Guide
Sync clipboard history between Mac and iPhone
Apple's Universal Clipboard moves only your most recent copy between devices, for a couple of minutes. To keep your whole history on both, use a clipboard manager that syncs. Hotstash saves every copy and syncs history, pins, names, and folders between Mac and iPhone through your private iCloud account.
Launch offer: $4.99 instead of $9.99 until 1 January 2027.
How to set it up
- Install Hotstash on your Mac (Mac App Store) and iPhone (App Store). One purchase covers both.
- Make sure both devices use the same Apple Account with iCloud on. Hotstash's iPhone Settings shows whether sync is on, and why not if it isn't.
- Copy on your Mac. Open Hotstash on your iPhone, or the Hotstash keyboard, and it's there.
- To paste on iPhone without switching apps, add the Hotstash keyboard in Settings → General → Keyboard and turn on Full Access.
Why iPhone can't save copies in the background
iOS doesn't let any app read the clipboard in the background. Hotstash saves what you copy on iPhone when you open the app or the Hotstash keyboard, or share text to it. Everything you copy on the Mac is saved right away and synced.
Is it private?
History goes to your own private iCloud database. There's no Hotstash account. On the Mac, passwords copied from password managers are never saved.
Questions
Does Universal Clipboard keep a history?
No. It only hands your latest copy to a nearby device for a short time. A clipboard manager like Hotstash keeps and syncs a full history.
How do I see my Mac clipboard history on iPhone?
Install Hotstash on both. History syncs through iCloud, and the Hotstash keyboard lets you paste it in any iPhone app.
Does Hotstash save passwords I copy?
On the Mac, no: copies that password managers mark as passwords are skipped. On both devices, verification codes are removed 10 minutes after you copy them.
Hotstash is an independent app. Other product names belong to their owners and are used only to compare features.