Cutting, copying, and pasting are actions that are regularly performed in apps and between apps: getting an address from a message into a map, moving an image from an email to a document, or just transferring text from one end of a note to another. But while I\u2019ve known how to cut, copy, and paste on a laptop or desktop computer for, well, forever, I wasn\u2019t quite as sure at first how to do it on my Android phone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In fact, cutting, copying, sharing, or pasting on Android is pretty straightforward \u2014 no matter which app you\u2019re in or what you\u2019re trying to move around. Here\u2019s how to do it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Note: I\u2019ve tested these techniques on a Google Pixel 8 running Android 14 and a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 running Android 14 and One UI 6.0.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Selecting, copying, and sharing text<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nWhen you highlight a section of text, a small bar of options will pop up above your selection.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nWhen you copy or cut text, you\u2019ll see it above your Gboard keyboard.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nThe process for selecting text on the screen, whether it\u2019s editable text (as in a form) or non-editable text (like on a webpage), is the same in most scenarios:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n- Press and hold on a word until it\u2019s selected.<\/li>\n
- Drag the handles at each end of the selection if you want to include more words.<\/li>\n
- Tap Select all<\/strong> on the pop-up bar above the selection to select all the text in the section.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
In some apps (such as Google Keep), you can also double-tap on a word to select it, rather than tapping and holding. You might find this easier if the app you\u2019re using supports it. (Gmail, for example, does not.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nHowever you do it, once you select your text, you\u2019ll get a list of options that appear above the selection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n- Tap Copy<\/strong> to copy the text to the keyboard, leaving the original text in place.<\/li>\n
- Tap Cut<\/strong> to move the text to the clipboard, removing the original text. (You can only do this in a field or form where text is editable.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
Android actually has a neat trick where if there\u2019s text on the clipboard when you pull up the on-screen keyboard, you\u2019ll see that text ready to paste just above the keys \u2014 just tap the text to paste it at the current cursor position. (This works on Google\u2019s default Gboard keyboard, the Samsung Keyboard, and it might work on other keyboard apps as well.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n- To paste the text, press and hold your finger on the spot you want to drop the text in, then choose Paste<\/strong> from the pop-up menu when it appears.<\/li>\n
- Tap Share<\/strong> to send the text directly into another app \u2014 for example, to copy an address from a website and paste it into a message to someone on WhatsApp.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
There is another option if you\u2019re moving text within a document: with the text selected, long-press somewhere in the selection, then drag it to its new location. This works in the same way as going via the clipboard and the Cut<\/strong> and Paste<\/strong> options.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nYou will notice some variations in different apps \u2014 for example, in Chrome, where if you press on the current site URL, you\u2019ll get a copy icon that you can select, not a pop-up bar. In general, though, use a long press to select and copy and a long press to paste.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Selecting, copying, and pasting images<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\nImage copying is simple in Chrome \u2014 just press and hold to get a pop-up menu.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nIn Google Photos, there\u2019s no copy option; you have to share the photo.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nWorking with images is a lot more dependent on the app you\u2019re using, in my experience, but a long press is a good place to start. In Google Chrome, for example, press and hold on an image, and you\u2019ll see a pop-up dialog with a Copy image<\/strong> option on it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nIt\u2019s not quite this simple in every other app. If you\u2019re looking at an image in Google Keep, you need to tap on it to make it full screen, then tap the three dots (top right), then choose Copy<\/strong>. In Google Docs, you just need a single short tap to bring up the Copy<\/strong> option.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nPasting is very simple, no matter which app you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n- As with text, long-press on the spot where you want the image to be inserted.<\/li>\n
- Pick Paste<\/strong> from the pop-up bar that appears.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
This is assuming you can paste at all. In Google Photos, which may well be where you\u2019re sharing most images from, there\u2019s no copy feature at all, strangely enough. In this app:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n\n- Tap on a photo to make it full screen.<\/li>\n
- Tap Share<\/strong> to bring up the sharing options.<\/li>\n
- You can now send the image directly to any other app on your phone by selecting the app, but you can\u2019t copy and paste it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n
It\u2019s the same story in quite a few other apps, including WhatsApp and Google Messages. You can\u2019t access copy and cut options there, only the standard share option.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nWhile the image copying and pasting process is rather inconsistent between apps \u2014 and at times not available at all \u2014 you should be able to get your pictures from one place to another without too much difficulty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The process for selecting text on the screen, whether it\u2019s editable text (as in a form) or non-editable text (like on a webpage), is the same in most scenarios:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In some apps (such as Google Keep), you can also double-tap on a word to select it, rather than tapping and holding. You might find this easier if the app you\u2019re using supports it. (Gmail, for example, does not.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n However you do it, once you select your text, you\u2019ll get a list of options that appear above the selection.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Android actually has a neat trick where if there\u2019s text on the clipboard when you pull up the on-screen keyboard, you\u2019ll see that text ready to paste just above the keys \u2014 just tap the text to paste it at the current cursor position. (This works on Google\u2019s default Gboard keyboard, the Samsung Keyboard, and it might work on other keyboard apps as well.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There is another option if you\u2019re moving text within a document: with the text selected, long-press somewhere in the selection, then drag it to its new location. This works in the same way as going via the clipboard and the Cut<\/strong> and Paste<\/strong> options.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You will notice some variations in different apps \u2014 for example, in Chrome, where if you press on the current site URL, you\u2019ll get a copy icon that you can select, not a pop-up bar. In general, though, use a long press to select and copy and a long press to paste.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Working with images is a lot more dependent on the app you\u2019re using, in my experience, but a long press is a good place to start. In Google Chrome, for example, press and hold on an image, and you\u2019ll see a pop-up dialog with a Copy image<\/strong> option on it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s not quite this simple in every other app. If you\u2019re looking at an image in Google Keep, you need to tap on it to make it full screen, then tap the three dots (top right), then choose Copy<\/strong>. In Google Docs, you just need a single short tap to bring up the Copy<\/strong> option.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Pasting is very simple, no matter which app you\u2019re in.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This is assuming you can paste at all. In Google Photos, which may well be where you\u2019re sharing most images from, there\u2019s no copy feature at all, strangely enough. In this app:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s the same story in quite a few other apps, including WhatsApp and Google Messages. You can\u2019t access copy and cut options there, only the standard share option.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n While the image copying and pasting process is rather inconsistent between apps \u2014 and at times not available at all \u2014 you should be able to get your pictures from one place to another without too much difficulty.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Selecting, copying, and pasting images<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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