The basic moves: selecting, copying, and pasting

Copying and pasting on an iPad works differently than on a computer because you use your fingers instead of a mouse and keyboard. To copy text, you first select it by tapping and holding on a word until a menu appears, then dragging the blue handles to expand your selection to include everything you want. Once the text is highlighted in blue, tap Copy from the menu that appears above it.

To paste what you copied, tap and hold in the spot where you want it to go — inside a text message, an email, a note, or any other app that accepts text. A menu will pop up with a Paste option. Tap it, and the text appears instantly. The copied text stays in your clipboard until you copy something else, so you can paste the same thing multiple times in different places.

If you change your mind while selecting text, tap elsewhere on the screen to close the menu and start over. If you select too much or too little, you can adjust by dragging the blue handles at the edges of your selection before you tap Copy.

Key Takeaways

  • Tap and hold on any word to start selecting text, then drag the blue handles to expand your selection to the exact text you need.
  • Once text is highlighted in blue, tap Copy from the menu above it to save it to your clipboard.
  • Tap and hold where you want to paste, then tap Paste from the menu that appears.
  • Text stays copied until you copy something else, so you can paste the same thing in multiple places.
  • You can also copy images, links, and files by tapping and holding on them, then selecting Copy from the menu.

Copying images and links instead of text

Images and links work the same way as text. Tap and hold on an image in Safari, an email, or a photo app, and a menu appears with a Copy option. Once copied, you can paste it into Notes, Mail, Messages, or any other app that accepts images. Some apps let you paste images directly into conversations or documents.

For links, tap and hold on the blue underlined text or on a link inside an app. The menu will show Copy Link or just Copy. Paste it into an email, a note, or a message to share the link with someone else. You can also copy the link address itself without copying the text that displays it — look for an option like Copy Link or Copy URL in the menu.

What to do if copy and paste is not working

If the Copy option does not appear when you tap and hold, the app you are using may not support copying from that location. Some apps lock down certain content so you cannot copy it. Try a different app or a different piece of content to see if the problem is specific to one app or one type of content.

If copy and paste worked before but stopped working, restart your iPad. Hold down the top button and one of the volume buttons until the power-off slider appears, then drag it to turn off the iPad. Wait a few seconds, then hold the top button again until the Apple logo appears. This fixes most temporary glitches with copying and pasting.

If restarting does not help, check that you have enough free storage space on your iPad. Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage to see how much space is left. If you are very low on storage, delete some apps or photos to free up space, then try copying and pasting again.

Using the clipboard to paste multiple times

Your iPad keeps whatever you copy in a temporary storage area called the clipboard. You can paste from the clipboard as many times as you want without copying again. This is useful when you need to paste the same email address, phone number, or block of text into several different places.

The clipboard only holds one thing at a time. As soon as you copy something new, it replaces what was there before. If you copy a phone number and then copy an address, the phone number is gone and you can only paste the address. There is no way to see what is currently in your clipboard or to recover something you copied by accident.

Copying and pasting between different apps

One of the most useful features of copy and paste is that it works across apps. You can copy text from Safari, paste it into Mail, copy a link from Mail, paste it into Notes, and so on. The clipboard does not care which app you are using — whatever you copy is available to paste anywhere.

This works for text, images, links, and files. Copy a photo from your Photos app and paste it into a message. Copy a web address from Safari and paste it into an email. Copy a document from Files and paste a link to it in Notes. As long as both apps support the type of content you are copying, it will work.

Selecting all text at once

If you want to copy everything on the screen instead of selecting it piece by piece, use the Select All shortcut. Tap and hold on any text, and look for Select All in the menu that appears. Tap it, and all the text on the page or in the document turns blue. Then tap Copy to copy it all at once.

Select All is faster than dragging the blue handles across a long document, but it copies everything — you cannot pick and choose. If you only need part of the text, go back to selecting manually by tapping and holding on the first word you want, then dragging to the last word.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I undo a paste if I pasted the wrong thing?

Yes. Shake your iPad gently, and a menu appears asking if you want to undo. Tap Undo to remove what you just pasted. You can also use the keyboard shortcut by pressing Command and Z at the same time if your iPad is connected to a keyboard.

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

The clipboard is cleared when you turn off your iPad. Anything you copied is lost. If you need to save something you copied, paste it somewhere permanent like Notes or Mail before you shut down.

Why does the paste option sometimes appear grayed out?

A grayed-out Paste option means the app does not accept the type of content you copied. For example, if you copy an image but tap in a text-only field, Paste will be grayed out. Try pasting in a different location or a different app that supports images.

Can I copy text from a PDF on my iPad?

Yes. Open the PDF in the Books app or Files app, tap and hold on the text you want, then drag to select it. Tap Copy from the menu, and you can paste it anywhere. Some PDFs have copy protection, which prevents this — if Copy does not appear, the PDF owner has locked it.