Is Universal Clipboard working?
Stop guessing. Send a test code from one Apple device to the other and find out in 20 seconds, with the exact fixes if it fails.
First, open this page on your other device
Point your iPhone or iPad camera at the code. Then use the two buttons below, one on each device.
First, open this page on your other device
On your Mac or other Apple device, go to clipboardai.app/tools/universal-clipboard-test. Then use the two buttons below, one on each device.
Universal Clipboard only runs between Apple devices
To move text between an iPhone and another kind of device, see sharing a clipboard between iPhone and Android or copying between iPhone and Windows.
Send from one device
Press this on the device you're copying from.
Check on the other device
Then press this on the other device, within a few seconds.
Universal Clipboard is working in this direction.
Your other device's copy reached this one. Now swap: press Copy test code here, then Check what arrived over there, to test the other way.
The test code didn't arrive.
Work through this list, then run the test again. Most fixes take a few seconds.
The fix list, in the order to try it
Still stuck? The full Universal Clipboard guide covers the rarer fixes.
Don't depend on one short-lived copy.
Universal Clipboard passes along one item for a short while. Clipboard AI keeps what you copy, and Pro syncs it across iPhone, iPad and Mac through your own private iCloud, up to 10x faster than a plain iCloud clipboard.
Free to start. Pro adds unlimited history and iCloud sync: $19.99 a year, or $34.99 once, for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Solves the copy-paste problem I keep running into on my Mac.
Digital Trends
Don't depend on one short-lived copy.
Universal Clipboard passes along one item for a short while. Clipboard AI keeps what you copy, and Pro syncs it across iPhone, iPad and Mac through your own private iCloud, up to 10x faster than a plain iCloud clipboard.
Free to start. Pro adds unlimited history and iCloud sync: $19.99 a year, or $34.99 once, for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
The feature that makes the app feel most useful.
Digital Trends, on the keyboard
Have an iPhone and a Mac?
Clipboard AI keeps what you copy, and Pro syncs it between them through your own private iCloud. Scan the code with your iPhone camera to get it.
Free to start. Pro adds unlimited history and iCloud sync: $19.99 a year, or $34.99 once, for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Also use an iPhone or a Mac?
Clipboard AI isn't available on Android. On iPhone, iPad and Mac it saves what you copy and puts it a tap away. See how it works.
How this test works
Each device makes its own short code with the time on it. When you press Copy test code, that code goes on your clipboard, exactly like anything else you copy. If Universal Clipboard is working, the other device receives it, and pressing Check what arrived finds it there.
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| It works | The code came from your other device, so Universal Clipboard is working in that direction. |
| This device's own code | You're checking on the device you copied from. Press Check what arrived on the other one. |
| An old code | The code is from an earlier try, so nothing new arrived. Copy again and check right away. |
| Something else | Your clipboard holds something other than the code, so the copy didn't reach this device. |
Questions
How do I know if Universal Clipboard is working?
Open this page on both devices. Press Copy test code on one, then press Check what arrived on the other. If the code arrives, Universal Clipboard is working in that direction. Then swap the devices to test the other way.
What does Universal Clipboard need?
Both devices need the same Apple Account, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Handoff turned on, and they need to be near each other. Apple gives 30 feet (10 meters) as the limit.
Why is Universal Clipboard only working one way?
Test each direction on this page to see which one fails. Then keep the device you copy on awake and unlocked, turn Handoff off and back on on both devices, and test again. If it still fails, update and restart both devices.
How long does a Universal Clipboard copy last?
Apple says a copy stays on your other devices briefly, or until you copy something else on either device. Macworld put it at about two minutes, so paste soon after you copy.
Does Universal Clipboard work with Windows or Android?
No. It only runs between Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account.
Does this test see my clipboard?
Only on this page, in your browser. It checks whether your clipboard holds a test code and nothing is uploaded or saved. We only count anonymous events, such as how many people ran the test.
More free clipboard tools
Don't depend on one short-lived copy.
Universal Clipboard passes along one item for a short while. Clipboard AI keeps what you copy, and Pro syncs it across iPhone, iPad and Mac through your own private iCloud, up to 10x faster than a plain iCloud clipboard.
Free to start. Pro adds unlimited history and iCloud sync: $19.99 a year, or $34.99 once, for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Solves the copy-paste problem I keep running into on my Mac.
Digital Trends
Don't depend on one short-lived copy.
Universal Clipboard passes along one item for a short while. Clipboard AI keeps what you copy, and Pro syncs it across iPhone, iPad and Mac through your own private iCloud, up to 10x faster than a plain iCloud clipboard.
Free to start. Pro adds unlimited history and iCloud sync: $19.99 a year, or $34.99 once, for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
The feature that makes the app feel most useful.
Digital Trends, on the keyboard
Have an iPhone and a Mac?
Clipboard AI keeps what you copy, and Pro syncs it between them through your own private iCloud. Scan the code with your iPhone camera to get it.
Free to start. Pro adds unlimited history and iCloud sync: $19.99 a year, or $34.99 once, for iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Also use an iPhone or a Mac?
Clipboard AI isn't available on Android. On iPhone, iPad and Mac it saves what you copy and puts it a tap away. See how it works.