Make the most of the Windows universal cloud clipboard with this nifty trick for Android users.
Windows 10 and Windows 11 offer a universal cloud clipboard through which you can copy and store text from one PC and paste it on another PC. But the clipboard also works with an Android device. Through Microsoft’s SwiftKey keyboard for Android, you can copy an item on your Windows PC and then paste it on your Android device, or vice versa.
You’ll need a Microsoft account to use and sync the clipboard across different computers and devices. Make sure you log into each PC and device with the same account. Your Android device will only be able to paste the last item you copied and store it just for an hour.
In terms of privacy, your clipboard data is encrypted and isn’t linked to your Microsoft account or permanently stored by Microsoft. However, you still should refrain from using the cloud clipboard syncing for sensitive information, such as passwords or financial details.
First, you’ll want to set up the universal cloud clipboard in Windows 10 or 11 if you haven’t already done so. This works the same in both versions of Windows. Go to Settings > System > Clipboard. Turn on the switches for Clipboard history and Sync across devices (Sync across your devices in Windows 11). Then select the option for Automatically sync text that I copy.
If you haven’t yet tried the universal clipboard in Windows, open a document, file, or message. Copy and paste a few different instances of text. Hold down the Windows key and press V. You’ll now see a history of all the items you’ve copied. To paste a specific item, simply click on it in the clipboard history.
Now, segue to your Android device. Open the Google Play store and search for the Microsoft SwiftKey keyboard, or launch a browser and open the Google Play store link for the keyboard. Install it and open the SwiftKey keyboard app. At the Welcome screen, tap Enable SwiftKey.
The next screen displays available keyboards on your device. Turn on the switch for Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard. A notice pops up cautioning you that this input method may be able to collect all the text you type, including personal data like passwords and credit card numbers. Tap OK.
Tap the left arrow at the top to return to the Welcome screen for SwiftKey. Tap the button for Select SwiftKey. The next screen asks you to choose an input method. Check the option for Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard. Back at the Welcome screen, tap the button for Finish up.
At the next screen, confirm the account for using the SwiftKey keyboard. Make sure it’s the same account you use to sign into your Windows PC. If not, tap the button for Other accounts and sign in with the correct account. The next screen asks if you want to share data with Microsoft about how you type. This level of sharing is not required to sync your clipboard, so feel free to answer No here. You’ll receive a message telling you that the installation was successful.
You’re then placed at the settings screen for the SwiftKey keyboard. Tap the setting for Rich input and then select Clipboard. Turn on the switch for Sync clipboard history. Make sure the switches are also turned on for Remember copied items and Show last copied item as quick paste option on prediction bar. With the latter option, only the last copied item appears on the prediction bar in the SwiftKey keyboard.
Now it’s time to take the feature for a spin. Select and copy some text in an app on your Windows computer. On your Android device, open an app in which you can input text, such as Mail or Messages. Tap any area where you can enter text to display the keyboard. Tap the clipboard icon in the toolbar above the keyboard and you should see the text you copied from Windows. Tap the text to insert it into the current area.
You can copy from Android to Windows as well. Select and copy text from an app on your Android device. In Windows, open an application in which you can enter text. Press the Windows key and the V key to display the cloud clipboard. You should see the text you copied from Android. Click the text to insert it.
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Surviving a long and varied career in publishing, advertising, and IT, Lance Whitney now wears a few different technology hats. By day, he’s a journalist, software trainer, and sometime Web developer. By night, he’s asleep. These days, he writes news stories, columns, and reviews for CNET and other technology sites and publications. He’s written two books for Wiley & Sons: Windows 8 Five Minutes at a Time in 2012, and Teach Yourself VISUALLY LinkedIn in 2014. Contact Lance via Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
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