The clipboard is where your Android device stores recently copied items. This allows you to easily copy and paste text, photos, files, etc. But the clipboard hasn’t always been easily accessible on Android phones — so where is the clipboard on Android?
In this article, we’ll explain how you can access the clipboard on an Android phone and which third-party apps will help you manage your clipboard for the best experience.
How to Access Clipboard History on Android
The clipboard is a feature of many operating systems, including Android, Windows, and Mac, but while these latter systems give you more control over the clipboard, that wasn’t always the case with Android.
Most Android devices only allow you to see and paste the last item copied to your clipboard. However, some newer models will now let you access the full clipboard history – an incredibly useful feature if you often copy and paste things (like memes) to your friends.
Unfortunately, it’s not clear which devices or versions of Android have this built-in clipboard feature and which don’t, so you’ll just have to try it on your device to find out. Some Samsung phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S20, have the option to view Android clipboard history natively.
To access clipboard history:
- Go to an app that has text capability, like posts, E-mailWhere Remarks.
- Long press your finger in the text field where it says “Type a message”.
- Faucet Clipboard.
- Scroll down to find the copied text you want to paste.
Use third-party apps to access clipboard history
Third-party keyboard and clipboard management apps offer additional functionality over built-in Android keyboards, including the ability to view and edit the clipboard. Here are the best clipboard options available:
gboard
Gboard is the official keyboard from Google. It is one of the most popular third-party keyboard apps and it is very easy to use. In fact, many newer Android models come with the Gboard keyboard pre-installed.
To set up and use the Android Gboard app:
- First, you need to make sure you have Gboard installed and set as your default keyboard. If you are using Gboard for the first time, you need to download and install Gboard from the Google Play Store.
- Then open Settings > Executive management.
- Faucet List of keyboards and defaults.
- Enable gboard then touch Default keyboard.
- Select gboard.
- Open an app that uses the keyboard, then tap the Clipboard icon above the letters.
- Faucet Enable clipboard.
- Now whenever you copy an item to the clipboard it will appear here as Recent.
To note: You can save clipboard items to your Gboard clipboard forever by pinning them. To pin an item, long press it and tap Pin.
Gboard is available on iOS through the Apple App Store, so iPhone users can also access their clipboard history.
SwiftKey
SwiftKey is a keyboard application developed by Microsoft. It also allows users to have better control over their clipboard, allowing them to easily view their clipboard history.
To use SwiftKey:
- Download and install SwiftKey from the Google Play Store.
- Set SwiftKey as the default keyboard by going to Settings > Executive management > List of keyboards and defaults.
- Enable SwiftKey then touch Default keyboard.
- Select SwiftKey.
- SwiftKey should now be enabled, so open an app that uses text.
- Copy the items you want to put to your clipboard, then press the Clipboard icon. Your copied items will appear in a list.
To note: As with Gboard, you can pin items by tapping the pin icon next to the entrance. This added clipboard functionality will ensure that your recent items stay on your clipboard for good.
Clipboard handlers
Standalone clipboard managers like Clipper provided additional clipboard functions that made it easier to use. However, starting with Android 10, Google revoked the ability for these third-party apps to access clipboard data, citing security concerns.
Use clipboard managers to easily store snippets, text and images
A clipboard manager allows you to save items that you often send to people. This is surprisingly useful for those who work from their Android smartphones and type the same information or greetings multiple times a day.
Luckily, when it comes to keyboard apps, there are plenty to choose from – and Gboard and SwiftKey are two of the best!