The basic way to copy and paste on Samsung

To copy text on your Samsung phone, press and hold the text you want to copy until a menu appears. A blue highlight will surround the text. Tap Copy from the menu that pops up. Then open the app or message where you want to paste it, press and hold in the text field, and tap Paste.

This works in most places on your phone — text messages, email, notes, search boxes, and social media apps. The exact wording of the menu buttons may vary slightly depending on which Samsung model you have and which app you're using, but the steps are the same.

If you want to copy more than a few words, you can select a larger block of text by tapping and holding, then dragging the blue highlight handles to expand the selection before you tap Copy.

Key Takeaways

  • Press and hold any text until it highlights in blue, then tap Copy from the menu that appears.
  • Open the app where you want to paste, press and hold in the text field, and tap Paste.
  • You can expand your selection by dragging the blue highlight handles before copying.
  • Samsung's clipboard stores only your most recent copy, so copying something new will replace what was previously copied.
  • Some apps restrict copying for security reasons, and you will not see a Copy option in those cases.

Selecting text by dragging instead of holding

If you find it hard to select text by pressing and holding, you can also select by dragging. Tap once at the start of the text you want to copy, then drag your finger to the end of the selection. The text will highlight as you drag.

This method works better if you want to copy a specific phrase in the middle of a sentence. You have more control over where the selection starts and stops when you drag rather than relying on the automatic selection that happens when you hold.

Copying and pasting links and images

Links work the same way as text — press and hold the link, tap Copy link (or just Copy, depending on the app), then paste it into a message or note. The full web address will paste, not just the link text.

Images cannot be copied the same way as text. To copy an image, press and hold it until a menu appears, then look for Copy image or Save image. Some apps do not offer a copy option for images — in those cases, you may need to save the image to your phone's gallery instead, then share it from there.

Using Samsung's clipboard history

Samsung phones do not have a built-in clipboard history tool like some other phones do. This means your phone stores only the most recent item you copied. If you copy something new, the previous copy is replaced and you cannot get it back from the clipboard.

If you need to save multiple pieces of text to use later, consider using the Notes app or a notes service like Google Keep. You can paste text into these apps and keep them organized in one place instead of relying on the clipboard.

What to do if copy and paste is not working

If the Copy and Paste buttons do not appear when you press and hold text, the app you are using may restrict copying for security or copyright reasons. Banking apps, password managers, and some streaming services intentionally disable copying to protect your information.

If copy and paste stops working in an app where it normally does, try closing the app completely and reopening it. If that does not fix it, restart your phone. If the problem continues, uninstall and reinstall the app — sometimes a software glitch prevents the copy function from appearing.

You can also check whether your phone's software is up to date. Go to Settings > About phone > Software update and tap read and install if an update is available. Outdated software occasionally causes copy and paste to malfunction.

Copying text from web pages in Samsung Internet

Samsung Internet (the default browser on most Samsung phones) works the same way as other apps. Press and hold the text you want to copy, tap Copy, then paste it wherever you need it.

If you want to copy an entire web address, press and hold the address bar at the top of the page, then tap Copy. You can also press and hold any link on a page and choose Copy link to copy just the link without copying the surrounding text.

Keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste

If your Samsung phone is connected to a keyboard (through a case, dock, or Bluetooth), you can use keyboard shortcuts instead of tapping. Select the text you want, then press Ctrl + C to copy and Ctrl + V to paste. This is faster if you are typing a lot or moving text between multiple apps.

Keyboard shortcuts work in most Samsung apps, but some apps that restrict copying (like banking apps) will not respond to keyboard shortcuts either.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I copy and paste between different apps?

Yes. You can copy text from any app and paste it into any other app, as long as neither app restricts copying. For example, you can copy text from a web page and paste it into a text message, or copy from an email and paste it into a note.

What happens if I copy something and then turn off my phone?

Your clipboard is cleared when you turn off your phone. If you copied something important, paste it somewhere permanent (like a note or message) before shutting down, or you will lose it.

Why does pasted text sometimes look different from the original?

Some apps paste text with formatting (bold, italics, colors), while others paste plain text only. If you paste into a plain-text field like a search box, formatting will be removed. If you paste into a rich-text app like email or notes, formatting may be preserved.

Can I copy text from a screenshot?

Yes. Open your screenshot in the Gallery app, press and hold the text in the image, and tap Copy. Your phone will recognize the text and let you copy it. This feature is called OCR (optical character recognition) and works on most Samsung phones running recent software.

Is there a way to see what I copied?

Samsung phones do not show a clipboard history by default. However, some Samsung models have a clipboard manager in the keyboard app. Open any text field, tap the keyboard icon, look for a clipboard or history button, and tap it to see recent copies. The exact location depends on your phone model and software version.