To copy a link on iPhone, touch and hold the link until a menu appears, then tap Copy Link. In Safari, touch and hold the address bar instead to copy the page you are on: iOS 26 labels the item Copy Link, while iOS 18 and earlier call it Copy. Neither one opens the page, and the link lands on your clipboard, ready to paste anywhere.
The rest of this page covers each app, how to paste the link, and how to read a link before you open it.
Copy a link from a message, email or web page
- Find the link. It can be blue underlined text, a link card, or ordinary words that are a link underneath.
- Touch and hold it until the menu appears. Keep your finger down: lifting too soon counts as a tap and opens the link.
- Tap Copy Link. Some apps label the item Copy. Linked words are fine, because Copy Link copies the address behind the words, not the words themselves.
- Paste it where you need it, as described below.
In Safari, Apple's guide says that touching and holding a link shows a preview of the page without opening it. Tap anywhere outside the preview to close it and stay where you are, or choose Open to go there.
Here is where each gesture goes:
| Where the link is | Touch and hold | Then tap |
|---|---|---|
| The page open in Safari | The address bar | Copy Link (Copy in iOS 18 and earlier) |
| A link on a web page or search result | The link | Copy Link |
| A link in an email | The link | Copy Link |
| A link in a text message | The link text or the link card | Copy Link, or Copy |
| A link in a photo or screenshot | The web address, after tapping the Live Text button | Copy |
| A post in a social or video app | Nothing. Use the app's own Share button | Copy Link |
Copy the link of the Safari page you are on
Touch and hold the address bar and tap Copy Link. This works whether your Tabs layout is Compact, Bottom or Top. iOS 26 also adds Copy Search Terms to the same menu, so pick Copy Link when you want the address.
The share sheet is the other route. Open Safari's menu at the bottom of the page and tap Share, or tap the Page Menu button at the left end of the address bar and tap Share, as Apple's guide describes. Then tap Copy in the share sheet. Safari's address bar shows only the site name, but both routes copy the full address of the page, including the part after the first slash.
Paste the link
- In a text field: tap where the link should go, touch and hold, and tap Paste. A three-finger pinch open pastes too.
- In Messages: tap the message field, paste, and send. Apple's Messages guide describes pasting a link into the text field.
- In Safari's address bar: touch and hold the bar and tap Paste and Go to open the link.
- In iOS 27: after you copy, the bar above Apple's keyboard offers the copy as a paste suggestion, labeled with the source app (for example Paste from Safari). Tap it to paste in one go.
Copy a link without opening it
Touching and holding never takes you to the page. Safari's preview does show the page, though, so Safari has to fetch it to draw the preview. If you want to read where a link goes before anything loads, copy it and read the address somewhere harmless:
- Touch and hold the link and tap Copy Link.
- Open Notes, or a Messages draft to yourself, and paste.
- Read the domain: the part between
https://and the first single slash. - Decide whether to open it, or type the site's address yourself.
Three checks help. A lookalike domain changes a letter or adds a word (paypal.com is PayPal, paypal-security-update.net is not). A shortened link such as bit.ly or t.co hides its destination until it is opened. And a message that insists you act now is a reason to go to the real site by typing its address, not by following the link.
Copy several links at once, or pull links out of text
The iPhone clipboard holds one item, so each new copy replaces the last link (why iPhone only saves one copy explains the design). To lift every web address out of a block of text, build a two-action Shortcut: Get URLs from Input, then Copy to Clipboard. Turn on Show in Share Sheet in its details. Then select a block of text in a message or email and share it to the shortcut, and only the web addresses in that text end up on your clipboard. To collect many links one by one, see how to copy multiple items on iPhone and how to organize copied links.
Copy a link from a photo, a screenshot or another app
A web address printed on a poster, a receipt or a screenshot is text to Live Text. Open the image, tap the Live Text button, touch and hold the address, drag the grab points to cover it, and tap Copy. Apple's guide also lists Select All, which selects all the text in the frame. Live Text has to be turned on under Settings > General > Language & Region, and Apple notes it is not available in every region or language. The screenshot text guide goes further.
Many apps, social and video apps especially, put Copy Link in their own Share menu. Use that when an app has no link to touch and hold.
Keep copied links with Clipboard AI
A copied link lasts only until your next copy. Clipboard AI keeps it: after you copy, switch to its keyboard with the globe key (it saves your latest copy as it opens) or open the app. The link is filed under Links with the page title and icon, which Clipboard AI fetches from the site, so it does contact the page. For a link you do not trust, read the address in Notes first. The paste keyboard then inserts any saved link into a message in one tap, and smart categories explains how links, codes and addresses sort themselves. More ways to move text and links between apps are in the copy and paste guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is copying a URL different from copying a link?
No. A URL is the web address behind a link, and Copy Link copies the full address, including https://. Safari's address bar shows only the site name, but touching and holding it and choosing Copy Link still copies the complete address of the page you are on.
Does touching and holding a link open it?
No, but lifting your finger too soon counts as a tap and opens it, so keep holding until the menu appears. In Safari the menu comes with a preview, and tapping outside the preview closes it without leaving your current page, as Apple's Safari guide describes.
Can you paste a copied link straight into a text message?
Yes. Tap the message field, touch and hold, tap Paste, then send. Apple's Messages guide describes pasting a link into the text field. In iOS 27 the bar above Apple's keyboard also offers your latest copy as a one-tap paste suggestion, labeled with the source app.
Can I copy a link on iPhone and paste it on a Mac?
Yes, with Universal Clipboard. Both devices need the same Apple Account with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Handoff on, and must sit within 30 feet (10 meters). The copy stays available for only a short time, so paste soon after copying. On iPhone, Handoff lives under Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity.
Can you copy a link from a photo or screenshot?
Yes, with Live Text. Open the image, tap the Live Text button, touch and hold the address, drag the grab points and tap Copy. Apple's guide says Live Text must be on under Settings > General > Language & Region, and it is not available in every region or language.
Sources
- Apple Support, “Browse the web using Safari on iPhone”, iPhone User Guide for iOS 26 and iOS 27, read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, “Annotate and save a webpage as a PDF in Safari on iPhone”, iPhone User Guide, read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, “Share content in Messages on iPhone”, iPhone User Guide, read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, “Interact with content in a photo or video on iPhone”, iPhone User Guide, read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, “Copy and paste between your iPhone and other Apple devices”, iPhone User Guide, read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, “Select, edit, and move text on iPhone”, iPhone User Guide, read October 5, 2026
- Lapcat Software, “Safari 26 changed address bar copying”, September 2, 2025
- Yahoo Tech, “iOS 26 Took Away Safari Features We've Had Since 2007. Here's How to Get Them Back”, read October 5, 2026
- Matthew Cassinelli, “Get URLs from Input”, Shortcuts action reference, read October 5, 2026
- MacRumors, “iOS 27 Adds a Useful New Copy-and-Paste Feature to Your iPhone”, July 1, 2026
