Microsoft has said that support for Gboard is coming soon.
If you have a Samsung phone, things are a little simpler. Galaxy phones support clipboard sync with Windows without requiring a specific keyboard, so you have more flexibility.
A dedicated clipboard manager unlocks even more convenience
Android’s clipboard isn’t perfect
If I had to point out two big limitations with the clipboard feature in Android keyboards, the first would be search. Once your clipboard fills up with dozens of snippets, finding that one specific line you copied a couple of days ago becomes difficult. The second limitation is cross-platform syncing. Moving clipboard data between an Android and devices like an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook is anything but seamless.
If you don’t want to live with these gaps, a third-party app like Clipboard (yes, that’s the name) can help. It’s available on Android, iOS, and even on the web, which means your copied text can follow you everywhere. The app lets you arrange all your copied text in different folders and search through them if necessary. There’s also a Safebox feature that lets you copy and store sensitive information separately.
Of course, a third-party clipboard isn’t necessary for most people. But if you want more flexibility, a clipboard manager app can be a great productivity tool.
- OS
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Android
- Price model
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Free, subscription available
Clipboard by 1 Studio is a free app that lets you automatically save every text and image you copy on your phone. It also lets you sync your clipboard with Windows, Mac, and iOS devices.
We’re often obsessed about finding new apps and productivity hacks, but sometimes the biggest gains come from tools we already have. Your Android keyboard’s clipboard is one of them. There are plenty of other useful Android features hiding in plain sight. All it takes is a little curiosity to discover them.
