Clipboard on Android: where is it, how to find it on your phone

A common question among some smartphone owners is where the clipboard is located on Android or on specific brands of phones, for example, Samsung Galaxy, and how to open, view, use or clear it. In general, the clipboard is located in the memory of the Android smartphone, but it can be opened and, moreover, many smartphones store the clipboard history, which can also be accessed.

This instruction details where to find the clipboard on pure Android and on a Samsung Galaxy phone, the available actions with the clipboard, and additional information that may be useful.

• Where is the clipboard located on pure Android and Samsung Galaxy
• Third-party applications for working with the clipboard
• Video instruction

Clipboard - what is it?

Clipboard - what is it?

In every mobile device there is a place where all files that are downloaded from one device to another are sent.

This storage is temporary and is called the clipboard.

Its peculiarity is that the moment new information reaches the device and is transferred to our storage, the old one disappears forever.

If you look into this function in more detail, you will understand that it performs many more useful tasks.

With some knowledge, you can make this storage work one hundred percent and help you.

Let's look at where the clipboard is on the phone, based on different models of gadgets.

What is the essence of this option?

To understand the essence of the term in question, it is important to know what the clipboard is on Samsung. This function first appeared on a computer, after which it quickly took root on Windows and Mac OS. The keyboards even now have a special “Print Screen” button, which allows you to transfer data to the clipboard and subsequently paste it into the editor. Over time, this option migrated to mobile phones, including those from the manufacturer Samsung. Note that in the first versions of Android there was no clipboard, but today it is commonplace.

Without going into technical terminology, the clipboard is a certain part of the random access memory (RAM) of a Samsung phone, where blocks of previously copied data are located. Thanks to this option, the user can cut or copy certain information, and then copy it to another file.

As already noted, there is no physical buffer file in Android. It plays the role of temporary storage for further data transfer between different or the same application. Once inserted into a scheduled field, the new information deletes the old data.

Where is?

The clipboard (or Clipboard) is an area in RAM in which any data copied by the user is saved. For example, you copied text, photo or video. After this, they are transferred to RAM. In more rare cases, when there is not enough RAM, a page file can be used. The page file is a reserved space in physical memory.

Let me show you with a specific example:

1. Go to any application where there is text. Tap your finger on top of the text you want to copy and hold it until a window like this pops up.
2. Use the arrows to highlight the desired area of ​​text and click the “Copy” button.
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3. After this, the text goes to the clipboard. To use it in any text field, similarly press with your finger and paste the text.

Many people have encountered this standard procedure. On some branded firmware, like Samsung or LG, it is possible to work with several files, photos and recordings that have been downloaded to the clipboard at once. When you call this function, you will see not the “Paste” button, but the “Clipboard” itself, where you can select specific data.

Let's now try to answer the question - where is all this wealth? It is very difficult to answer for sure. In the initial versions of Android on older phones with little RAM, there was a separate folder in the system on physical media, which was called:

clipboard

It was located in the root of the main storage, where all system folders are located.

Is it available on Android systems now? Most likely, some Android firmware still uses this folder, but on many OSes it has long been abandoned, since there is already enough RAM. Of course, you can check for yourself whether you have it, but your smartphone must have ROOT rights installed. I strongly do not recommend installing them, since in this case banking and other applications that work with money and plastic cards will stop working on your smartphone.

NOTE! Some programs (such as a browser) use their own clipboard and can store this data in a separate folder in the internal memory. As you can already guess, these folders are hidden, and you just won’t see them.

Even if you find this folder, you need to understand that the data is not stored there forever, but for a certain time. But if you still have nothing to do, then the procedure is as follows:

1. We get ROOT rights for your phone model - Google this information, since the procedure is different for each system.
2. We find any explorer on Google Play that can work with ROOT rights - download, install and launch it. I personally use Total Commander.
3. After that, you need to go to the root of the main memory. Here you can go to the “Internal/shared storage” or “Root folder” section.

4. This is where the “clipboard” folder should be, but you won’t be able to see it that easily. To do this, click on the three dots and go to “Settings”. Activate the “Root functions everywhere” checkbox. If the function is enabled, then look at the root, if there is such a folder, then good, if not, then it simply is not provided in the system.

If you want to permanently store the data you copy, then you need a clipboard manager. There are a lot of similar programs, and I will talk about one of them in the next chapter.

Problems and solutions

Keyboard doesn't show history

This situation is typical for old applications, as well as the first versions of now popular keyboards. It's worth trying to update the program, which can be done through Google Play. If this solution does not help, change your text input utility. When compiling this article, we tested GBoard, Samsung Keyboard and Microsoft SwiftKey - they all have this function and are available for free.

Installing such software is done in the same way as any other application. The program from Samsung is available only in the Galaxy Store, so it cannot be used anywhere except on a device of this brand.

After this, you need to change the program in the settings:

1. Open device settings;

2. Go to the “General Settings” section;

3. Select "List of available keyboards";

4. Click the "Default Keyboard" option;

5. Select the input method that will be used in applications.

These changes will affect most applications, but there are exceptions - for example, this will not work in the Huobi Global program, which uses a built-in keyboard protected from keyloggers to ensure profile security.

Another case is that you may not have enabled this function in the keyboard settings. Then it will be easy to fix: just switch the toggle switch responsible for the history of copied data to the active position.

Clipboard too small

To correct this situation, use the manager programs discussed in the previous section of the text.

Some utilities do not work on modern devices - this is Google's policy. According to it, third-party software cannot collect and process copied data. You can correct this situation by using programs that require root access, or analogues - for example, built-in “ Notes ”.

Clipboard for Android

Not many people wonder where the clipboard is located on an Android phone.

This “assistant” does his job efficiently and discreetly.

However, without his participation, it will be impossible to download a single file.

On Android it is located in the device's RAM.

For this reason, after you have copied a large document on your mobile phone, you need to do the same, but with a small file.

This manipulation will help free up space in the mobile memory. And this, in turn, will allow the device to work much faster.

Copied text

In order to make a copy of a file or document, you need to press the required piece of text with your fingers and wait until a new window prompts you to copy it.

Sometimes there is no function to copy, they suggest just cutting and pasting. In order for the file to be ready for reading, you need to paste it somewhere.

Open the Notepad application, for example. Press the screen on an empty space with your fingers and wait again until a window appears and prompts you to insert text.

If you don't want to work in Notepad, you can use Explorer.

Samsung

Not all phones have this feature. A Samsung device based on Android 4.4 has such storage. This model even offers you to see where the clipboard is on the phone.

In Samsung you can also see what files are stored there. You can install the Copy Bubble application, which will allow you to instantly view the contents of your storage.

Thanks to it, you can simultaneously work with several text documents and have instant access to all of them.

Using this function, you can work with texts on your mobile phone, with pictures and other files.

Samsung

Lenovo

The entire Lenovo phone series is also equipped with such storage. They are given the name Clipboard. Let's look at where the Lenovo clipboard is on the phone and how to use it

In order to see it, you need to do the following:

• Select any text document;
• Press and hold the fragment with your finger until a new window opens;
• Click on the inscription “Clipboard;
• Save selection.

Lenovo

LG

Where is the clipboard in an LG phone? The company placed such an application in a separate folder and displayed it on the desktop screen.

In order to use the information that got there, you need to extract it and paste it into a specific place.

You can do this manipulation by clicking on the screen where the text is located and holding it until a window appears asking you to paste it somewhere.

LG

Asus

Where is the clipboard on an Asus phone? There is no such concept in the phone. This is a segment in the phone's RAM. It is responsible for storing temporary files.

There are “copy” and “paste” functions. There are places like notepad, explorer, downloads. With their help, the text moves to the right places. But the buffer, as a separate folder, is not visible.

Asus

Huawei

Where is the clipboard on the Huawei phone? Just like in other models, the storage is a file in RAM that works with temporary documents.

Huawei

Sony

Where is the Sony clipboard on the phone? As a rule, this is a place in RAM and it is not possible to see it as a folder on the desktop.

In order to get more options when working with various files, you can install applications that will significantly expand the functionality of the storage.

Sony

ZTE

Where is the clipboard in a zte phone, it is in RAM, as in all other android-based phones.

To download a file, you need to do the standard steps: copy or cut and paste into an application that works with texts.

Zte

How to copy and paste text on Android

To copy a piece of text to the clipboard, press and hold your finger on any word. After a second, the system will highlight the word with a blue or greenish tint, and two delimiters will appear on the borders. Next follow the instructions:

1. Pull the first stop to mark the start of copying, and then the second to mark the end of the text block.
2. From the pop-up menu, select Copy. You will see the message: “The item has been copied to the clipboard.”
3. Open the page or application where you want to paste text, and hold your finger on the input field.
4. In the menu that opens, select “Insert.” The text block will be copied.

In some applications (for example, the email client from Mail.Ru), when copying text, instead of a pop-up menu with the “Copy” and “Paste” items, a panel opens with the corresponding icons at the top of the screen.

Android versions 4.4 and higher allow you to save more than one text block to the buffer, with the ability to view it later. To view and copy elements from the clipboard, just hold down the text input field with your finger and select “Clipboard”.

Gallery - how to use the clipboard using the example of LG G3

Step 1. Select the text and wait for the delimiters to appear, and then select the “Copy” icon at the top of the screen Step 2. You will see a message about saving the selected block to the buffer

Step 3. Long tap in the text field where you need to insert information and select the “Insert” button

Video - how to copy from the clipboard using Samsung as an example

Clipboard for iOS

For iOS and Mac users, a universal clipboard has appeared that combines temporary storage between all user devices.

The mechanism is similar to how AirDrop works. If devices belong to the same iCloud account, use Bluetooth to locate the device and Wi-Fi to transfer information. Basically, all new Apple models include access to universal storage. You can use it in the following ways: 1. Make sure that all devices are signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on. Handoff function activated.2. On one of the devices, copy the link and text. If it's a Mac, use the command “Command+C – Command+V”. The content goes to the clipboard on all devices nearby3. Paste the copied item on the desired device. Content is deleted after 2 minutes.

For example: copy a link from iPhone to iPad. We make sure that all functions necessary for operation are enabled on both devices. Open Chrome on iPhone and copy the link to the site. Open the browser on the iPad and simply paste the content from the storage. Convenient and simple!

Among the disadvantages: Apple's universal storage does not allow you to view the copy history and quickly clears the buffer, and devices do not always detect each other. Pictures are inserted in special programs that support working with images. Direct pasting into the Photos app is not available. Now you know where to look for copied links, text, and temporary storage features on your phone on Android and iOS.

On Honor's phone

In Honor phones of any version, the copy function is built-in, that is, it cannot be removed. Also, the user cannot automatically clear the clipboard, since such a function is not available on the phone.

You can only learn something about virtual storage using special programs. The work area is a selected part of text or a copied image.

The Honor phone does not differ in working with other phones in terms of copying and saving text.

Actions are standard:

• Find the text you want to copy and long press “call up” two delimiters;
• Use delimiters to select the piece of text you want to copy;
• The left delimiter is set to the beginning of the text, and the right delimiter is set to its end.
• After setting the limiters, you need to click on the “Copy” button. This fragment will automatically go to the clipboard.

GBoard/Microsoft SwiftKey temporary storage functions

1. Enabling the “Clipboard” function allows you to save several objects for 1 hour in RAM, after which they are automatically cleared2. When you hold an object, you can pin it, avoiding automatic deletion after an hour in GBoard; in Microsoft SwiftKey, you need to press the “pushpin” icon 3. Using the GBoard editing icon (“pencil”), the storage is cleared manually; in Microsoft SwiftKey, deletion occurs by swiping fragment

How to use the clipboard on your phone

Everyone is accustomed to using the Ctrl+C – Ctrl+V key combination when working with the clipboard on a PC. On smartphones it works differently. Let's say you want to share a link to a website: - copy the link to the article from the search bar of the browser: hold the link, select the content completely (usually this happens automatically)

- click “copy”, the link will be saved inside the clipboard - go to the dialogue, hold the empty field to enter text - click “paste”, send the copied link or open the storage without starting to write a message, and select the copied link from there

When you use the same link frequently, be sure to pin it to your clipboard to save yourself the hassle of constantly searching for it. This function is extremely convenient if you have a multilink that you just need to send to share your contacts and basic information about you. You can create a multilink using the Hipolink constructor service.

Sometimes the “copy” and “paste” buttons may no longer appear. This means it’s time to clear the RAM by obtaining root rights or resetting the system to factory settings. Obtaining root rights is not possible on all smartphone models, and the mechanism for obtaining depends on the gadget itself.

You can clear the buffer with administrator rights in the following way:

1. Find “Files” or another similar manager application on your smartphone

2. go to the folders “Android” → “Data” → “ClipBoard” and delete unnecessary files

3. in Settings go to “Applications” → “All”

4. select TestService, force stop and clear data

5. Reboot your phone

How to clear data on a Samsung phone

If you use the clipboard to copy and paste any sensitive information, then you hardly see the need to save such information in the memory of your gadget. Therefore, from a security point of view, it makes sense to delete such data after finishing working with your Samsung phone. After all, such information is in a very vulnerable place.

In some cases, the clipboard needs to be cleared

If you are using "Clipper Clipboard Manager" then you will notice that when you select the three dot button on the right there is a "Delete" option. You can use it to clean and remove unnecessary items.

An alternative solution is to use the Gboard keyboard, which is available on new Samsung gadgets. If this keyboard is not available for you, you can install “Gboard” from the Play Store.

If necessary, install the “Gboard” keyboard on your Samsung

Do the following:

1. Open the messaging app on your Samsung, and press the + symbol (or similar button) to create a text message. When the keyboard appears, click on the "G" symbol at the top left of the keyboard; Click on the G icon on the left
2. Here you can tap on the clipboard icon to open it on your Samsung smartphone; Click on the clipboard icon to access it
3. If you haven't used storage on your device before, you'll see a notification to enable Gboard. Just click on “Enable Clipboard”; Enable Gboard Clipboard
4. Now, every time you copy something on your Samsung and then tap the buffer icon on your Android keyboard again, you will see all the recent items that are already there or just being added; View buffer contents using Gboard functionality
5. To delete the desired segment, tap on the edit icon and select the segment you want to delete. Then tap on the trash can icon to delete it; Mark the items you want to delete and click on the trash can icon
6. The clipboard manager that comes with your gadget's native keyboard largely depends on your phone model. Typically, a Samsung keyboard is equipped with a manager. The keyboard is usually the main tool for accessing and working with storage without a specialized application.

This will come in handy: how to remove pop-up ads on Samsung.

Expanding the functionality of temporary storage

For large volumes of information, it is convenient to use third-party applications that expand the capabilities of working with the clipboard. Manager applications allow you to: - copy several sections of text, leaving them stored in special sections without automatic deletion - create notes in the application - quickly clear the clipboard - classify copied elements, links, images into created categories - saves the history of copied data Such applications rarely contain advertising and are free to download.

Method 1: System Tools

The clipboard manager (unfortunately, text only) is included in the Microsoft SwiftKey keyboard, which is the default application in most variations of EMUI. It works like this:

1. Open any program that allows you to enter text (for example, Notes), and tap on the field to display the keyboard. Then tap the item that looks like a tablet folder in the toolbar - this is the option we need.

   If the panel is not visible, click on the two arrow button located on the left edge of the predictive input block.

2. To paste copied text, just tap on it - it will be instantly entered.
3. To remove an unwanted fragment, swipe it from the right or left, or wait one hour until it is erased automatically.
4. If you click on the pin icon on a strip of text, it will be pinned and you can only get rid of it by manually deleting it.
5. The Manage button redirects to an advanced clipboard management interface. In addition to the features mentioned above, from here it is also completely disabled (the “Remember copied ...” switch), and a new element is added, for the input of which you can assign a keyboard shortcut (works only with external keyboards).

As you can see, Microsoft SwiftKey provides good opportunities for managing previously copied text.

How to copy and paste text on your phone using the clipboard?

If you need to copy and paste something using the clipboard, you need to long press on it (press and hold) and you will be presented with an additional menu. You'll see options for copy, cut, and more, usually at the top of the screen. To paste - go to the place where you want to paste the copied text and long click on it again - you will see a small "Paste" mark above the field. It works on Android, iPhone and other OSes, including older mobile phones.

If the clipboard doesn't work

There are situations when the clipboard stops copying and saving a file. This means that there is some kind of malfunction in the phone that needs to be fixed. If there is no virtual storage, then there is a problem with the clipboard.

The fastest way to fix it is to restart the phone, but this is not always effective. This will clean it out and get rid of any unnecessary debris that may have lingered and clogged the system. If even rebooting doesn’t help, you can use the following methods:

• Return to factory settings. You can do this in your phone settings. The only and main disadvantage is that all files and applications are automatically deleted from the phone;

• You need to clean the clipboard using the special application described above. This app does a great job of getting clipboard back to work.

The clipboard is a very convenient function, but it can also cause problems. Without it, it would be difficult to constantly write text. Much easier to copy and paste!

4.9/5 — (23 votes)

Clipboard Manager

All such applications work quite simply - they store all the data that you once copied into RAM.

1. There are a lot of managers and they work in approximately the same way. I’ll show you with the example of the “Clipper” program - we find it in the “Google Play Market”. There will be a paid and a free version - we choose the free one, since it has the same functionality.
2. After launch, you will be asked to get acquainted with the program step by step. In fact, there is nothing special there - you will simply be taught to copy text by tapping on it with your finger. Everyone already knows this, so we skip this step by clicking “Skip guide”.

1. Since we installed the Free version, we will be asked to choose which advertising is best for us to show - click on the inscription “Show non-personalized ads”. And at the next step – “Don't send reports”. There is no need to worry, since it is almost invisible, and it is not so annoying.

1. Select the checkbox “I understand. Don't show this again." Next, you will be asked to turn off the notification - if you want, you can do this by clicking on the “OPEN SETTINGS” button.

1. For clarity, I copied two texts, and both are now stored in the “Clipboard” list. It also shows the time the recording was made. You can also take some separate notes.

How to clear the clipboard?

We already understand that the clipboard can be implemented in several ways:

• This is just a section of RAM, then there is no need to clear anything, since when new data is overwritten, the old information will be completely erased.
• Some data is saved to a separate system folder “Clipboard”. You can find out if this folder is yours only if you have ROOT rights. If you have them, and you managed to find this folder, then you can simply go there and delete everything.
• Some programs (such as browsers) store saved data from the buffer in their own separate folders.

In any case, you cannot manually clear the clipboard (which may not even exist at all). Therefore, it is better to use third-party software. The easiest way to do this is using CCleaner. Similarly, we find it on Google Play, download it, and launch it. After that, turn on the cleaning. The program must go through the entire system and remove all temporary and unnecessary data. It also clears browser cache folders. Be careful, as the program will constantly try to sell you a paid version - we simply refuse.

Standard method

If direct access to the clipboard is available on your device, follow the instructions:

1. Open any application with a text input field.
2. Press and hold the field with your finger and select “Clipboard” from the menu.
3. A panel will open at the bottom of the screen with all the previously copied elements.
4. At the top right of the panel, click the button with the trash can icon.
5. Check the boxes next to the items you want to delete and click the corresponding button.

If you don't find the shopping cart button, press and hold one of the text blocks in the buffer. After a second, red crosses will appear on each element. To clear the buffer, click on the crosses next to the elements you want to delete.

Gallery - clear clipboard

Step 1. In an application with a text field, long tap and select the “Clipboard” item Step 2. View clipboard entries Step 3. Select the trash icon Step 4. Check the boxes and click the “Done” button

Method that requires root rights

The method requires root access to enter the root folder of the Android system. A file responsible for RAM is stored there. To clear the clipboard:

1. Open the file manager and go to the Android root directory.
2. Find the data/clipboard folder and empty it.
3. In the smartphone menu, select “Settings - Applications” and open the “All” tab.
4. Select the TestService application and click the Stop and Clear buttons in turn.
5. Reboot your gadget.

Clear app data and stop it

To get root rights, download and install the Kingo Android Root application from the Play Store. Rooting a device with this program requires connecting to a PC and takes 5-7 minutes.

Clipper app

On devices that don't have direct access to the clipboard, use the free Clipper app. After installation, the application icon is displayed in the notification shade for quick access to copied items. The free version of the program allows you to store up to 20 text fragments, while frequently used blocks can be pinned above the rest. Clipboard components can be grouped on tabs - for example, links to profiles on social networks, details, etc.

To delete all text blocks from the buffer, click on the trash can icon at the top right of the screen, then confirm the action. To delete blocks one at a time, hold down one of the entries with your finger, then check off the other unnecessary ones and click on the trash can icon.

Gallery - using Clipper on your phone

Step 1. Install Clipper Step 2. Launch the application Step 3. To delete all entries, click on the trashcan Step 4. Confirm deletion Hold the unwanted entry for 1-2 seconds to delete only that one

Video - Clipper review

Third-party apps for working with the Android clipboard

If you go to the Play Store and search for “Clipboard” or “Clipboard,” you will find many apps that let you open, clear, and otherwise manage your Android clipboard.

The implementation varies from application to application, for example, an application simply called “Clipboard” from HDM Dev Team displays the contents and history of the clipboard directly on top of the screen (can be minimized) with the ability to delete items, paste them, and take notes.

Other applications run in the notification area or in their own interface, launched separately. I can’t guess which one is right for you, so I recommend going through the Android clipboard apps with the best reviews and looking at their screenshots and reviews: I’m sure you can find the option that suits you.

Difficulties at work

In conclusion, we note a situation when the clipboard suddenly refuses to work on the phone. For example, the copy and paste buttons do not appear. In this case, you will have to clear the RAM by obtaining root rights. If this method does not help, you can reset your phone to factory settings. This item is located in the Settings section, then System and Reset. Please note that a factory reset will delete all apps and other personal data. That is why it is advisable to use this method only as a last resort.

Results

Now you know where to look for the clipboard on your phone, what it is and how it works. With this information you can use its capabilities 100%. Let us immediately note that standard RAM does not have enough control methods, so it is better to install the application and maximize the functionality of the smartphone.

When you select a piece of text, a picture, a video, etc. files, and click “Copy”, Android saves this information to the “clipboard” (note: this is a part of RAM used for temporary storage of any data) . Moreover, if you add anything else to the clipboard, the old information in it will be deleted!

That is, after you have copied something, you need to paste it somewhere (for example, text from an SMS can be copied and pasted into another SMS) and saved. And after that, you can move on to the next element that you want to move.

Thus, using a buffer, it is very convenient to operate with phone numbers, accounts, blocks of text, and other information that needs to be transferred from one place to another.

Sources

• https://geekhacker.ru/gde-v-telefone-bufer-obmena/
• https://WiFiGid.ru/android/chto-takoe-bufer-obmena-v-telefone-i-gde-on-nahoditsya
• https://hipolink.net/ru/blog/kuda-sohranyaetsya-skopirovannyj-tekst-izobrazheniya-i-ssylki
• https://MoreDez.ru/kak-najti-v-telefone-bufer-obmena-gde-najti-bufe-obmena-na-android-iphone-20180606
• https://fans-android.com/kak-polzovatsya-buferom-obmena-na-android/
• https://bootmenu.ru/bufer-obmena-na-android-telefone-gde-nayti-kak-otkryt-i-pol-zovat-sya/
• https://hd01.ru/info/kak-najti-skopirovannuju-ssylku-v-telefone/

How to clear the buffer

Having figured out where the information is, the second question often arises - how to clear the clipboard on Android Honor. This can be done by simply rebooting the smartphone or turning it off and on. In this case, all previously saved RAM files are deleted. The second option is to simply copy or cut out the other information and it will replace the old document.

An alternative way to clear the clipboard on an Honor phone is to do it using one of the programs discussed above. Their menu provides a special key for deleting or it is possible to simply erase unnecessary text.

In the comments, tell us if you were able to access the storage on your smartphone, and in what cases this option might be useful.