How to copy and paste between a Mac and a Windows PC
Two machines on one desk, two clipboards that ignore each other. There are three real fixes, and which one you want depends on whether the PCs are side by side or rooms apart.
There is nothing built into either operating system that does this. Apple's Universal Clipboard only works between Apple devices, and Microsoft says Windows clipboard sync does not support Macs. The three things that do work are a software KVM if both machines are on the same desk, a remote desktop session if you are already connecting to one from the other, or a clipboard app installed on both, which is the only option that also gives you a history.
How this guide was checked
The built-in Windows and Apple clipboard paths, Deskflow, Synergy, Logitech Flow, Windows App clipboard redirection and Parallels clipboard sharing were checked against official documentation and project pages on October 10, 2026. Clypy desktop behavior was checked against version 0.4.3.
On this page
Why neither built-in feature crosses over
Universal Clipboard runs on Handoff and requires every device to be signed into the same Apple account, so a Windows PC can never join. Windows clipboard sync goes through your Microsoft account and reaches other Windows PCs, plus Android phones through Microsoft's SwiftKey keyboard; Microsoft says Mac and Linux are not supported. Both are complete inside their own ecosystem and neither has any interest in the other, so no amount of setting-hunting will connect them.
If both machines are on the same desk
A software KVM lets one keyboard and mouse drive both computers, moving the cursor from one screen to the next, and it carries the clipboard along with it. Deskflow is the free, open-source option, with official builds for macOS, Windows and Linux. Synergy is the paid version built on Deskflow, sold as a one-time purchase. Input Leap, which older guides recommend, has been archived and is no longer maintained. If you have a Logitech mouse that supports Flow, Logitech Flow does the same through Logi Options+ on both computers, and carries text, images and files.
- 1Pick one machine to act as the server, the one whose keyboard and mouse you want to use.
- 2Install the same tool on both machines and put them on the same network.
- 3Lay out the screens in the tool's config so the edges match how the monitors sit on your desk.
- 4Allow the app through the firewall on both, and grant accessibility and input-monitoring permission on the Mac.
- 5Drag the cursor across the screen edge, copy on one machine, and paste on the other.
This carries the current clip only, and both machines have to be awake and on the same network. Nothing is stored, so there is no history to search later.
If you already connect to one from the other
Remote desktop tools redirect the clipboard as part of the session. Microsoft's Windows App on macOS can share text, images and files with the PC you are connected to, set per PC under its device redirection settings, though a work PC's administrator can block it. Parallels does the same between a Mac and a Windows VM through its Share Mac clipboard option. Most VNC clients offer clipboard redirection too, though it is often text only and sometimes needs enabling. It works, it is free if you already have the setup, and the catch is that copy and paste only exists while the session is open.
If you want it to work everywhere, all the time
An app installed on both machines is the only approach that survives sleep, distance, and a closed session, and the only one that keeps what you copied rather than just the last item. Clypy runs natively on macOS and Windows, syncs over the LAN when the machines are on the same network and through a relay when they are not, and encrypts every clip on the device that copied it so the relay is moving ciphertext.
- 1Install Clypy on the Mac and on the Windows PC.
- 2Open pairing on one device, then scan or enter its pairing code on the other. Clypy does not require an account for device pairing.
- 3Confirm the pairing on the second device, which is what exchanges the encryption keys.
- 4Copy on either machine, then press Command + Option + V on the Mac or Ctrl + Alt + V on Windows to see the shared history and paste.
Cross-device sync is part of Clypy Pro. Unlimited local history on each machine is free and needs no account, so you can check the Mac and Windows apps separately before deciding.
The manual options, honestly
A note app that runs on both, a message to yourself, or an email draft all work and cost nothing. If moving something across happens twice a week, that is genuinely the right answer and you should not install anything. The reason people go looking for something better is usually volume: once it is ten times a day, the round trip through another app is the thing that breaks concentration.
Common questions
Can Universal Clipboard include a Windows PC?
No. Every participating device has to be signed into the same Apple account with Handoff, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled, and there is no Windows client for it.
Can iCloud or OneDrive sync my clipboard?
No. They sync files, not the clipboard. A shared note in either service works as a manual drop box, but nothing about copy or paste is automatic.
Does Microsoft Remote Desktop share the clipboard with a Mac?
Yes, when clipboard redirection is allowed. Windows App on macOS can share text, images and files with the PC in either direction, configured per PC, and an administrator can turn it off for work PCs. It only applies while the session is connected.
Can I sync a clipboard between a Mac and a PC without the internet?
Yes. Software KVMs work entirely on your local network. Clypy needs an internet connection once, to pair the two machines, and after that syncs directly over the LAN when both are on the same network, falling back to a relay only when they are not.
Does clipboard sync between a Mac and a PC copy images and files?
It depends on the tool. Most KVM and remote-desktop clipboard bridges handle text reliably and images inconsistently. Clypy syncs text, links and images, with images run through OCR so the text inside them stays searchable. A copied picture file arrives as an image, but Clypy does not move the contents of other files.
Official sources
Platform behavior changes over time. These primary references were used for the latest review.