Sync Your Clipboard Between Android and Windows With KDE Connect

KDE Connect shares copied text between an Android phone and a Windows PC on the same network. Install it on both, pair them, and leave the clipboard plugin on: anything you copy on the PC appears on the phone's clipboard straight away. Going the other way, Android 10 and later stop background apps from reading the clipboard, so you tap Send Clipboard on the phone (in KDE Connect's notification, or as a Quick Settings tile on Android 14 and later) to push a copy to the PC.

Clipboard sync is text only. KDE Connect is free and open source, needs no account, and sends data directly between your devices over the local network. That makes it one of the better 1Clipboard alternatives if you used 1Clipboard to move text from your phone.

What you need

• A Windows PC and an Android phone on the same network, such as the same home Wi-Fi.
• KDE Connect for Windows from the Microsoft Store, or the offline installer linked from kdeconnect.kde.org.
• KDE Connect for Android from Google Play or F-Droid.

KDE Connect uses ports 1714 to 1764 over both TCP and UDP. On most home networks that just works; if the devices can't see each other, a firewall or network setting is usually blocking those ports.

Step 1: Install KDE Connect on both devices

1. On the PC, install KDE Connect from the Microsoft Store (or run the offline installer) and open it.
2. On the phone, install KDE Connect from Google Play or F-Droid and open it. Grant the permissions it asks for, including notifications, so the Send Clipboard action can appear.
3. Connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi network.

Step 2: Pair the phone and the PC

1. On the phone, the PC should appear in the list under KDE Connect Devices. On the PC, the phone appears in the KDE Connect window.
2. On either device, select the other one and choose Pair (on Android, Request pairing).
3. Both screens show a verification key. Check that they match, then select Accept on the other device.

KDE Connect warns that pairing gives the two devices access to each other, so only pair devices you own. If the devices don't appear, open the three-dot menu on Android, add the PC by its IP address, and check that ports 1714 to 1764 aren't blocked.

Step 3: Check that clipboard sync is on

On Windows the clipboard plugin is on by default. Check both sides anyway, since a plugin turned off on either device stops sync.

On Windows

1. In KDE Connect, select your phone and open Plugin Settings.
2. Make sure Clipboard synchronization is ticked.
3. Open that plugin's settings to see its options: Automatically share the clipboard from this device, Including passwords (as marked by password managers) and a maximum file size.

On Android

1. In KDE Connect, open your PC's page and choose Plugin settings from the menu.
2. Make sure Clipboard sync is on.

How to copy from the PC to the phone

Copy text on the PC as usual with Ctrl+C. With Automatically share the clipboard from this device on, KDE Connect sends it to the phone, and you can long-press a text field on Android and choose Paste.

If you'd rather decide what reaches the phone, untick Automatically share the clipboard from this device. Then, when you want to send something, copy it and use Send Clipboard on the phone's page in the KDE Connect window.

How to copy from the phone to the PC

Android 10 and later only let the app in the foreground, or the default keyboard, read the clipboard. KDE Connect works in the background, so it can't see what you copy on the phone. Send it by hand instead:

1. Copy text on the phone as usual.
2. Pull down the notification shade and tap Send Clipboard in KDE Connect's persistent notification.
3. On Android 14 and later you can instead add the Send clipboard tile to Quick Settings and tap that.
4. On the PC, press Ctrl+V.

You can also open KDE Connect, go to your PC's page and use Send clipboard there. If the notification is missing, check that KDE Connect's Persistent notification is turned on in the app's settings and in Android's notification settings.

What KDE Connect's clipboard sync doesn't do

• No images or files. KDE's documentation describes clipboard sync for text and notes that it doesn't work with images. To move a photo or file, use KDE Connect's Share File (or share from Android to KDE Connect) instead.
• No history. It passes along the current copy only. Text you receive lands on the Windows clipboard like any other copy, so Windows clipboard history (Win+V) or a clipboard manager can keep it.
• No internet sync. Both devices must be on the same local network. KDE documents that a VPN in bridging (TAP) mode behaves like a local network; with a tun-based VPN you add devices by IP address.

Privacy: what to know before you sync

KDE's privacy policy says KDE Connect never sends information to KDE or third parties, that traffic goes directly between your devices on the local network and never through the internet, and that it's always encrypted with TLS 1.2.

The bigger risk is what gets synced. On Windows, the Including passwords option recognizes passwords only by a KDE-specific marker (x-kde-passwordManagerHint). It doesn't look for the Windows exclusion formats that many Windows password managers use to keep copies out of clipboard history, so a password copied on the PC can still be sent to the phone. If you copy passwords on the PC, untick Automatically share the clipboard from this device and send text manually. On Android, the clipboard plugin has a Skip sensitive clipboard sync option for content Android marks as sensitive.

Also open Plugin Settings on both devices and turn off plugins you don't use. Pairing enables several features beyond the clipboard. Clipboard manager privacy settings is a good checklist for any tool that handles your copies.

KDE Connect vs Phone Link vs SwiftKey

If your phone is on Microsoft's supported list, Phone Link's Cross-device copy and paste (in Phone Link, Settings > Features) is the more automatic option and also carries images. KDE Connect suits every other Android phone, and anyone who wants the copy to stay on the local network. Phone Link copy and paste not working? covers the Microsoft route, and SwiftKey and Gboard cloud clipboards on Windows explains the keyboard route.

FAQ

Does KDE Connect clipboard sync work on iPhone?

There's a native KDE Connect app for iOS on the App Store. KDE's download page points to its own notes on known limitations, so check those before relying on clipboard sync from an iPhone.

Why does text copied on my phone not appear on the PC?

On Android 10 and later this is expected: tap Send Clipboard in the notification or Quick Settings tile after copying. If that doesn't work either, check both devices are on the same network and still paired.

Can I sync the clipboard between two Windows PCs with KDE Connect?

KDE Connect runs on Windows, so two paired PCs can share text the same way. How to share your clipboard between two Windows PCs compares that with other options.

Related reading

• Phone Link Copy and Paste Not Working? How to Fix It
• Android vs Windows Clipboard History: Key Differences
• Phone Link Clipboard Access: A Privacy Checklist
• LocalSend vs Edge Drop: Share Across Devices or Stage on PC

Sources

• KDE Connect downloads (KDE) — Microsoft Store, offline installer, Google Play, F-Droid and iOS.
• KDE Connect (KDE UserBase) — pairing, clipboard plugin, images not supported, Android 10+ Send Clipboard and Android 14+ tile, ports 1714–1764, VPN notes.
• KDE Connect privacy policy (KDE Community) — local network only, TLS 1.2, no data sent to KDE.
• kdeconnect-kde source (KDE Invent) — Windows clipboard plugin options and password detection.
• kdeconnect-android source (KDE Invent) — Android Clipboard sync plugin, Send clipboard and Skip sensitive clipboard sync.
• Privacy changes in Android 10 (Android Developers) — background apps can't read clipboard data.
• Seamlessly transfer content between your devices (Microsoft Support) — Phone Link cross-device copy and paste, supported phones, image resizing.
• Copy and paste between SwiftKey and Windows (Microsoft Support) — SwiftKey cloud clipboard requirements.

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