How to View the Clipboard History on an Android Phone

Clipboards allow you to quickly access items you’ve copied and pasted into your texts, notes, and emails. While some Android phones allow you to access the clipboard history, others display only the last copied item.

Fortunately, there are several ways to view the clipboard history, even on Android phones that don’t have this function.

Viewing the clipboard history depends on which Android phone you’re using. Although Android devices share the same or similar operating systems (customized by manufacturers), they differ in many features, one of which is the keyboard.

Most Android phones have built-in clipboards. However, only a few enable you to view its history.

Accessing the Clipboard History

Here’s how you can try to view the clipboard history on your device:

1. Go to Messages, Notes, Email, or wherever you want to paste an item from the clipboard.
   
2. Tap and hold the screen to access several options.
3. Choose Clipboard.
   
4. Scroll down to view the entire history.
   

Unfortunately, the majority of Android phones don’t have this feature. Instead, they only allow you to paste the most recent item you’ve copied. Still, there are ways to view and manage the clipboard history, but it requires installing third-party apps.

Use Third-Party Keyboard Apps to View Clipboard History

Although all Android phones come with built-in keyboards, many users opt for installing a third-party keyboard app. This action often occurs because keyboard apps generally offer more exciting features, including clipboard managers.

Gboard

One of the most popular keyboard apps is Gboard, which is Google’s official keyboard. It’s reliable and easy to use. More than one billion downloads prove its popularity on the Play Store. Many newer Android phones come with Gboard pre-installed.

Here’s how to use Gboard to set up and view the clipboard history on your Android phone:

1. Ensure you have Gboard installed and set as your default keyboard.
2. While typing in Gboard, press the clipboard icon above the letters.
   
3. Tap Turn on Clipboard.
   
4. Copy the items you want to save in the clipboard.
   
5. Press the clipboard icon again, and you’ll see the copied items under Recent.
   

Gboard allows you to save all copied items forever by pinning them. Tap and hold the clip, and Gboard will keep it under Pinned.

Remember that this feature won’t work if you have the clipboard manager disabled. If it’s turned off, Gboard won’t save any of the items you’ve copied, and there will be no way to retrieve them.

SwiftKey

SwiftKey is another excellent keyboard app that features clipboard options. Here’s how to access the clipboard and view the history:

1. Start by installing SwiftKey.
   
2. Copy the items you want to save to your clipboard.
   
3. Press the clipboard icon (the third icon from the left).
   
4. The copied items will appear, with the most recent one at the top.
   

This app also allows you to pin certain items to prevent expiring. Press the pin icon to the right of each one you want to save.

Other Apps

Many other keyboard apps feature clipboard managers. Although they differ in features, most of them have good clipboard options that give you more control over the items you’ve copied.

We recommend Chrooma and Ai.type, but many offer excellent features.

Use Clipboard Apps to View Your Clipboard History

Standalone clipboard apps are another efficient way of viewing your clipboard history. If you often copy and paste different content and are looking for a solution to organize it, clipboard apps are an excellent option.

Some clipboard apps offer more features than popular keyboard apps such as Gboard. They allow you to organize copied items into categories, turn them into QR codes, translate them into different languages, etc.

Clipper

Clipper is one of the most popular clipboard managers on the Play Store. It offers plenty of valuable features that make clipboard managing much easier to control.

Here’s how to view the clipboard history in Clipper:

1. Install Clipper from the Play Store on your Android device.
   
2. Tap on Clipboard.
   
3. You’ll see the copied items and when you copied them. The most recent one will be at the top of the list.
   

Clipper is excellent because it automatically saves everything you copy and enables you to add your clippings manually. You can do this by pressing the plus sign at the bottom-right and typing the clipping.

Moreover, you can quickly access Clipper through your status bar and save time if you need to view your clipboard history. Clipper also allows you to pin items you use often and sort them into different categories.

Clipboard Manager

Clipboard Manager is another useful app that could make clipboard managing a breeze. It has over one million downloads on the Play Store, which proves its popularity.

Here’s how to view the clipboard history using Clipboard Manager:

1. Install the Clipboard Manager app from the Play Store.
   
2. Open the app.
   
3. You’ll find the copied items under the Clipboard section, with the most recent ones at the top.
   

Clipboard Manager syncs with your Android phone as soon as you install it. Whenever you copy a text on your phone, it automatically appears in the app. The app also allows you to manage the clipboard manually, i.e., add text.

Moreover, you can add favorite clipboards, make countless clipboard categories, use the search option for more straightforward navigation, merge notes, etc.

You can easily access Clipboard Manager directly from your status bar. You can use the Smart actions feature that makes this app stand out from the rest. This option enables you to add new notes, run a Google or Wikipedia search, or translate different clipboard content.

Other Clipboard Managing Apps

Other apps such as Clip Stack and Clipboard Actions & Notes also offer impressive features for managing clipboards. Both of them are free.

Standalone clipboard apps are excellent if you often use copy & paste features but don’t want to change your default keyboard.

Clipboard Tips

While clipboards simplify copying and pasting, many people tend to make mistakes that could compromise their privacy. Here are a few tips to help you use clipboard functions safely:

• Don’t keep sensitive information in clipboards. Passwords, SSNs, PINs, or credit card details shouldn’t be in your clipboards because they could get into the wrong hands. This scenario especially goes for third-party apps.
• Read the reviews before downloading a third-party app. Use only reputable apps with positive reviews by past and current users.
• Be careful when giving app permissions. Some apps could access your clipboards without you knowing.
• If you’re using an app you can access directly from the status bar, be careful about what information it’s displaying.

In closing, clipboards are simple and valuable tools that help you copy and paste items without having to type them repeatedly. Once you get used to them, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t installed one sooner.