How to Sync Clipboard History Between Mac and iPhone
Apple's built-in Universal Clipboard only syncs the last thing you copied, and it expires after about 2 minutes. If you copy something on your Mac and don't paste it on your iPhone fast enough — it's gone. And there's no history at all.
Option 1: The Hard Way (Universal Clipboard)
- 1 Copy on your Mac. Sprint to your iPhone. Paste within 2 minutes before it expires.
- 2 No history. No search. If you copied something yesterday, it's gone forever.
- 3 Doesn't work reliably when Bluetooth or Wi-Fi is flaky.
Option 2: The Sane Way (SaneClip)
- ✓ Full History Sync: Your entire clipboard history syncs between Mac and iPhone via iCloud (CKSyncEngine). Not just the last item — everything.
- ✓ No Expiration: Items don't disappear after 2 minutes. Copy on Mac Monday, paste on iPhone Friday. It's there.
- ✓ Free iOS App: The SaneClip companion app for iPhone and iPad is free. Browse, search, and tap to copy — with source-aware colors and Siri Shortcuts.