The clipboard functions as an essential tool in daily life, allowing previously copied texts and links to be reused quickly. This feature maintains and organizes temporary data in memory, which facilitates the agile sharing of information between different applications.
On the Android system, it is possible to access the complete clipboard history through a menu located on the virtual keyboard, where you must select the clipboard option. On the other hand, Apple imposes restrictions on this function on the iPhone for security reasons, limiting the ability to paste only the last copied item and not offering a native history.
Tecnoblog details the procedure for viewing the copy and paste history on Android devices. It is important to note that the clipboard is not a specific folder or application, but rather a temporary system repository, storing content in RAM memory so that the user can reuse it directly on the virtual keyboard or when entering data into any text field.
To check the history on Android, the user must open any application that supports typing, such as Documents, Notepad, or WhatsApp. When tapping the text box, the Android virtual keyboard appears. Then, you must click on the three dots or four squares icon, located in the corners of the keyboard, to access settings and finally select the 'Clipboard' option to view the copy and paste record.
On Samsung devices, there is an additional convenience, as a clipboard icon is usually visible directly on the keyboard, allowing immediate access to the copied content. In the case of the iPhone, although it has a clipboard, iOS stores only the last copied element in memory. To retrieve this last copy, simply tap a text field and use the 'Paste' function of the virtual keyboard.
Due to the way iOS operates, it is not possible to natively view the clipboard history; it retains only the last item. To manage or view previous copies, third-party applications are necessary. On Android, the history can be deleted through the keyboard management panel, either by deleting specific items or choosing the clear all option, which ensures privacy protection by removing data from temporary storage.
To clear sensitive data on the iPhone, which does not have a native history, a trick is to copy a blank space, thereby replacing the previously copied text in the iOS clipboard. Besides mobile phones, you can access the Windows clipboard using the Windows + V shortcut on the keyboard, which allows you to check the recent history, paste elements, or delete information from temporary memory. Similar to iOS, the macOS clipboard only records the most recent content, which can be viewed in the Finder menu, but without the functionality of a complete history.