How to Use the Clipboard on Android Phones

This article explains how to use the clipboard on Android via the built-in tool. It also covers how to access your clipboard history with Gboard and Clipper. You don't have to use a clipboard manager to use Android's clipboard.

How to Use Android's Clipboard

The clipboard is a space in memory that temporarily holds information you've copied or cut from a document, a web page, etc.

When you copy and paste on Android, you are using the clipboard. It's easy: Tap and hold some text until it appears highlighted. Adjust the selection if you want to add or remove things to copy. Then, tap Copy from the pop-up menu. To put that content elsewhere, tap and hold an empty text field in any app and choose Paste.

The clipboard only holds the most recently copied/cut item, so you can't keep copying item after item and later choose which thing to paste. Instead, you can use a third-party app to replace the built-in clipboard to extend the capabilities of copying and cutting.

How to Use the Clipper Clipboard Manager

The easiest way to access your clipboard history is to use a clipboard manager app. Although Clipper Clipboard Manager is one of the easiest to use, Google Play has many alternatives to choose from.

1. After you long-press and copy text anywhere on your phone, open Clipper to the Clipboard log to see it.

2. Tap any clipboard snippet to open a menu with more options. You can copy a previous piece of content, open it to read the full contents, pin it at the top of the list, edit it, share it, and more.

3. The sweep button at the top of the app provides a quick way to clear all your clipboard clippings.

   

How to Clear Your Android Clipboard

If you're using Clipper, you'll notice a Delete option when you tap one of the clippings. Use this to erase individual clipboard items.

Another solution is to use the Gboard keyboard that comes with newer Android phones. If it isn't available on yours, you can install Gboard on Google Play.

1. Select any text field to open the keyboard, then tap the clipboard icon above the keys.

2. If you've never used this clipboard before, you'll see a notification to turn on the Gboard clipboard. To do so, tap Turn on Clipboard.

3. With the clipboard on, any time you copy something to the clipboard and then tap the clipboard on the Google Android keyboard again, you'll see a history of all recent items you've added.

4. Anything you copy to the clipboard is now viewable from this section of the keyboard. To delete any of these items, tap the edit icon, tap an entry, and then choose the trash icon.

   

Where Is the Clipboard on an Android Phone?

When you save text to the clipboard on your Android, the clipboard service stores the information in RAM. On stock Android phones, you can't access that data directly. On Samsung phones, the clipboard history exists in a file in the /data/Clipboard directory.