Apple is bringing cross-device clipboard sharing between iPhone and Windows PCs to users in the European Union, allowing copying on one device and pasting on the other in either direction. The move is framed in one account as the result of Microsoft's interoperability request under the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), while another emphasizes the EU's broader efforts to break closed ecosystems, noting Apple's existing Universal Clipboard.
Users in the EU will be able to wirelessly paste text or images copied on an iPhone to Windows PCs, and vice versa. The feature is scheduled to arrive in a fall 2027 release of iOS 28 for EU users.
Microsoft submitted an interoperability request (Request ID: FB22329535) for cross-device clipboard sharing access between iOS and Windows. The request was submitted on March 25, 2026, and approved by Apple on June 26, 2026.
Microsoft's request argued that consumers expect features like clipboard sharing between devices to 'just work.'
Currently, sharing a clipboard between iPhone and Windows requires third-party apps, the iOS app to be open in the foreground, and a permission request for each clipboard share. Microsoft's request suggested that a developed solution would allow copying from iPhone and pasting to Windows, or vice versa, without needing complicated apps or permission structures. Microsoft also shared that it expected the feature would maintain user control and privacy.
According to Apple's system, Microsoft's request was picked up on March 31 and moved up for further evaluation on April 27. The EU DMA demands that Apple allow developers to request interoperability. Apple has made the interoperability request process mostly transparent for anyone to view; some requests show as 'Confidential,' while others, like Microsoft's, show the developer's name.
The longest expected timeline Apple gives for building a possible interoperability feature and submitting it for release.
If Apple deems an interoperability request possible, building the feature and submitting it for release can take six to eighteen months. The clipboard-sharing feature appears to fall into the longest expected timeline of around 18 months.
Apple says in these submissions that the features will be built for the EU only, but there is always a chance they could be released globally. Emulation, for instance, was brought about by DMA complaints but was enabled worldwide.
Apple's proposed solution is similar to the Accessory Notifications and Accessory Live Activities frameworks introduced in iOS 26.5 for the EU. Developers will need to implement AccessorySetupKit to enable a one-time permission prompt for users to pair an accessory and share the clipboard.
Third-party developers can request interoperability features to be developed by Apple via a web portal. Apple has long offered its 'Universal Clipboard' feature for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Apple said: 'you can copy content such as text, images, photos and videos on one Apple device and paste it to another device.'
