Microsoft wants iPhone-Windows clipboard sync. Apple’s on board
Microsoft has submitted a request to Apple to enable wireless clipboard sharing between iPhones and Windows computers. If approved, this would allow users to copy text or images on their iPhone and paste it directly on their Windows computer, assuming both devices are linked. It bypasses the usual workarounds, like sending via email or messaging app.
This feature is actually already implemented on Windows, but with several hurdles: the app into which you paste the copied content must be running in the foreground, and you must grant explicit permission each time for the iPhone to transfer the copied content.
With this request, Microsoft aims to simplify the process so that it works in the same way as the universal clipboard does between Mac and iPhone.
Microsoft’s request is currently in Phase 3 of Apple’s system, which means Apple has already begun to implement it. In a response to Microsoft, Apple promised to develop the feature by fall 2027. After that, the universal clipboard will be released in a beta version, and Apple plans to release it to all users only after the beta phase. Since beta phases for minor updates usually last six to eight weeks, we could expect a final version of the feature by the end of 2027 or in early 2028.
However, the universal clipboard between Windows and iPhone will only be available in the EU. The entire process of requests made by third parties for Apple implementation is a result of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which has classified Apple as a gatekeeper and so Apple is forced to make certain competitive concessions to external developers in certain areas, including iOS and iPadOS.
The latest requests for new features in iOS and iPadOS are published on a dedicated platform for developers. According to this, Microsoft has submitted another request to synchronize all changes to the iPhone’s Photos library with a Windows computer’s library in real time. However, this request isn’t as far along as the one for a universal clipboard.
Developers at Apple and Microsoft are still ironing out the details; a specific date for a beta release has not yet been announced.
