Device guides · 2026
Copy and Paste From Android to Mac
Universal Clipboard is the reason copy and paste feels effortless between an iPhone and a Mac, and it is the reason Android feels left out: Apple only lets its own devices join. Neither Apple nor Google ships a bridge. Here is what actually moves a link, a code, or a photo from an Android phone to a Mac, and back.
Where Pasteable stands: The Android app is on Google Play under the same plan. The iPhone app is in App Store review and not downloadable yet. Until then your iPhone uses the web app.
Your options
Four ways that work without an Apple phone
What each one needs, and where each falls short. Our own card has a catch too.
KDE Connect
Free and local, on any desktop
- Price
- Free (open source)
- Runs on
- Linux · Windows · macOS · Android · iOS
Install it on both devices and pair them on the same network. On Android, tap “Send clipboard” in its notification; on iPhone, tap “push clipboard”.
The catch: Both devices must be on the same network (or paired over Bluetooth). No images on the shared clipboard, no history, and on iPhone it only goes phone → computer.
Pasteable vs KDE ConnectPasteable
We make this oneAny Android phone, at home or away, with a history
- Price
- Free · Pro $6/mo or $60/yr · $80 founder lifetime
- Runs on
- Mac · Windows · Linux · Android · Web (iPhone app in App Store review)
Install Pasteable on your phone and sign in with the same account. What you capture there syncs to your Mac, Windows, or Linux history, end-to-end encrypted.
The catch: Free syncs your 25 most recent clips; Pro syncs up to 10,000. On Android you save a clip from the Pasteable keyboard, widget, or share sheet, because Android does not let apps read the clipboard in the background. No notification mirroring or texting.
scrcpy
Developers with a cable and USB debugging on
- Price
- Free (open source)
- Runs on
- Linux · Windows · macOS + Android
Mirrors and controls your Android screen from the computer over adb. While it runs, text you copy on the phone lands on the computer clipboard, and Ctrl+V in the mirror window pastes the computer clipboard into the phone.
The catch: Needs USB debugging (Developer options) and a cable or adb over the network, only works while the mirror window is open, and the clipboard is text only.
Message or email yourself
A one-off, on any device
- Price
- Free
- Runs on
- Anything with email or a chat app
Paste the text into a note-to-self chat, an email, or a notes app, then open it on the other device and copy it out.
The catch: Slow for anything you do often, it clutters your inbox, and one-time codes and passwords end up sitting in chat history.
With Pasteable
Android to Mac with Pasteable
- 1
Install on Mac
Download Pasteable for Mac (macOS 11 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel), sign in, and turn on sync.
- 2
Install on Android
Get Pasteable from Google Play and sign in with the same account.
- 3
Save the clip
Copy as usual, then save it with the Pasteable keyboard, the home-screen widget, or the share sheet. It syncs end-to-end encrypted.
- 4
Paste on the Mac
Press ⌘+Shift+V to open your history and paste the clip.
And back, Mac to Android
- 1
Copy on the Mac
Copy as usual. Pasteable keeps text, links, images, and files in your history and syncs your recent clips.
- 2
Grab it on Android
Copy on your computer as usual. The clip is waiting in the Pasteable app on your phone. The Pasteable keyboard shows your synced clips too, so you can paste it into any app.
v3.2.25
Pasteable for Android is on Google Play. The iPhone app is in App Store review right now. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you the moment it’s live, or use the web app on your iPhone today.
Good to know
Details for Android phone and Mac
KDE Connect on a Mac
KDE Connect publishes a macOS build (DMG or Homebrew). Pair it with the Android app on the same network, then use “Send clipboard” in the phone’s KDE Connect notification each time.
Why there is always a tap on Android
Since Android 10, apps cannot read the clipboard in the background, so every tool here needs a tap on the phone side, or a keyboard that is open when you copy.
Photos and screenshots
KDE Connect’s shared clipboard skips images; send them with its Share feature instead. Pasteable syncs images and files (Free up to 1 GB each) along with text.
FAQ
Common questions
Does Apple’s Universal Clipboard work with Android?+
No. Universal Clipboard needs every device signed in to the same Apple Account with Handoff on, so it only covers Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro.
What is the free way to copy from Android to a Mac?+
KDE Connect. Install it on the Mac and the phone, pair them on the same network, and tap “Send clipboard” in its notification on Android. It is free and open source, with no account.
Can I copy from Android to my Mac when I am not on the same Wi-Fi?+
Yes, with Pasteable: it syncs over the internet, end-to-end encrypted, so the phone can be on mobile data. KDE Connect and scrcpy need a local connection.
Can I paste from my Mac into an Android app?+
Copy on your computer as usual. The clip is waiting in the Pasteable app on your phone.
Is it free?+
KDE Connect and scrcpy are free and open source. Pasteable is free to start with 25 end-to-end encrypted synced clips and files up to 1 GB; Pro syncs up to 10,000 clips and files up to 5 GB for $6/month, $60/year, or a one-time Lifetime licence ($80 founder price for the first 100 buyers, then $100).
Keep reading
Related guides and comparisons
Your clipboard, on every device
Free on Mac, Windows, and Linux, with 25 end-to-end encrypted synced clips. Add the Android app and you are set.
v3.2.25
Pasteable for Android is on Google Play. The iPhone app is in App Store review right now. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you the moment it’s live, or use the web app on your iPhone today.
On your phone? Open the web app