iPhone Users May Soon Copy and Paste Directly to Windows PCs

Apple is developing a new feature that will allow users to copy content from an iPhone and paste it directly onto a Windows PC.

Apple already offers a similar experience through its Universal Clipboard feature. Users can copy an image or a block of text on an iPhone and paste it onto a MacBook connected to the same ecosystem.

Microsoft wanted to provide the same seamless experience between iPhones and Windows computers. The company submitted a request through Apple’s European Union interoperability system for developers, which Apple introduced to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act.

Microsoft reportedly submitted the request in March. It asked Apple to create a mechanism that would give an app persistent access to an iPhone’s clipboard and allow content to move between connected devices.

Microsoft also wanted the feature to work without requiring the app to remain open in the foreground.

In addition, it asked Apple to avoid making users repeatedly approve clipboard access each time they wanted to copy and paste something.

In its latest response to Microsoft’s request, dated June 26, Apple said it would introduce a new solution for directly copying and pasting content between an iPhone and a Windows PC.

The feature will use Apple’s AccessorySetupKit. The same framework also allows third-party smartwatches to receive notifications from iPhones.

Users will need to approve clipboard sharing once for each paired accessory. After granting permission, they will be able to use the feature without repeatedly approving access.

Apple described the feature as a “significant engineering effort.”

The company hopes to complete development by fall 2027. It will then begin beta testing the feature before its wider release in the European Union.

It remains unclear whether Apple will also make the functionality available outside the EU.

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