Universal clipboard
Copy and Paste Between Phone and PC: A Free Universal Clipboard
Apple Universal Clipboard is Apple only, and cloud clipboards can be paid or tied to an account. Flitdrop syncs the clipboard both ways across ecosystems, iPhone to Windows or Android to Mac, over your local Wi-Fi, encrypted, free and with no account.
The short answer: to copy and paste between your phone and PC across different ecosystems, install Flitdrop on the computer, scan a QR code once to pair the phone, then copy on one device and paste on the other. It syncs the clipboard both ways, iPhone to Windows or Android to Mac, over your local Wi-Fi. Apple Universal Clipboard is fast but Apple only, Microsoft and SwiftKey sync through the cloud, and Pushbullet gates cross device clipboard behind a paid plan. Flitdrop keeps clipboard text on your own network, end to end encrypted, with no account and nothing to install on the phone.
The gap
Why Cross-Ecosystem Copy and Paste Is Hard
Each ecosystem solves the clipboard inside its own walls, so the moment your phone and PC come from different brands, copy and paste stops working.
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Apple Universal Clipboard: Apple only
Apple Universal Clipboard is genuinely seamless, but only between Apple devices. An iPhone paired with a Windows PC, or a Mac paired with an Android, is left out entirely.
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Microsoft and SwiftKey: through the cloud
Microsoft cloud clipboard and the SwiftKey keyboard can sync text between Android and Windows, but they route it through your Microsoft account in the cloud, which is more than some people want for a snippet of text.
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Pushbullet: behind a paywall
Pushbullet is capable and cross platform, but its universal copy and paste and larger transfers live behind a paid Pro plan, and the text passes through its servers.
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Flitdrop: any pairing, on your Wi-Fi
Flitdrop syncs the clipboard both ways across every phone and computer combination, keeps it on your local Wi-Fi, end to end encrypted, free and with no account.
Getting started
How to Copy and Paste Between Phone and PC
Install the app on your computer once, pair your phone with a single scan, then copy on one device and paste on the other.
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1
Install on your computer
Install the lightweight Flitdrop app once on Windows, Mac or Linux; it auto updates and there is nothing to install on the phone.
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2
Scan once to pair
Scan a QR code one time to pair your iPhone or Android; the phone simply uses its browser as a lightweight web app.
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3
Copy on one, paste on the other
Copy text on your phone and paste it on your PC, or the other way around, both devices on the same Wi-Fi and nothing routed through the cloud.
Everything is end to end encrypted, with no account to create and privacy first by design.
How they compare
Flitdrop vs the Other Clipboards
Each option is good at something. Here is where each one fits, and where Flitdrop is the better bridge across ecosystems.
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Apple Universal Clipboard
Best if you stay entirely inside Apple: iPhone, iPad and Mac copy and paste instantly. It simply does not reach Windows, Android or Linux.
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Microsoft or SwiftKey cloud
A solid free path for Android to Windows, but it syncs through your Microsoft account in the cloud rather than staying on your own network.
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Pushbullet Pro
Cross platform and feature rich, but universal copy and paste sits behind a paid subscription and the text travels through its servers.
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Flitdrop
Any phone to any computer, both ways, free and encrypted, kept on your local Wi-Fi with no account and nothing to install on the phone.
Private by design
Your Clipboard Stays on Your Wi-Fi
Flitdrop is not an internet or cloud service. Clipboard text goes directly device to device over your local Wi-Fi, everything is end to end encrypted, and there is no account, so nothing is ever uploaded to a server.
The same connection also sends full quality photos, any file and whole folders, so the clipboard is just one part of what moves between your devices.
Frequently asked
How do I copy and paste between my phone and PC?
Install Flitdrop on your computer, scan a QR code once to pair your phone, and both devices join over your local Wi-Fi. Then you copy text on one device and paste it on the other, in either direction, with nothing to install on the phone.
Is there a universal clipboard for Windows and Android?
Apple Universal Clipboard only works between Apple devices, so it leaves out Windows and Android. Flitdrop is a cross ecosystem universal clipboard: it syncs copy and paste between Android and Windows, and every other phone and computer combination, over your local Wi-Fi.
Can I sync the clipboard between iPhone and Windows?
Yes. Flitdrop syncs the clipboard both ways between an iPhone and a Windows PC, which Apple Universal Clipboard cannot do because it is Apple only. You copy on the iPhone and paste on Windows, or the other way around, over your Wi-Fi.
Does it use the cloud or need an account?
No. Flitdrop is not an internet or cloud service and there is no account to create. Clipboard text travels directly device to device over your local Wi-Fi, so it never passes through a server, unlike cloud clipboard history features.
Is it free?
Yes. Flitdrop is free on your own network, with no subscription and no server cost for local transfers, unlike paid tools such as Pushbullet Pro. You can download it from the official GitHub releases page.
Is it private and encrypted?
Yes. Everything is end to end encrypted and stays on your local Wi-Fi with no account, so your clipboard text is not stored on a company server or synced to the cloud the way some clipboard history services do.
Ready for a clipboard that crosses ecosystems?
Install Flitdrop on your computer, keep your phone exactly as it is.
Windows, Mac and Linux