Microsoft has added a new feature to its keyboard app, SwiftKey, making it easy to copy and paste text between Android phones and PCs. Copying text between devices can be a hassle, and while there are multiple ways to do so, one of which includes emailing the text to oneself, it takes time and numerous steps.
Microsoft acquired SwiftKey in 2016 for a quarter of a million US dollars. The keyboard app offers several helpful features such as voice typing and swiping, where users drag their finger over the keyboard instead of tapping individual keys. It also has an incredibly reliable predictive text feature developed from analyzing how a user types. Since the tech giant bought it, the keyboard app has added more features, including an incognito mode, a built-in translation tool, and a clipboard tool.
The latest new feature is called Cloud Clipboard, and it has been added to the newest version of the SwiftKey app. Copying text between the phone and PC requires an Android phone as the Cloud Clipboard feature is not available for iOS. Microsoft states that the PC must be running Windows 10 October 2018 update or later. Before setting up the feature, the SwiftKey app needs to be updated to the latest version, so it is advised to check for an update on the Play Store. To activate the feature, open the keyboard app and select “Rich input” under the app's settings menu. Then, select 'Clipboard' and turn on the toggle that says 'Sync clipboard history to the cloud.' On some devices, it may appear as 'Sync clipboard history.' The app will request that users sign in with their Microsoft account or create one if they don't have an account. The next step is to turn on Clipboard sync on the Windows PC. To do this, type 'Settings' in the search bar and select 'System,' and choose 'Clipboard' on the left pane. Next, activate the toggle that says 'Sync across devices.' The option that says 'Automatically sync text that I copy' should be selected too.
Copying And Pasting Is A Breeze
Copying text between the users' Android phone and Windows PC is straightforward. Once a text or link is copied on the PC, it will appear in the keyboard's clipboard. Note that only the last text copied will be shown on the clipboard, and it will be available for an hour before it vanishes. Users can access text copied from the phone on the PC by pressing the 'Windows + V' shortcut, which brings up the clipboard. The copied text from the phone will be visible on the computer's clipboard.
Microsoft's Cloud Clipboard feature for its SwiftKey app comes in handy for users that own Windows and Android devices. While it is limited to just text, it is easy to set up and doesn't require downloading any additional software or app to function. The copied data is also encrypted. There are other clipboard tools from third parties that allow users to not only copy text across devices but also images. The OnePlus Clipt app is an option for users wishing to copy and paste both.
Source: Swiftkey