Apple readies iPhone clipboard link for Windows

Apple is developing a framework that would allow iPhone users to copy text, images and other supported content to Windows computers, answering an interoperability request submitted by Microsoft under the European Union’s Digital Markets Act.

The planned system would extend a capability that Apple has long reserved for its own devices. Universal Clipboard currently enables users to copy content on an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Vision Pro and paste it on another Apple product signed into the same account. Windows computers cannot participate in that exchange through an equivalent background service.

Microsoft filed its request in March 2026, arguing that restrictions on iOS clipboard access prevent third-party applications from synchronising copied material smoothly between an iPhone and a personal computer. Existing applications generally need to be open and active before they can read or transfer clipboard content, limiting their usefulness for routine cross-device work.

Apple accepted the project into its interoperability process and outlined a proposed technical solution on June 26. The company expects the engineering work to be completed in autumn 2027, after which the framework is scheduled to enter developer beta testing. A public release could therefore extend into late 2027 or 2028, depending on testing, security reviews and operating-system release cycles.

The proposal would allow Microsoft and other eligible developers to build extensions capable of sharing and importing clipboard items through paired accessories. Users would have to approve clipboard access, while the iPhone and Windows computer would need to be securely paired before information could move between them.

Apple plans to use AccessorySetupKit as part of the authentication and connection process. The framework, introduced to simplify secure pairing between iPhones and third-party accessories, gives users a controlled interface for authorising devices without automatically granting applications broad access to Bluetooth or local-network information.

Clipboard synchronisation is expected to operate as a continuous background capability after consent has been granted. That distinction is important because ordinary iOS applications face limits on how long they can remain active when they are not visible on screen. Microsoft has argued that reliable clipboard sharing requires background access comparable to the system-level functions available between Apple products.

The work falls under Article 6 of the Digital Markets Act, which requires designated operating-system gatekeepers to provide effective interoperability with hardware and software features available to their own services. Developers operating in the European Union can submit formal requests for access to features controlled by iOS or iPadOS.

Apple handles such requests through three stages covering eligibility, project planning and implementation. Project plans classify the work as minor, mild or significant and provide an indicative development timetable. The clipboard project has been described as requiring significant engineering effort, reflecting the sensitivity of data that users may temporarily store while copying passwords, addresses, photographs, documents or financial details.

Privacy safeguards are likely to shape the final design. Clipboard systems can expose highly personal information when applications obtain access without clear disclosure. Apple has progressively tightened iOS clipboard controls, including alerts that appear when an application reads content copied from another app and permission prompts for repeated pasteboard access.

The proposed framework would seek to preserve those protections while supporting automated transfers between approved devices. Apple has said users will retain control over whether clipboard material can be shared, although detailed rules governing data types, retention, encryption and revocation have not been made public.

The initiative is initially tied to the European Union, where the regulatory request was filed. Apple has previously limited several DMA-driven changes to users and developers in the bloc, creating differences between the European version of iOS and software distributed elsewhere. The company has not committed to offering the Windows clipboard framework globally.

Microsoft already provides several links between Windows and smartphones through its Phone Link application. Android users can access notifications, messages, photographs and, on supported devices, clipboard synchronisation. Connections with iPhones remain narrower, largely covering calls, messages and notifications through Bluetooth.

A system-level clipboard extension would reduce that disparity and could strengthen Windows integration for users who own an iPhone but do not use a Mac. It would also give Microsoft a route to build the feature without depending on manual cloud transfers, messaging applications or third-party utilities.