How to Copy and Paste Messages Using Gboard Clipboard in Android

Your Android phone only comes with a basic clipboard function. While you can copy a message and paste it on another app, you can only do it one message at a time. As soon as you copy a message, the previous one gets replaced. If you are a Gboard user, you will be glad to know that it comes with a native clipboard function. Its Clipboard feature can save your messages so you can easily access your clipboard history and paste it on an app. It can also store them all on the Gboard app to be used later.

Using the Gboard Clipboard Function

On your Android phone, open any app that allows you to write a message. Click on the editing field to bring up the Gboard app.

Tap on the Clipboard icon in the top row. If the Clipboard icon is not there, click on the three dots in the top corner. This will reveal additional tools. Tap on the Clipboard icon when you see it.

If your clipboard is off, tap on the toggle button near the top to activate it.

You will find your messages history on the clipboard. Gboard saves all messages typed in the last hour and doesn’t provide an option to change the duration. Tap on a message to paste to the editing field.

You can also pin a particular message to the clipboard to prevent it from being overwritten. Press and hold down on the message for a few seconds, and tap on the pin icon when it appears onscreen.

To delete a message from the clipboard, select it and click on the Trash icon near the top of the page.

To add a new message to the clipboard, you can click on the Pen icon near the top. A plus sign (+) will appear. Click on the plus sign to create a new message.

If you don’t want the clipboard to store your messages, you can turn off the function by toggling the button at the top.

Conclusion

Google has been adding plenty of features to Gboard, including the ability to type morse code, translate handwriting into text and create your own GIF emoji. While its Clipboard feature is not new, it is hidden from plain view, and not many people know about it. Now you can easily make use of this feature to copy and paste messages in your app.

Do you trust Google to store your clipboard content?