If even AirDrop is too slow for your creative flow, you might want to share your photos between Apple devices via Universal Clipboard. This tip explains exactly how to do that!
No more loading times when transferring photos
Universal Clipboard is a feature from Apple that allows you to easily exchange photos, videos and links between different devices. This cut-and-paste feature is made for your Mac, your iPhone, and your iPad. Although Universal Clipboard has been available since macOS Sierra 10 and iOS 10, we recommend installing the latest version of Apple’s software on all your devices. These are now iOS 15.4, iPadOS 15.4, and macOS Monterey 12.3. In this article we explain exactly how to use Universal Clipboard!
Before we start with Universal Clipboard
Universal Clipboard (or Universal Clipboard) can be used on any Mac, iPhone or iPad that have the same software version installed. Sharing works when the devices that need to send something back and forth are near each other. In addition, you have to enable and configure a number of things:
- The devices must be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID;
- Turn on your Bluetooth on all devices;
- Make sure Wi-Fi is turned on on all devices;
- Handoff must be enabled on each device.
How to set up Handoff on your Apple devices
On the Mac, go to ‘System Preferences’ via the apple at the top left and click on ‘General’. There you will see the option ‘Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices’. Make sure this is checked. Things are slightly different on your iPhone and iPad. In your Settings app, tap General and go to Handoff. There you turn on Handoff.
Now you can start sending a photo from your iPhone to your Mac. It is also possible, for example, to share a photo on your MacBook Air with your iMac.
Use Universal Clipboard to share photos
It’s fairly easy to use Universal Clipboard to share photos back and forth. Follow the step-by-step plan here:
- Go to the photo you want to transfer;
- On your iPhone or iPad, find the Share button and tap ‘Copy Photo’;
This is the square with an arrow in it.
- On your Mac, there are several ways to copy a photo;
Option 1: Press ‘Command’ (or Cmd) and the letter ‘C’ at the same time
Option 2: Go to ‘Edit’ in the menu bar and click on ‘Copy’
Option 3: Right click to open the menu and copy the photo - The photo is now automatically on the clipboard of all connected devices;
It will stay there for a while until you replace it with a new copy
- This is how you paste the photo on your iPhone or iPad;
With the iPhone and the iPad you will see the paste option appear if you hold down a text bar longer.
- This is how you paste the photo on your Mac.
Option 1: Press ‘Command’ (or Cmd) and the letter ‘V’ at the same time
Option 2: Go to ‘Edit’ in the menu bar and click on ‘Paste’
Option 3: Right click to open the menu and paste the photo
The copied photo will therefore remain in your virtual clipboard for a while. When you copy something new, this new image takes the place of your previous copy. It is also possible to follow the above step-by-step plan for videos, pieces of text and links to websites.
Universal Clipboard is not Universal Control
Universal Clipboard is slightly different from Universal Controls. This feature has appeared on your iPad and Mac since iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3.
With Universal Controls it is possible to use the keyboard and trackpad of a Mac to control an iPad. It actually ensures that you use a second screen wirelessly. With this new function you can also easily share photos via ‘drag & drop’. We have already explained how to set this up in a previous article.
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