Take Me to My Clipboard: How to Access Clipboard on Android

By Sruthy

By Sruthy

Sruthy, with her 10+ years of experience, is a dynamic professional who seamlessly blends her creative soul with technical prowess. With a Technical Degree in Graphics Design and Communications and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronics and Communication, she brings a unique combination of artistic flair…

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Updated June 15, 2023

This tutorial explains the simple steps on How to Access Clipboard on Android and how to find clipboards easily on Android:

What would we have done without ‘copy and paste’? Be it a laptop, a smartphone, or a tablet, these are simple basic functions we rely heavily upon.

However, there is a question – are you sure you are taking full advantage of your clipboard?

Clipboards on Android work differently on different devices depending on the Android version they are using. You can access the clipboard on some devices through a keyboard app while some come with built-in clipboards.

In this article, we will discuss how to access clipboards and how to find clipboards on Android. There are a few ways to view your clipboard history.

Let’s go through some of them.

How to Access Clipboard on Android

Take Me to My Clipboard

So, how do I access the clipboard on Android?

You can access and open the clipboard on Android using three ways:

  1. Gboard from Google
  2. SwiftKey from Microsoft
  3. Clipper Clipboard Manager, a third-party app

How to View Clipboard History

#1) Gboard from Google

You can easily access the clipboard on your phone using Gboard. Instead of wondering where is my clipboard on my phone, use Gboard to access it anytime you want quickly.

Here’s how:

#1) Open Google PlayStore and install Gboard.

gboard - Access Clipboard on Android

#2) Open and set up your Gboard.

setup your Gboard - Access Clipboard on Android

#3) Tap on Select Input Method.

input - Access Clipboard on Android

#4) Select Gboard.

#5) Tap on Done.

additional language

Accessing Clipboard on Android using Gboard

After installing and setting up Gboard, it’s time to go to my clipboard.

#1) Open the app where you want to use the clipboard.

#2) Tap on the screen to launch Gboard.

#3) Tap on the three dots on the right side of the keyboard.

#4) Select Clipboard.

Select Clipboard

#5) Slide the glider on the Clipboard screen to the right to turn it on.

clipboard

Once you have turned on the clipboard, you can access everything you have copied from your Gboard menu. Also, you will not need to keep asking yourself, where is the clipboard on my phone?

How to copy with Clipboard

Here’s how you can use the copy-paste functionality of your clipboard:

  • Type your text.
  • Hold down the word to select it and drag to select the range of text you want to copy or tap on select all
  • Tap on copy or cut

How to paste with Clipboard:

  • Open the app you want to paste.
  • Tap on the text on the clipboard you want to paste.

How to clear the clipboard on Android

A clipboard is like a storage device. It can store almost any kind of data you have copied. It is essential to keep clearing the clipboard from time to time to make sure your private data stays safe.

Deleting Snips One-by-One:

  • Open your Gboard
  • Tap on the three dots to access the clipboard
  • Tap on Clipboard
  • Tap and hold the snip you want to delete
  • Select delete

paste

Deleting Several Snips Together

You can delete several copied items together from your clipboard.

#1) Open your clipboard.

#2) Tap on the pencil icon at the top right side of the clipboard.

pencil icon

#3) Tap on the snips you want to delete.

#4) Select the bin icon to delete the selected snips.

bin icon

How to Pin a Snippet on Clipboard

Everything on the Gboard clipboard disappears after an hour. If you want to save the clip until you decide to delete it, you will have to pin it.

Pin Texts Individually:

  • Open your clipboard
  • Tap and hold the text you want to pin
  • Select Pin

Pin Multiple Snips Simultaneously:

  • Open your clipboard
  • Tap on the Pen icon
  • Select the clips you want to pin
  • Tap on the Pin icon

How to retrieve items on your clipboard for Android?

  • Open the app where you want to retrieve your clipboard data.
  • Select the text field by long pressing anywhere on the app.
  • Keep pressing and holding down the selected area until a dialogue box appears.
  • Select Paste to retrieve your clipboard data.

#2) SwiftKey from Microsoft

Wondering how to find clipboards on Android? Use Swiftkey. This is yet another excellent keyboard app that allows you to easily access the clipboard.

#1) Open Google Play Store and search for SwiftKey.

#2) Install and open Swiftkey.

#3) Tap on Enable Swiftkey.

enable

#4) Tap on Off beside your SwiftKey keyboard to turn it on.

on screen

#5) Select Ok

cancel - Access Clipboard on Android

#6) Press the back button.

#7) Tap on Select Swiftkey.

#8) In Choose input method, select Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard.

#9) Select Ok.

choose

#10) Tap on Finish Up.

#11) Select an account to sign in to.

add

#12) Tap yes on the next screen.

#13) Tap Ok.

#14) Open the app where you want to access the clipboard.

#15) Tap on the screen to launch the keyboard.

#16) Tap on the clipboard icon to access the clipboard.

change - Access Clipboard on Android

#17) Select Manage.

manage

#18) Tweak the settings and pin snips you want to save.

remember

#19) You can also edit the snips or add shortcuts for them.

edit snip - Access Clipboard on Android

#3) Clipper Clipboard Manager

Clipper Clipboard Manager is an extremely easy-to-use third-party app. Here’s how you can use it instead of wondering ‘where’s my clipboard?’

#1) Open Google Play Store.

#2) Search for the Clipper Clipboard Manager app and install it.

#3) Launch the app.

clipper

#4) Tap on Clipboard to access your clipboard.

#5) Select Snippet for the clippings you use often to copy them quickly.

#6) Tap on the list to create and modify your list.

list to create - Access Clipboard on Android

#7) Tap and hold a snip to select and delete it.

#8) Tap on the three dots beside a clip to access more options

However, recently this app has become incompatible with some Android versions. You can choose other third-party clipboard apps from your Google Play Store.

Clipboard on Android 13

Ok Google, take me to my clipboard, says Google Pixel phone owners, and voilà, their clipboard appears. We referred to Google Pixel owners because Android 13 is only available on Pixel phones. We are hoping to get an Android update sometime.

Also, Android 13 is the only OS where you can see your clipboard as soon as you copy something. Also, you get to edit the clipboard as you want. As soon as you copy the text, you will see a small window in the bottom-left corner. There you will see a preview of your cut or copied text.

Where is My Clipboard on my Android Phone

Ever wondered where is clipboard on Android?

Clipboard on Android phones stores the information in RAM. You can’t access it directly on stock Android phones. If you have a Samsung phone, you can find it in the Your phone/data/Clipboard directory. However, you can’t access clipboards even on Samsung phones without rooting for your phone. With a clipboard manager, you can access the history easily.

Clipboard Tips to Keep in Mind

Here are some tips for you to consider with your clipboard:

  1. Never save sensitive information on your clipboard, like credit card details, pins, passwords, etc. They can fall into the wrong hands. Keep this in mind, especially if you are using third-party apps.
  2. Check the reviews before downloading any third-party clipboard app. Just go for reputed apps with positive reviews.
  3. Be careful about what permissions you are giving your apps. Some apps can access your clipboard without you knowing. Also, if it is a fraudulent clipboard app, it can steal data from your phone under the pretext of app permissions.
  4. If you have an app, you can access it right from your status bar. Be careful about the information it is displaying, especially when you are in public.

Suggested reading => How to open XML files online

Frequently Asked Questions

Q #1) How do you access the clipboard on an Android phone?

Answer: You can use Gboard, SwiftKey, or a third-party clipboard manager app to access the clipboard on an Android phone.

Q #2) How do I find things saved to my clipboard?

Answer: Open your keyboard and tap on the clipboard icon to open it. From there you will be able to find things saved to your clipboard.

Q #3) Can you recover the clipboard history?

Answer: Yes, you can. Click on the clipboard icon on your Gboard keyboard. From there, you can view and restore the clipboard history.

Q #4) Is clipboard history stored?

Answer: No, the clipboard is not stored. The snips get deleted an hour after they are copied until you pin them.

Q #5) How do I see what’s on my clipboard on my phone?

Answer: To see what’s on your clipboard, tap on the clipboard icon on your keyboard.

Conclusion

Clipboards are simple yet extremely useful tools. You can use the same text over and over again without having to type it every time. Once you get used to it, you will be cursing all those times when you didn’t use the clipboard to its fullest.

In this article, we have discussed in great detail everything about clipboards – how you can use them, where to find them, how to edit them, how to access Clipboard on Android, and more. If you are not a fan of different keyboards, you can use third-party clipboard manager apps to use your clipboard.

Also Read =>> How to Open Clipboard in Windows 10 or Android

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