Tushar Mehta / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Apple is finally working on iPhone-to-Windows clipboard syncing after a Microsoft interoperability request in the EU.
- The feature will let users copy and paste between an iPhone and a Windows PC, similar to Apple’s Universal Clipboard.
- Android users have had this functionality for years through Microsoft’s Phone Link and SwiftKey.
Apple is finally working on a feature that Android users have enjoyed for years.
As part of the European Union’s interoperability requirements, Apple has confirmed (via MacRumors) that it’s developing a way for users to seamlessly copy and paste content between an iPhone and a paired Windows PC.
The move comes after Microsoft requested the feature, saying that Windows users should have the same cross-device clipboard functionality that Apple already offers between Macs, iPhones, and iPads through its Universal Clipboard.
If this sounds familiar, it’s because Android users have long had a similar functionality through Microsoft’s Phone Link app and the SwiftKey Keyboard. Both of these apps support clipboard syncing with Android devices, and have done so for years.
Apple’s implementation will work a little differently under the hood, though.
According to Apple’s interoperability documentation, developers will be able to build an extension that shares clipboard (pasteboard) content with paired accessories, including Windows PCs. Whenever a user copies something on their iPhone, iOS will notify the extension, which can then securely transfer the clipboard contents to the paired device using Apple’s Accessory Transport Extension framework.
Microsoft had requested persistent clipboard access from Apple, and the Cupertino company initially said it needed to evaluate whether the feature was technically feasible and if it could preserve iOS security and integrity. Later on, Apple decided to proceed with the solution, describing the project as a “significant engineering effort” that will not wrap up until fall 2027.
That said, since the solution is currently part of Apple’s EU interoperability process, it could be limited to users in the European Union. Microsoft will also need to use Apple’s AccessorySetupKit framework to obtain user permission for every paired Windows PC before clipboard syncing can begin.
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