To copy from an iPhone to a Windows PC, send what you copied through a free app such as LocalSend on the same Wi-Fi, a note that syncs, or a chat with yourself, then copy it again on the PC. You cannot yet copy on the iPhone and press Ctrl+V on the PC. Microsoft's Phone Link copies and pastes only with Android phones, and Apple expects to finish the EU feature that opens the iPhone clipboard to Windows PCs by fall 2027.
What Apple announced in August 2026
On August 3, 2026, MacRumors and 9to5Mac reported a new entry on Apple's page of interoperability requests in the EU, the process Apple set up to comply with the Digital Markets Act. Microsoft had asked on March 25, 2026 for a way to copy and paste between an iPhone and a Windows PC, saying it could not offer anything comparable to Universal Clipboard. Apple moved the request to its next phase on April 27, and on June 26 confirmed it would build a solution that lets an iPhone share and import clipboard items with a paired accessory, such as a Windows PC. Pairing would go through Apple's AccessorySetupKit, and you would give permission once for each PC.
None of it is available yet. Apple calls the project a significant engineering effort, expects to finish it by fall 2027, and plans a developer beta before the public release; MacRumors says that could mean early 2028 before the public gets it. MacRumors also expects the feature to be limited to the EU, though Apple could release it worldwide, and 9to5Mac says the timing points to iOS 28, which Apple has not confirmed. Neither report names the Windows app it would arrive in.
What does not work, or no longer does
- Universal Clipboard links only Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account.
- Phone Link pairs with an iPhone for calls, texts and notifications. Its cross-device copy and paste is listed only for Surface Duo and select Samsung, HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo and Xiaomi Android phones.
- Microsoft SwiftKey syncs copied text to Windows only from Android. Microsoft's support page says it is not possible to sync clips to iOS.
- Intel Unison used to link iPhones to Windows PCs, but its service ended for most PCs at the end of June 2025, and Intel stopped offering the app and drivers on January 1, 2026.
- Clipboard AI has no Windows app. It runs on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
5 ways to copy from iPhone to a Windows PC today
All of these except Phone Link work in both directions, and each adds one step between the copy and the paste.
1. LocalSend, on the same Wi-Fi
LocalSend is a free, open-source app for iPhone (iOS 13 or later) and Windows 10 or later. It sends text or files between devices on the same local network over an encrypted HTTPS connection, with no internet connection and no account.
- Install LocalSend on the iPhone from the App Store and on the PC from localsend.org.
- Open it on both devices while they are on the same Wi-Fi network.
- On the iPhone, choose to send text, paste what you copied, and tap the PC in the list of nearby devices.
- Accept on the PC, then copy the text that arrives.
If the devices cannot see each other, LocalSend's own troubleshooting points to four causes: AP isolation turned on in the router (common on guest networks), the Windows network set to Public instead of Private, Local Network permission switched off on the iPhone (Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network), or a VPN blocking local traffic.
2. A note that syncs
Paste into a note in the Notes app on the iPhone, saved to iCloud, then go to icloud.com/notes in Edge 130, Chrome 130 or Firefox 128 or later on the PC, sign in with your Apple Account, and copy it out. Nothing needs installing on the PC, but both ends need an internet connection. If you live in Microsoft's apps instead, Sticky Notes does the same job: the sticky notes in OneNote for iPhone appear in the Sticky Notes app on Windows when both use the same Microsoft account.
3. A chat with yourself
Send the text, link or photo to yourself in WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal, then open the same chat in the app's Windows or web version and copy it there. It works from anywhere with an internet connection and carries images and files as well as text. Everything you send passes through that service, so keep passwords and one-time codes out of it.
4. Phone Link, when it arrived by text
If what you need came in a text message, such as a delivery reference or a verification code, you may not need the iPhone's clipboard at all. Phone Link pairs over Bluetooth with an iPhone on iOS 16 or later, on a PC with Bluetooth Low Energy, and shows your texts on the PC, where you can select and copy them. It only shows one-to-one texts sent or received while the iPhone is connected, with no group chats or images, and that history disappears when Bluetooth disconnects.
5. Email or iCloud Drive, for photos and documents
For a photo or a document, emailing it to yourself still works. iCloud Drive is the other route: files you save to it on the iPhone show up at icloud.com in the PC's browser, or on the PC itself with iCloud for Windows.
The five methods compared
| Method | What to install | Carries | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| LocalSend | LocalSend on the iPhone (iOS 13 or later) and the PC (Windows 10 or later) | Text, photos, files | Same Wi-Fi network, no internet |
| iCloud Notes or Sticky Notes | Nothing on the PC for iCloud.com; OneNote on the iPhone for Sticky Notes | Text, plus images in iCloud Notes | Internet on both; Edge 130, Chrome 130 or Firefox 128 or later |
| A chat with yourself | WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal on both | Text, photos, files | Internet on both |
| Phone Link | Phone Link on the PC | Text messages only | iOS 16 or later, a PC with Bluetooth Low Energy |
| Email or iCloud Drive | Nothing, or iCloud for Windows | Photos, documents | Internet on both |
Moving several things at once
Every method above moves what you hand it, and the iPhone clipboard holds only your latest copy, so collecting an address, a reference number and a link for the PC means a round trip for each. A clipboard manager on the iPhone keeps them until you are ready. With Clipboard AI on iPhone, each copy is saved when you switch to its keyboard with the globe key, open the app, or use the Share sheet. The keyboard then pastes your saved clips one after another into a single LocalSend message, note or chat. The free plan keeps your last 10 copies and 5 saved clips, the keyboard is free, and how to see clipboard history on iPhone covers the other ways to keep more than one copy.
If you also use a Mac or an Android phone, sharing a clipboard between devices covers every pairing, and sharing a clipboard between iPhone and Android goes deeper on the phone-to-phone case. More guides are collected under clipboard sync and Universal Clipboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does iCloud for Windows sync the clipboard?
No. iCloud for Windows covers iCloud Drive, iCloud Photos, Passwords, bookmarks, and mail, calendars and contacts through Outlook, and none of those is a clipboard. Apple currently recommends running it on Windows 11 with iCloud for Windows 15. For whole files, its iCloud Drive folder is the closest substitute.
Can I copy from a Windows PC to an iPhone the same way?
Yes, with every method except Phone Link, which only brings texts to the PC. On the PC, Windows key + V opens a history of your last 25 copies, so you can pick several and paste them into the note or chat before you open it on the iPhone. If the history is off, turn it on in Start > Settings > System > Clipboard.
Is there an iPhone app that sends my copies to Windows automatically?
No. iOS lets an app read the clipboard only while you are using it, and since iOS 16 it asks before an app pastes something you copied in another app. So every iPhone-to-PC method starts with you: pasting into a note or chat, sending with LocalSend, or opening an app that saves the copy.
Does AirDrop work with a Windows PC?
No. AirDrop sends only between iPhone, iPad and Mac, with the devices within 30 feet (10 meters) of each other. On the same Wi-Fi, LocalSend is the closest thing for a PC, and it also sends to Android phones and Linux computers.
Sources
- MacRumors, “Apple Plans iPhone-to-Windows Copy and Paste in EU After Microsoft Request”, August 3, 2026
- 9to5Mac, “Apple plans to open iPhone clipboard access to Windows PCs”, August 3, 2026
- Apple Support, “Use Universal Clipboard to copy and paste between your Apple devices”, February 18, 2026
- Microsoft Support, “Phone Link requirements and setup”, read October 5, 2026
- Microsoft Support, “Seamlessly transfer content between your devices”, read October 5, 2026
- Microsoft Support, “Send and receive text messages from your PC”, read October 5, 2026
- Microsoft Support, “How to use Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard to copy and paste text between SwiftKey and Windows”, read October 5, 2026
- Microsoft Support, “Using the clipboard”, read October 5, 2026
- Microsoft Support, “See your sticky notes on other devices and the web”, read October 5, 2026
- Intel, “Customer Support Options for Intel Unison Discontinuation Notice”, last reviewed January 5, 2026
- 9to5Google, “Intel Unison allowed Android and iOS to connect to Windows, now it’s shutting down”, April 3, 2025
- LocalSend, “LocalSend: Share files to nearby devices”, read October 5, 2026
- LocalSend on GitHub, “README”, read October 5, 2026
- Apple, iCloud User Guide, “Create notes on iCloud.com”, read October 5, 2026
- Apple Support, “Which iCloud.com features are available in the browser on your device”, April 4, 2025
- Apple Support, “System requirements for iCloud”, September 30, 2026
- Apple, iPhone User Guide for iOS 27, “Use AirDrop to send items to nearby Apple devices”, read October 5, 2026
