Universal Clipboard Not Working? How to Fix Copy and Paste Between iPhone and Mac

Short answer: Universal Clipboard only works when both devices are signed in to the same Apple Account, have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, have Handoff on, and are near each other. If all four are true and it still fails, turn Handoff off and on again on both devices, then restart both. That fixes most cases.

What Universal Clipboard needs

Universal Clipboard is the part of Apple's Continuity features that lets you copy on an iPhone, iPad or Mac and paste on another one. There's no app and no button: when you copy, your nearby devices quietly offer the same clipboard. Apple lists four conditions, and every one has to hold on both devices:

1. Same Apple Account. Not just the same family or the same phone number. Check the name at the top of System Settings on the Mac and the top of Settings on the iPhone.
2. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. Both radios, on both devices. Bluetooth finds the other device; Wi-Fi carries the content.
3. Handoff on. It's on by default, but updates, profiles and "battery saver" habits turn it off.
4. Near each other. Bluetooth range, so the same room is safest.

The device also has to be new enough. Any Mac, iPhone or iPad that runs a current version of macOS, iOS or iPadOS supports it; Apple keeps the exact list on its Continuity system requirements page.

Fix it, step by step

Work through these in order and test after each one: copy a word on one device and paste it on the other within a few seconds.

1. Check Handoff on the Mac

1. Open System Settings → General → AirDrop & Handoff.
2. Turn on Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices. If it's already on, turn it off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on.

2. Check Handoff on the iPhone or iPad

1. Open Settings → General → AirPlay & Continuity (called AirPlay & Handoff on older versions).
2. Turn on Handoff, or toggle it off and on.

3. Turn Wi-Fi and Bluetooth fully on

On an iPhone, tapping Wi-Fi or Bluetooth in Control Center only disconnects it for a while; it doesn't turn the radio off, and it can leave Continuity half-working. Go to Settings → Wi-Fi and Settings → Bluetooth and make sure both switches are on. On the Mac, check both in Control Center or System Settings.

4. Confirm the same Apple Account

Open System Settings on the Mac and Settings on the iPhone and compare the account at the top. A work Mac signed in with a different Apple Account, or no account at all, will never share a clipboard with your personal phone.

5. Restart both devices

Apple's own advice, and it works more often than it should. Restart the Mac and the iPhone (not just lock them), then try again.

6. Update both devices

Continuity breaks most often right after one device updates and the other doesn't. Install updates on the Mac (System Settings → General → Software Update) and the iPhone (Settings → General → Software Update).

7. Sign out of your Apple Account and back in

If nothing else has worked, sign out on the device that misbehaves and sign back in. It takes a while and re-downloads some iCloud data, so leave it for last.

It works, but the copy disappears

That's by design. Apple says shared content stays on the other device's clipboard only briefly, or until you copy something else on either device. Paste within a few seconds to a minute of copying. If you copy on the Mac, then copy something on the iPhone, the Mac's copy is gone from both.

Large items, like a long video or a big batch of photos, can also take a moment to arrive. You may see a small progress indicator when you paste.

Things that commonly get in the way

• Managed work devices. Companies often turn off Handoff with a device management profile. If the switch is greyed out, ask your IT team.
• Low Power Mode. It reduces background activity on an iPhone; if Universal Clipboard is flaky, try with it off.
• Distance and walls. Universal Clipboard uses Bluetooth to notice the other device, so another room can be too far.
• A clipboard manager on the Mac. Most read the clipboard without changing it, so they don't interfere. If you suspect one, quit it for a minute and test.

When you need more than one copy

Universal Clipboard holds a single item for a short time, and only between Apple devices that are close together. If you want to paste something you copied an hour ago, or on a Mac in another city, you need a clipboard history that syncs. Pasta keeps everything you copy on your Mac as searchable cards and syncs it between your Macs, encrypted on the device before it leaves. Passwords and keys it detects never sync. See how to see your clipboard history on a Mac for the built-in options first.