copy on the PC, paste on the Mac:
Share the clipboard between Windows and Mac
Copy on one computer, paste on the other – without emailing yourself and without a USB stick. Copy 42 keeps the clipboard of your computers in sync, directly over your Wi-Fi: text and images are across in about a second. No account, no cloud, Windows and Mac mixed.
↑ clipboard: free even after the trial
How to share the clipboard
Install
Copy 42 on every computer that should join in. All of them need to be on the same network – Wi-Fi or cable, it doesn’t matter.
Windows or Mac
Connect once
The computers show the same code. You confirm it once; after that they find each other by themselves.
482 913 ✓
Copy, paste
Ctrl+C on the PC, ⌘+V on the Mac. No button, no window – it runs in the background.
that’s all there is to learn
The other way round works the same: copy on the Mac, paste on the PC.
Two PCs, two Macs or all at once
Copy 42 shares the clipboard between two Windows PCs just as between two Macs or between PC and Mac. If you have several computers, every copy goes to all the ones ticked in the window. Untick the laptop that shouldn’t get anything right now. And if you need some peace for a while, turn off “Share clipboard” – then everything stays on the computer until you turn it back on.
What can Windows and Mac do on their own?
Windows 10 and 11 can sync the clipboard across devices – but only if the same Microsoft account is signed in on every PC, and the copies travel via the cloud. Apple devices share the clipboard with each other when the same Apple Account is signed in everywhere. Between Windows and Mac there is nothing built in at all. Copy 42 closes exactly this gap: PC and Mac mixed, no account, and the copies stay on your own network.
Clipboard history: your last five copies
Copy 42 remembers your last five copies – images too, and also what came from the other computers. Ctrl+Alt+V (on the Mac ⌃+⌥+V) opens the list, and a number from 1 to 5 puts the entry back on the clipboard. So you can copy several things one after another and paste them later at your leisure. The list is kept in memory only; when you quit Copy 42, it’s gone.
What happens to passwords
Passwords from a password manager are usually marked as secret there – Copy 42 doesn’t pass such copies on and doesn’t remember them either. Everything else goes encrypted only to your own computers that you connected once, never via a server. A password you copy yourself from a text isn’t marked; for that, briefly turn off sharing beforehand.
Good to know: Text (up to 2 MB) and images are shared, such as a screenshot or “Copy image” in the browser (up to about 12 MB). Formatting such as bold or tables stays on the one computer. Files don’t go via the clipboard but via the window: drag them on, tick the computer, done. And all computers need to be on the same network – it doesn’t work over the internet.
psst … more questions?
Frequently asked questions
How do I share the clipboard between two PCs?+
Install Copy 42 on both PCs and connect them once with a code. Then copy on one as usual with Ctrl+C and paste on the other with Ctrl+V. This works with two PCs, two Macs or PC and Mac mixed.
Does copy and paste work between Mac and Windows?+
Yes. Copy on the PC, paste on the Mac with ⌘+V – and the other way round. Text and images are across in about a second.
Do I need an account or a cloud?+
No. The computers talk to each other directly over your Wi-Fi, encrypted. There is no account, and nothing goes through someone else’s server.
Do images work too?+
Yes. A screenshot or an image copied in the browser works just like text, up to about 12 MB. Whole photos and folders are best sent as files via the window.
Can the clipboard keep several entries?+
Yes, the last five – on every connected computer, including what came from the others. Press Ctrl+Alt+V (on the Mac Control+Option+V), choose the number, paste.
Can’t Windows sync the clipboard by itself?+
Yes, but only between Windows PCs with the same Microsoft account and via the cloud. Copy 42 needs no account, also connects Macs and Android phones and sends everything directly over your Wi-Fi.
How much does it cost?+
The clipboard is free – even after the 28-day trial. You only need a licence when a computer is to send or receive files: a one-off €9 for one computer or €19 for three. No subscription.
pros don’t retype:
Do it like the pros.
Copy, send it over, keep working – on every computer in the house. Everything is included for 28 days, no account and no credit card. If you like it, you pay once – no subscription.
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