How to copy and paste on an iPhone

I’m on a regular basis transferring bits of knowledge spherical on my iPhone — between paperwork and screens and apps — nevertheless I’m not on a regular basis constructive I’m doing it within the simplest way, significantly since Apple has recurrently modified the way in which during which that duplicate and paste works by the use of successive variations of iOS.

That’s why I needed to check out the entire fully totally different selections iOS in the intervening time presents you for copying and pasting textual content material and photographs, with out the acquainted shortcuts you get on a computer keyboard. These selections are outlined beneath and can take you from main copy and paste by the use of to some further superior ideas.

A observe: I’m penning this info using an iPhone 15 Professional Max working iOS 17.2.1, the newest mannequin of the software program program on the time of writing.

To repeat and paste textual content material, you first need to select it:

• To decide on non-editable textual content material (equal to textual content material on a webpage), press and keep on any part of a phrase until it’s highlighted.
• To decide on editable textual content material (when the on-screen keyboard is displaying), double-tap on a phrase to decide on it, or triple-tap on a paragraph to decide on it.

Whichever methodology you utilize, you probably can protect your finger pressed down after which switch it to broaden the selection. You’ll moreover see handles at each fringe of the selection, which you’ll be capable to faucet and drag to alter the place the selection begins and stops. (Observe: some apps cope with textual content material selection in any other case, nevertheless the press and keep movement will usually work.)

When you’re achieved, a pop-up bar will appear above your selection. What appears throughout the bar  can differ:

• Relying on the app and the textual content material, you could even see a Choose All risk listed. Faucet this to decide on the entire textual content material on an internet web page or in a bit.
• When you see Minimize and Copy selections, merely faucet each to hold out the movement. If Minimize isn’t displaying, the textual content material can’t be moved.
• When you favor gestures, pinch closed with three fingers on the selection to repeat the textual content material, or pinch closed with three fingers two events to cut back it.

You’re then ready to stick the textual content material:

• With the on-screen keyboard seen, faucet on the show the place you want the textual content material inserted.
• Decide Paste from the pop-up bar that appears.
• You can also pinch open with three fingers to stick textual content material.
• When you’re engaged on an editable doc and have to switch the textual content material, you probably can merely select the textual content material, faucet and keep it, then drag it to a model new location.

Copying and pasting photographs is a little more easy. To decide on an image in most  apps, along with Notes and Safari:

• Press and keep on the image.
• Faucet Minimize or Copy on the pop-up bar that appears. (Minimize will solely appear in the event you occur to’re working in an editable doc).

Apple Pictures doesn’t work within the similar strategy. To repeat an image using that app:

• Faucet the image thumbnail to make it full show.
• Then faucet the Share button (the sq. with the arrow, lower left), and choose Copy Photograph.

That sends the image to the clipboard. To stick it another place:

• With the on-screen keyboard displaying, faucet the place you might want to paste the image.
• Faucet Paste on the pop-up bar.

If the app that you just simply’re pasting the image into helps image resizing, you’ll see handles throughout the image that it is best to use to alter its dimension. Observe which you could possibly’t use the pinch gestures with photographs as you probably can with textual content material.

You’ll uncover that everytime you highlight textual content material and photographs, there are a variety of selections that appear on the pop-up bar. Probably the most useful one from a replica and paste perspective is likely to be Share — faucet on this to ship the chosen textual content material or image immediately to at least one different app in your iPhone.

In fact, in some circumstances you could uncover it easier to share one factor pretty than copying and pasting it — the chosen textual content material and movie will routinely be inserted throughout the app you choose. The Copy risk moreover appears on the Share menu, in the event you occur to need it.

Then there’s the Common Clipboard operate: When you’ve acquired an iPad or Mac signed into the similar Apple ID with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled, and the Handoff efficiency turned on, all these items will share a clipboard.

Which means you probably can copy one factor in your iPhone, then change to your Mac to stick it someplace, or vice versa. It’s vital to focus on Common Clipboard, even in the event you occur to don’t want to make use of it — in every other case, you could find yourself copying and pasting content material materials between items everytime you don’t truly have to.