The basic copy and paste method on Samsung tablets

To copy text on a Samsung tablet, press and hold your finger on the word you want to copy until a menu appears. The tablet will highlight that word and show options above it. Tap Copy from the menu that appears.

Once you have copied the text, open the app or document where you want to paste it. Press and hold your finger in the location where you want the text to go. A menu will appear with a Paste option. Tap it, and the copied text will appear in that spot.

This method works in most Samsung apps, including email, messaging, web browsers, and note-taking apps. The exact appearance of the menu may vary slightly depending on which app you are using, but the Copy and Paste buttons are always present.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold on a word to select it, then tap Copy from the menu that appears above the text.
  • To paste, press and hold in the location where you want the text, then tap Paste from the menu.
  • You can select multiple words or sentences by dragging the blue selection handles that appear after you first press and hold.
  • Samsung tablets store only one copied item at a time in the clipboard, so copying something new will replace what you copied before.
  • The copy and paste feature works across most apps, including email, web browsers, and messaging apps.

Selecting more than one word or line

When you press and hold on a word, blue handles appear at the beginning and end of that word. You can drag these handles to select a larger block of text — multiple words, sentences, or even entire paragraphs. Drag the left handle backward to include more text before the word, and drag the right handle forward to include more text after it.

Once you have selected the amount of text you want, the Copy button will still appear in the menu above your selection. Tap it to copy all the highlighted text. This method is useful when you need to move or duplicate longer passages between apps or documents.

Copying and pasting links and images

On Samsung tablets, you can also copy links from web pages. Press and hold on a link (usually shown in blue or underlined text) until a menu appears. Instead of Copy, you will see options like Copy link or Copy link address. Tap the appropriate option, then paste the link into an email, message, or document the same way you would paste text.

For images, press and hold on the image until a menu appears. Look for a Copy image option. Not all apps support image copying — some will only show options to save, share, or open the image. If Copy image does not appear, the app may not support that feature.

Using the clipboard history on Samsung tablets

Samsung tablets include a clipboard history feature that lets you see and reuse items you copied earlier. To access it, open the keyboard by tapping in a text field. Look for a clipboard icon (usually shown as a small rectangle or clipboard symbol) on the keyboard toolbar. Tap it to see a list of recent items you copied.

From this list, you can tap any previous copy to paste it instead of the most recent one. This is helpful if you copied something new by accident and need to go back to an earlier copy. The clipboard history typically stores the last 10 to 20 items, depending on your tablet model and Android version.

What to do if copy and paste is not working

If the Copy and Paste options do not appear when you press and hold, the app you are using may not support the feature. Some apps, particularly games and certain specialized tools, disable copy and paste for security or design reasons. Try the same action in a different app — such as your web browser or email — to confirm whether the problem is with that specific app or with your tablet.

If copy and paste does not work in any app, restart your tablet by holding the power button until the power menu appears, then tap Restart. After the tablet restarts, try copying and pasting again. If the problem continues, check that your Android system is up to date by going to Settings, scrolling to About tablet, and looking for a System update option.

Keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste

If you have a keyboard connected to your Samsung tablet via Bluetooth, you can use keyboard shortcuts instead of the touch menu. Press Ctrl + C to copy selected text and Ctrl + V to paste it. These shortcuts work in most apps and are often faster than using the touch menu, especially if you are copying and pasting multiple items in a row.

To select text with a keyboard, click at the beginning of the text you want to select, then hold Shift and click at the end. The text between those two points will be highlighted. Then use Ctrl + C to copy it. This method is particularly useful if you are doing a lot of writing or editing on your tablet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I copy and paste between different apps on my Samsung tablet?

Yes. The clipboard on your Samsung tablet works across all apps. You can copy text from your web browser and paste it into an email, or copy from a note-taking app and paste it into a messaging app. The copied item stays in the clipboard until you copy something else.

What happens if I copy something while I already have something else copied?

The new item replaces the old one in the clipboard. Your tablet stores only one item at a time, unless you are using the clipboard history feature. If you need to keep multiple items, use the clipboard history to access older copies before they are replaced.

Why does the Copy option not appear when I press and hold?

Some apps do not support copy and paste for security or design reasons. Games, banking apps, and certain specialized tools may disable this feature. Try the same action in a different app like your browser or email to see if copy and paste works there. If it does, the problem is with that specific app, not your tablet.

Can I copy and paste photos on a Samsung tablet?

You can copy images in some apps by pressing and holding on the image and selecting Copy image. However, not all apps support this feature. If the Copy image option does not appear, try saving the image instead, or use the share feature to send it to another app.

Do I need to do anything special to paste text into a password field?

Most password fields on Samsung tablets block pasting for security reasons. You will need to type passwords manually rather than paste them. This is a security feature to prevent unauthorized access to your accounts.