Best Cloud Clipboard Sync Options for Windows in 2026

To sync text between two Windows PCs, use the clipboard sync built into Windows. For a Windows PC and a supported Android phone, use Phone Link's cross-device copy and paste, or Microsoft SwiftKey's Cloud Clipboard. If you need iPhone, Mac or several platforms at once, ClipboardFusion Pro is the paid option, and KDE Connect is a free, open-source option for Android and Windows.

Every one of these sends what you copy to another device, and most send it through an online account. Turn on only the one you need, and keep passwords and one-time codes out of it.

Cloud clipboard options compared

Windows clipboard sync: best for two Windows PCs

Windows can sync copied text between PCs signed in to the same Microsoft account or work account. Microsoft documents it for text only, so screenshots and copied files stay on the PC where you copied them.

1. Turn on clipboard history: press Windows logo key + V and select Turn on.
2. Go to Start > Settings > System > Clipboard.
3. Set Clipboard history across your devices to On. (Windows 10 calls it Sync across devices.)
4. Choose Automatically sync text that I copy, or Manually sync text that I copy if you only want to send selected items. With manual sync, open Win+V and select the sync button on an item to upload it.
5. Repeat on the second PC with the same account.

Manual sync is the safer choice for most people, because nothing leaves the PC unless you pick it. What Microsoft syncs across devices covers the details, and how to share your clipboard between two Windows PCs walks through the whole setup.

Phone Link: best for Windows and an Android phone

Phone Link's cross-device copy and paste lets you copy text or images on your phone and paste on your PC, and the other way round. Microsoft lists support for Surface Duo, Android phones on One UI 2.1 or later, and selected HONOR, OPPO, ASUS, vivo and Xiaomi models.

1. Link your phone in the Phone Link app on the PC.
2. In Phone Link, go to Settings > Features > Cross-device copy and paste.
3. Turn on Allow this app to access and transfer content I copy and paste between my phone and PC.

Microsoft notes that whatever you copy on either device replaces the clipboard on both. That's convenient, and it also means a password copied on your phone lands on your PC. Phone Link clipboard access: a privacy checklist covers what to check before turning it on.

Microsoft SwiftKey Cloud Clipboard: Android phones Phone Link doesn't support

If your phone isn't on Phone Link's list, the SwiftKey keyboard for Android can sync copied text with Windows. According to Microsoft Support, it's Android only, needs a Microsoft account signed in on both devices, and keeps only your last copied clip, available for an hour.

On the PC, turn on Clipboard history and the sync toggle under Settings > System > Clipboard. In SwiftKey, go to Rich input > Clipboard and turn on Sync clipboard history to the cloud. Do SwiftKey and Gboard cloud clipboards reach Windows? explains why only SwiftKey connects to Windows.

ClipboardFusion Pro: best for iPhone, Mac and mixed setups

ClipboardFusion from Binary Fortress is a Windows clipboard manager whose free edition has no syncing. The Pro edition adds sharing clipboard items with other computers, online pinned items, retrieving synced items online, and apps for macOS, iOS, Android, a Chrome extension and any web browser. Pro is a paid lifetime licence, and each download includes a 30-day trial.

This is the most complete cross-platform option, and the one that puts your clips on a vendor's online service. Use its Ignore Specified Applications setting to keep your password manager out.

KDE Connect: free and open source for Android

KDE Connect pairs your phone with your computer and has a clipboard plugin that shares copied text between them. It runs on Windows as well as Linux. Images aren't supported, Android 10 and later restricts background clipboard access so you may need its Send Clipboard action, and on iOS sharing is one-way and manual.

Pick it if you want a free, open-source tool and don't mind setting up pairing.

Ditto and LocalSend: no online account at all

Ditto is a free Windows clipboard manager that can keep several computers' clipboards in sync, with data encrypted when sent over the network. It's a fit for two PCs you control when you'd rather not use a Microsoft account for this.

LocalSend isn't a clipboard sync tool. It sends text or files you choose to nearby devices over your local Wi-Fi, without the internet, on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. For occasional transfers it avoids leaving a synced clipboard running all day. LocalSend vs Edge Drop explains how that differs from a clipboard shelf on one PC.

How to use cloud clipboard sync safely

1. Pick one path. Windows sync, Phone Link and a third-party sync all running together means three places a copied code can land.
2. Start with manual sync where the tool offers it, and switch to automatic only if you actually use it.
3. Don't share a Microsoft account. Synced text appears on every PC signed in to it. Can shared Microsoft accounts leak your clipboard? explains the risk.
4. Keep secrets off it. Use your password manager's autofill instead of copying passwords, one-time codes or recovery codes.
5. Sign out old devices. A retired laptop still signed in to the account can still receive synced text.
6. Expect work PCs to block it. IT can turn off clipboard sync with the Allow Clipboard synchronization across devices policy (AllowCrossDeviceClipboard), and there's no supported way around it.

If you only need a longer history on one PC, you don't need any of this. A local clipboard manager keeps everything on the machine.

FAQ

Can Windows sync screenshots between PCs?

No. Microsoft documents clipboard sync for text. Save screenshots to a synced folder such as OneDrive, or use Phone Link if the other device is a supported Android phone.

Is there a cloud clipboard for Windows and iPhone?

Windows' built-in sync doesn't cover iPhone. ClipboardFusion Pro has an iOS app, and KDE Connect offers limited one-way sharing on iOS. iPhone to Windows paste covers the other workarounds.

Does Windows clipboard sync upload everything I copy?

Only if you choose automatic sync. With manual sync, an item is uploaded only when you select its sync button in Win+V. Does Windows clipboard sync upload what you copy? explains exactly what leaves the PC.

Related reading

• Does Windows Clipboard Sync Upload What You Copy?
• How to Share Your Clipboard Between Two Windows PCs
• Phone Link Clipboard Access: A Privacy Checklist
• How to Copy and Paste Between iPhone and a Windows PC
• Windows Clipboard Sync Not Working Between PCs? 8 Fixes

Sources

• Using the clipboard (Microsoft Support) — sync toggle, account requirement, automatic and manual text sync.
• Seamlessly transfer content between your devices (Microsoft Support) — Phone Link cross-device copy and paste: supported phones, content types and setting path.
• Copy and paste text between SwiftKey and Windows (Microsoft Support) — Android only, Microsoft account, last clip for one hour.
• ClipboardFusion Free vs Pro — which sync features and apps are Pro only, trial and licences.
• KDE Connect (KDE UserBase) — clipboard plugin, Android and iOS limits, Windows availability.
• Ditto project page (SourceForge) — syncing clipboards between computers with network encryption.
• LocalSend — local-network sharing of text and files, platforms and licence.
• Privacy Policy CSP: AllowCrossDeviceClipboard (Microsoft Learn) — the policy that lets IT block clipboard sync.

Copy. Stack. Drop.

Transform your clipboard into an interactive edge shelf. Stack, pin, and drag assets into any app with zero friction.

Download for Windows Get from Microsoft Store

How to Install Guide · First 10 Minutes Guide · Drag & Drop Guide · Edge Drop vs Win+V · Support