How-To

How to Copy and Paste Text Between Android and Windows

By Brian Burgess

Published May 24, 2022

Connecting your Android phone and PC provides valuable features. One is the ability to copy and paste text between Android and Windows.

Microsoft has been improving the compatibility between Android and Windows for several years. After connecting your Android phone to Windows 11, you can do many things. For example, you can run apps, access photos, send messages, and make calls from your phone on your PC.

Another feature on Windows is the cloud clipboard, which allows copying and pasting text between Android and Windows. All you need to do is install the Microsoft-developed SwiftKey keyboard app for Android. Let’s look at how it all works.

Copy and Paste Text Between Android and Windows 11

Note: For this article, we’re using Windows 11, but the process is virtually identical on Windows 10.

First, you need to enable the Clipboard history feature if it isn’t already. You can enable it using the following steps:

1. Click Start or hit the Windows key to launch the Start menu and click on Settings.
2. When Settings opens, click System from the left-hand side.
3. Scroll down to the right list and select the Clipboard option from the menu.
4. Toggle the Clipboard history option On.
5. In the same section, enable Sync across your devices and select Automatically sync text that I copy.

Install Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard on Android

Now that you have Clipboard history enabled on Windows, you’ll need to get the SwiftKey keyboard on your Android phone.

To install SwiftKey on your phone, do the following:

1. Install Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard from the Google Play Store.
2. Launch the Microsoft Swift Key app after it installs.
3. Select Enable SwiftKey from the welcome screen.
4. Toggle the Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard to the On position.
5. Agree to the terms of service. Press the back button and choose SwiftKey as your input method.
6. Tap the Finish up button.
7. Choose the Microsoft account you want to use and sign in if you aren’t already.
8. You’ll get a notification letting you know the installation was successful. Tap OK.

Use the Copy and Paste Feature

Now that everything is ready to go, you can copy and paste text between Windows and your Android phone.

Copy and paste between devices by doing the following:

1. On your PC, copy some text from Word or a website.
2. Open an app to input text on your phone like Messages or an email. Tap the text field and choose Clipboard to display your clipboard history. Tap the text or image you want to send.
3. You can also copy text from Android to Windows. Copy text from an app on your Android device.
4. On your PC, open an app you can enter text like Word. Hit Windows key + V on your keyboard to launch the Cloud clipboard. Choose the text you want to add to the document or other app.

Using Android and Windows Together

That’s all there is to it. In addition to the ability to copy and paste text between Android and Windows, you can also copy images from the clipboard. You can also clear the clipboard from either device if you need to keep the clipboard clean. Finally, ensure that the sync across devices is enabled on your Android device and Windows if it stops working.

For more on using Android and Windows together, check out how to install Android apps on Windows 11. And when it comes to your phone, don’t forget you can split screen on Android and scan QR Codes.