Copying, cutting and pasting on an iPhone and iPad remains a challenge. Sometimes it is quite difficult to select the right text, links, media or content. Copying and pasting has always been cumbersome on an iOS device.
Double tapping, moving the cursor, waiting, etc. the actions are not easy and above all confusing. Fortunately, there are several options so that you can apply this more quickly. A good example of this is the hidden sticky menu that you have been able to use since iOS/iPadOS 13, but many users are not aware of this either.
Move cursor
When you are typing text you can easily move the cursor by placing your finger on the cursor and moving it to the desired position. You can also tap once on the spot in the text to immediately place the cursor there.
It is easier to move the cursor this way. However, we still recommend using the trackpad. Place your finger on the space bar, wait a few moments and then drag across the keyboard to move the cursor.
Select text on an iPhone or iPad
Selecting text has been made easier since iOS 13 and iPadOS. This works for both text on websites, books, messages, etc. and text that you are composing in a word processor.
- Place your finger on a word to select it
- Place your finger on the first word until it is selected and then drag to select more words
You can also select words, sentences and paragraphs by tapping, but unfortunately this only works in texts that you are composing yourself in a word processor. It goes like this:
- Tap a word twice to select it directly
- Tap a word three times to select the entire sentence
- Tap a word four times to select the entire paragraph
Undo actions on an iPhone or iPad
In previous versions of iOS, you could undo an action by shaking your iPhone or iPad. That is still possible, but a more user-friendly option has also been added.
- Swipe left with three fingers to undo an action
- Swipe right with three fingers to redo
In addition to swipe gestures, you can also use a copy and paste menu. This option is hidden, but is very convenient to use. You can use the menu always consult and ensures that you can always easily copy, cut and paste. You can also undo or restore actions.
- Tap using three fingers on the screen to activate the copy and paste menu
After tapping the screen, a menu will appear at the top with the previously mentioned options so that you can quickly consult them.
Copy on an iPhone or iPad
You have three options to copy the text. Everything starts with it selecting the textthen you can do one of three options:
- Pinch the screen with three fingers to copy
- Tap copy in the pop-up menu
- Activate the copy and paste menu and choose ‘Copy’
Of course you can also copy photos and other files, in most cases you simply place your finger on the photo or file until a pop-up menu appears. You can also open it and then tap the share button. Then choose ‘Copy’.
Pasting text
You also have three different options for pasting. First copy the text, photo or other media according to the steps above, then you can do one of three options:
- Spread three fingers on the screen to paste
- From the pop-up menu, tap Paste
- Activate the copy and paste menu and choose ‘Paste’
Use key combinations
The above swipe gestures and options are available on all iPhones and iPad with the required software. However, if you have linked a wireless keyboard or Smart Keyboard Folio case to your iPad, you can also use key combinations. Because you still have to select text with your finger, the new pinch and spread gestures are especially useful on an iPad.
Screencast: Select, copy and paste text
