Last updated: August 4th, 2026 at 10:40 UTC+02:00


Galaxy Books could access iPhone clipboard items in the future

The feature will let you access things you copied on an iPhone to your computer running Windows.

Asif Iqbal Shaik

Reading time: 2 minutes

Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Keyboard And Trackpad

Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile

Laptop

Galaxy Book 6's keyboard and trackpad - Source: Abhijeet Mishra / SamMobile

TL;DR

  • Apple is planning a clipboard-sync feature that would let iPhones share copied text and other data with paired Windows PCs.
  • The feature would require user permission for each new device and use Apple’s AccessorySetupKit API.
  • Apple says the work is complex and may not arrive until fall 2027, possibly first as an EU-only release.

Apple has reportedly outlined plans to open up the iPhone's clipboard history to Windows, allowing users to copy and paste between their phone and computer more easily. This would let you access content copied on an iPhone from a Galaxy Book running Windows, and vice versa.

Apple is working on clipboard data syncing feature for iPhones and paired Windows computers

According to a new entry on Apple's Interoperability Requests page (via MacRumors) in the European Union, Apple has agreed to create a solution that allows extensions to share and import clipboard data with paired devices, including computers running Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Microsoft originally submitted the request on March 25, 2026. At the time, Apple said it could not offer the feature. Microsoft argued that it was not trying to copy or replace Apple's ecosystem experience but rather provide the basic cross-device productivity that users expect.

After reviewing Microsoft's request, Apple replied on April 27, 2026, that it had moved the requested functionality to the next phase of the interoperability process. The company explained that developing such a solution could affect the system integrity of Apple devices. It also said it would conduct tests to determine what impact a clipboard-syncing solution could have on its intellectual property rights.

On June 26, 2026, Apple confirmed to Microsoft that it would develop a cross-platform clipboard-syncing solution for Windows PCs. The feature would use patterns similar to Apple's existing Accessory Notifications and Accessory Live Activities frameworks, which were introduced with iOS 26.5.

Apple also said Microsoft would need to use its AccessorySetupKit API to obtain permission to access an iPhone's clipboard. Users would need to grant permission for each new device.

When would Apple release iPhone clipboard syncing feature for Windows?

Apple reportedly said that developing a clipboard-access solution for Windows would require significant engineering effort and could be completed by fall 2027. The feature could then be released in beta form before a stable rollout. Based on that timeline, the ability to sync clipboard data from iPhones and iPads with Windows PCs could arrive with iOS 28 and iPadOS 28.

Once the feature is released, you could access items from your iPhone's clipboard on a Galaxy Book laptop running Windows. However, this feature may be released only for users in the European Union while leaving out users in other regions.