Device guides · 2026
Copy From iPhone to Linux
An iPhone and a Linux desktop are the least friendly pair there is: Apple’s Continuity features stop at the Mac, and iOS lets apps touch the clipboard only when you are using them. It can still be quick. Here are the three routes that work, which direction each one goes, and what they cost.
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
Three routes, and which way each one goes
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 oneBoth directions, anywhere, 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)
Open pasteableapp.com/app in your phone’s browser, tap “Paste from clipboard”, and the clip syncs to your Mac, Windows, or Linux history, end-to-end encrypted. It takes one tap; it is not automatic.
The catch: On an iPhone it is one tap in the browser today, not automatic. Free syncs your 25 most recent clips; Pro syncs up to 10,000. No notification mirroring or texting.
LocalSend
Sending a file or a snippet across the room
- Price
- Free (open source)
- Runs on
- Windows · macOS · Linux · Android · iOS
Pick the nearby device and send files or text over your local network, with no account and no internet.
The catch: A send button, not a shared clipboard: every transfer is manual, both devices need the app open on the same network, and there is no history.
With Pasteable
iPhone to Linux with Pasteable
- 1
Install on Linux
Download Pasteable for Linux (64-bit), sign in, and turn on sync.
- 2
Open the web app on iPhone
In Safari, go to pasteableapp.com/app, sign in with the same account, and add it to your home screen.
- 3
Tap “Paste from clipboard”
Copy on the phone, then tap “Paste from clipboard” (or type, or drop images and files up to 25 MB). It syncs end-to-end encrypted.
- 4
Paste on Linux
Press Ctrl+Shift+V to open your history and paste the clip.
Linux to iPhone
- 1
Copy on Linux
Copy as usual. Pasteable keeps text, links, images, and files in your history and syncs your recent clips.
- 2
Grab it on iPhone
Copy on your computer as usual, then open pasteableapp.com/app on your phone and tap the clip to copy it.
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 iPhone and Linux desktop
KDE Connect on iOS is one way
The iOS app can push the clipboard to the desktop when you tap “push clipboard”, but the desktop cannot push back to the iPhone’s clipboard, and notification sync and SMS are Android-only.
The other direction needs a second route
KDE Connect cannot set the iPhone clipboard, so for Linux → iPhone use a shared history (tap the clip on the phone) or send the text with LocalSend.
Make the web app one tap
In Safari, open pasteableapp.com/app, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. It opens like an app and remembers your sign-in.
FAQ
Common questions
Can I use Universal Clipboard with Linux?+
No. Universal Clipboard only works between Apple devices signed in to the same Apple Account.
Can I copy from Linux to my iPhone?+
Copy on your computer as usual, then open pasteableapp.com/app on your phone and tap the clip to copy it.
Why can’t any app sync my iPhone clipboard in the background?+
iOS only lets an app read the clipboard while you are using it, and asks permission when it does. That is why every option here starts with a tap on the iPhone.
Does it work when the iPhone is on mobile data?+
Pasteable does, because it syncs over the internet. KDE Connect and LocalSend need both devices on the same local network.
Is it free?+
KDE Connect and LocalSend 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. Your iPhone joins through the web app today.
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