How to see clipboard history on Android
Open the Clipboard panel in your active keyboard. Gboard and Samsung Keyboard put it in their toolbar, though their controls and retention differ.
Open a text field to show your Android keyboard, then tap Clipboard in its toolbar. In Gboard, enable Clipboard if prompted; Google says unpinned clips clear shortly after use, while pinned text remains. On a Galaxy phone using Samsung Keyboard, expand the toolbar with the three-dot button if Clipboard is hidden. The steps depend on which keyboard is active.
How this guide was checked
Android's system clipboard behavior, Gboard history and pinning, and Samsung Keyboard's toolbar were checked against official documentation on September 26, 2026. Controls can vary by device and software version.
On this page
Gboard
Google's keyboard is the default on most non-Samsung phones and has a built-in clipboard panel.
- 1Open any app where you can type, so the keyboard appears.
- 2Tap the clipboard icon in the toolbar above the keys. If you do not see it, tap the arrow or three-dot menu to expand the toolbar.
- 3Turn the clipboard on the first time you use it.
- 4Tap any clip to paste it. Press and hold a clip to pin it so it is not cleared.
Google describes unpinned Gboard history as clearing shortly after it was last used rather than promising an exact retention time. Pin anything you need to keep.
Samsung keyboard
On a Galaxy phone using Samsung Keyboard, tap a text field to show the keyboard, then tap Clipboard in the toolbar. If the icon is hidden, tap the three-dot Expand toolbar button. Samsung notes that toolbar options vary by device and carrier. If you are using Gboard or another keyboard, use that keyboard's clipboard controls instead.
- 1Open a text field so Samsung Keyboard appears.
- 2Tap Clipboard in the toolbar, or expand the toolbar with the three-dot button to find it.
- 3Select an earlier text or image clip to paste it.
The limitations
A keyboard's clipboard panel is convenient for recent copies, but its retention and controls depend on the keyboard and phone. Gboard explicitly clears unpinned history shortly after use. Do not assume a clip will stay there or follow you to another device. For a longer searchable archive or cross-platform history, use a clipboard manager designed for that job.
A history that lasts and reaches your computer
Clypy ships an Android keyboard that pastes from your full history into any app, plus a share target and a quick tile. With Pro, that history is the same one on your Mac, Windows PC or Linux box, synced end to end encrypted, so something copied on a desktop is on the phone without you doing anything. Search works by meaning, and OCR makes text inside screenshots findable.
Common questions
Does Android have a system-wide clipboard history?
Not one you can browse. Android holds the current clip at the system level; the browsable history you see is provided by your keyboard app.
How long does Gboard keep clipboard items?
Google says unpinned history clears shortly after you last use it but does not promise an exact retention time. Pinned text stays until you remove it.
Where is clipboard history on a Samsung Galaxy phone?
If you use Samsung Keyboard, open a text field and tap Clipboard in the toolbar. Tap the three-dot Expand toolbar button if the icon is hidden. The layout can vary by device and carrier.
How do I clear clipboard history on Android?
Open the keyboard's clipboard panel and delete items individually, or use the edit or bin option in that panel to clear them. Clearing the keyboard app's storage also wipes it.
Can I sync my Android clipboard to my PC?
Not natively for most setups. Phone Link offers limited cross-device copy and paste between some Android phones and Windows. For a full synced history across Android, Windows, macOS, Linux and iOS you need an app that runs on each.
Official sources
Platform behavior changes over time. These primary references were used for the latest review.