Fixed: Universal Clipboard Not Working

If the Universal Clipboard feature isn’t working on your Apple devices, we can help you fix the issue. We will walk you through two scenarios: how to fix the Universal Clipboard feature when it stops working right and if it doesn’t in the first place.

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• Universal Clipboard Not Working Once Set Up
• How to Fix Universal Clipboard Stopped Working
• FAQ

Universal Clipboard Not Working Once Set Up

If you've set up your Universal Clipboard and notice that you aren't able to copy on one device and paste on another, it could be due to several issues. First, make sure you set up the Apple Universal Clipboard feature correctly on all your devices. This means checking for compatible devices and software and also making sure that all your devices are set up under the same Apple ID and running the latest software so that they are compatible with each other. Finally, make sure that you are attempting to copy and paste something that can actually be copied and pasted, such as links, photos, and large text.

Universal Clipboard won't be on every Apple device. You need an iPhone SE (1st Generation) or later running iOS 10 or later, a fifth-generation or later iPad running iPadOS 10 or later, and a Mac running macOS Sierra or later. Once you confirm hardware and software compatibility, make sure to check your settings, primarily that Handoff and Bluetooth are enabled on the device you are trying to copy from and the device you are trying to paste to. Finally, you can try restarting your devices, turning the Handoff feature and Bluetooth off, and then back on again. For more detailed steps, follow the instructions below.

How to Fix Universal Clipboard Stopped Working

Once you’ve gotten the hang of the Universal Clipboard feature on your devices, you will never want to go back! So when you experience the Universal Clipboard not working, it is super frustrating, but we’ll help you fix it.

1. Make sure your Bluetooth is enabled on all your devices. You can also try turning it off and then back on again.

The Bluetooth settings can be found in the Control Center of all your Apple devices. We have device-specific articles if you need a refresher on how to turn Bluetooth off and then back on again on your iPhone or iPad and on your Mac. You can even add the Bluetooth icon to your Menu bar for easier access.

2. Restart your devices.

 

Turning your devices off then back on again can fix random glitches and other software problems on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac. To restart an iPhone X or later, press and hold the Side button and volume up buttons simultaneously, then use the slider to power your phone off. Then hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears to turn it back on.

The steps to turn off an iPad depend on the model and what buttons it has. If you have an iPad with a Home button, long press the top button of your iPad for approximately three seconds, then use the slider to turn it off. On iPads that have Face ID or Touch ID, long press one of the volume buttons and the top button simultaneously, and then use the slider to power off. To turn an iPad back on, press and hold the top button (Power button) until the Apple logo appears.

 

Restarting a Mac is even easier because there is a designated Restart button. Just click on the Apple icon on the left of your Menu bar, then select Restart, and confirm that you want to restart it. If your Mac is frozen, you can press and hold the power button to turn your Mac off (and again to turn it back on). If you like tips like this, be sure to sign up for our Tip of the Day newsletter.

3. Make sure all your devices are up to date.

 

Sometimes, a known glitch can be the cause of an issue like the Universal Clipboard feature not copy-pasting between devices. Updating your device will path known bugs. Keeping your devices up to date is good practice for security reasons too. You can update your iPhone and iPad by going into Settings, then General, and tapping on Software Update.  

To update your Mac, click on the Apple logo on the top left of your Menu bar and select System Settings. From there, navigate to General, then click on Software Update.

 

4. Make sure your devices have Handoff enabled. You can also try turning it off and then back on again.

When you originally set up your Universal Clipboard, you enabled Handoff on your devices. It is possible that you accidentally turned off the settings, so it is a good idea to check if it really is enabled. On an iPhone and iPad:

1. Open Settings and tap General.
   
   
2. Select AirPlay & Handoff.
   
   
3. Make sure Handoff is toggled on. It might be a good idea to toggle it off and then back on again to see if it reboots the features.
   
    

To make sure that Handoff is enabled on your Mac:

1. Click on the Apple logo on the top left of your Menu bar and select System Settings.
   
   
2. Navigate to General and click on AirPlay & Handoff.
   
   
3. Make sure that Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices is enabled. It might be a good idea to toggle it off and then back on again to see if it reboots the features.
   
   

5. If Universal Clipboard still doesn't work, reset the network settings on your devices.

 

The next step to try is resetting the network settings on your iPhone and iPad. Do keep in mind that resetting your network settings removes your saved Wi-Fi connections and means you'll have to enter Wi-Fi passwords again after the reset.

6. Sign out of your Apple ID on your devices and sign back in.

 For the Universal Clipboard to work correctly in the first place, all the devices you wish to copy from and paste to must be signed in to the same Apple ID. If nothing else worked, you may want to try signing out of your Apple ID on the devices you wish to use the Universal Clipboard on and then sign back in. On an iPhone and iPad:

1. Open Settings and tap on your name at the top of the screen.
   
   
2. Scroll to the very bottom and select Sign Out, then follow the on-screen directions to finish the sign-out process. You will need your passcode to sign out and sign back in again.
   
   

To sign out of your Apple ID on a Mac:

1. Click on the Apple logo on the top left of your Menu bar and select System Settings. Then click on your name at the top of the settings.
   
   
2. Scroll to the very bottom and select Sign Out, then follow the on-screen directions to finish the sign-out process. You will need your passcode to sign out and to sign back in again.
   
   

7. Reset your Mac’s clipboard using the native Terminal app.

 

The final step to try before contacting Apple Support is to try resetting your Mac’s clipboard using the native Terminal app. You can find the app by typing “Terminal” into"the search bar or in the Finder's Application folder inside Utilities.

1. Open the Terminal app.
   
   
2. Type the command “pbcopy < /dev/null” in the Terminal and press Enter.
   
   
3. Press Return (Enter) on your keyboard.
   
   
   Image courtesy of Apple.
4. Now you can check to see that the clipboard is empty by opening Finder and then clicking on Edit.
   
   
5. Click on Show Clipboard. Here, you will see if there's anything saved to your Mac's clipboard.
   
   
   

Now you know how to troubleshoot your devices’ Universal Clipboard not working. The universal clipboard feature is really useful and one of the reasons why the Apple ecosystem is so popular. I love to copy content from one device and paste it on another without having to AirDrop or text myself. Next, learn how to move an open app from iPhone to Mac.