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AbsurdBrian

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 22, 2015
22
4
Las Vegas
For me I cannot get the universal clipboard to work. Is there a setting I need to enable for this? I've even tried turning Handoff on and still nothing. Both devices signed into same Apple ID and everything.
 

lagwagon

Suspended
Oct 12, 2014
3,899
2,759
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
As far as I know it's currently only working one way in beta 1. I forget if it's macOS Sierra to iPhone on iOS 10 or if it was iPhone on iOS 10 to macOS Sierra.

So it's just not fully implemented yet in beta 1. So it only partially works. (I just forget which direction the working half was)
 

AbsurdBrian

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 22, 2015
22
4
Las Vegas
As far as I know it's currently only working one way in beta 1. I forget if it's macOS Sierra to iPhone on iOS 10 or if it was iPhone on iOS 10 to macOS Sierra.

So it's just not fully implemented yet in beta 1. So it only partially works. (I just forget which direction the working half was)
I tried both ways, I just can't seem to figure it out. Even copying from different windows/apps/websites.
 

GreyOS

macrumors 68040
Apr 12, 2012
3,355
1,682
Is the intention for copy/paste between all supported macs, iPhones and iPads?
 

Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
5,313
5,100
It's Mac to iOS for now but I don't like the way the feature is implemented at all as it's not at all obvious it's going to do anything. Even if you enter multitasking in ios after you copy in macOS it just says "Safari from Mac" (if that's where you copied from) and tapping that will just open the page. I can't see any indication that something has been put on the clipboard so it feels like roulette. Maybe I missed something.
 

lagwagon

Suspended
Oct 12, 2014
3,899
2,759
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
I tried both ways, I just can't seem to figure it out. Even copying from different windows/apps/websites.

Are you sure you have Bluetooth enabled and all that stuff? Devices are near each other? There have been numerous people over in the macOS Sierra beta sub forum that have gotten it to work. But like I said, it's only one way at the moment.
 

AbsurdBrian

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 22, 2015
22
4
Las Vegas
Are you sure you have Bluetooth enabled and all that stuff? Devices are near each other? There have been numerous people over in the macOS Sierra beta sub forum that have gotten it to work. But like I said, it's only one way at the moment.
It's over bluetooth? Not an icloud sync?
 

Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
5,313
5,100
It works unilaterally, (iPhone 6 to MBP) albeit it doesn't work every single time.

I just tried it iPP to MBP and indeed it worked so it's working both directions for me right now and I could have sworn it was said that it doesn't/wouldn't until a later version of both. Weird.
[doublepost=1466627625][/doublepost]Both tests reminded of what I hate about this feature. It silently stomps my clipboard on all my devices! 99 times out of 100 I do not want copying text on my iPad to overwrite my Mac's clipboard. I'd be ok if there was a "paste from..." feature but otherwise I can see this annoying me a lot in future
[doublepost=1466629230][/doublepost]Well here's an interesting tidbit and perhaps the reason it's said that it only works in one direction. It seems I can copy on Mac and paste anywhere in iPad (I've tried safari address bar, safari text boxes, Word for iOS, Outlook for iOS, Chrome address bar and text boxes and Prompt for a good sample of mixed apps) but the other direction, iPad to macOS is very inconsistent.

It doesn't seem to matter where I copy from on the iPad (I've again tried a good range of sources) but it won't paste to certain places and that even varies within the same app. I copied the word "deadlines" from safari on iOS and tried to paste in the following places on the Mac. For the "not working" section it pastes nothing at all (its still trashes my clipboard!! :mad:) except for Firefox which I've noted acts strangely: -

Works:
Outlook body of new email
Outlook search field
iTerm Profiles section
Safari (anywhere except standard HTML input form. MacRumors comment box works fine) --> Deadlines <-- that was pasted
MS Word (everywhere)


Does not work:
Outlook "To", "CC" and "BCC" fields
Textwrangler document (indeed anywhere in Textwrangler)
iTerm session (the actual terminal)
Firefox anywhere (it pastes some odd control codes in the URL bar and nothing anywhere else)

I can try more sources but I think the moral is is that iOS -> macOS isn't fully baked yet.
 

DaveOP

macrumors 68000
May 29, 2011
1,584
2,347
Portland, OR
As far as I know it's currently only working one way in beta 1. I forget if it's macOS Sierra to iPhone on iOS 10 or if it was iPhone on iOS 10 to macOS Sierra.

So it's just not fully implemented yet in beta 1. So it only partially works. (I just forget which direction the working half was)

This is working in both directions for me. iPhone 6S to 2015 rMBP, copying from either allows me to paste to the other.
 

Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
5,313
5,100
This is working in both directions for me. iPhone 6S to 2015 rMBP, copying from either allows me to paste to the other.

Can you perhaps try some of the tests I've noted above? It'd be good to know if it's consistent and indeed why Apple said iOS to macOS isn't complete. Thanks!
 

lagwagon

Suspended
Oct 12, 2014
3,899
2,759
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
This is working in both directions for me. iPhone 6S to 2015 rMBP, copying from either allows me to paste to the other.

I was just going by what I read over in the macOS Sierra sub forum. People who had it work said it was only one way for now. But that's good new if it's working both ways.

My Macs are too old for handoff and anything that requires Bluetooth LE for me to have tested.
 
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DaveOP

macrumors 68000
May 29, 2011
1,584
2,347
Portland, OR
Can you perhaps try some of the tests I've noted above? It'd be good to know if it's consistent and indeed why Apple said iOS to macOS isn't complete. Thanks!

I was able to copy the To, CC, and BCC fields from my Mac on Outlook 2013, and paste them consistently on my iPhone. I don't have Firefox and don't want to install it, so I cant speak for that or the other 3rd party apps you listed.

I just read the rest of your post - you were having trouble in the opposite direction. I don't want Outlook or Firefox on my iPhone, so can't help you here. Sorry.
 

Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
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I was able to copy the To, CC, and BCC fields from my Mac on Outlook 2013, and paste them consistently on my iPhone. I don't have Firefox and don't want to install it, so I cant speak for that or the other 3rd party apps you listed.
Outlook 2016 here so not quite like for like. I looked for something 1st party not working on my end and found Spotlight doesn't work. Could you try that?

Also, in Safari if you go to http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_forms.asp you'll find a First Name and Last Name text boxes. Can you confirm whether those work too?
 

Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
5,313
5,100
Same issue with Terminal. All of the things I've noted as "Don't work" can be pasted into as soon as you put local content into the clipboard but not from continuity.

Does iOS to iOS work? If not is it a planned feature?
Seems to work fine from my limited testing
 
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gsmornot

macrumors 68040
Sep 29, 2014
3,603
3,723
I have it working both ways but it took a little work. I have a 2011 Mac mini which does not officially support continuity features. I found a tool that will turn this on (Continuity Activation Tool) since the 2011 is Bluetooth 4.0. I tried to add my phone to my Mac via bluetooth but the connection fails. Still the copy back and forth works fine. So, it will go both ways for me. The connection thing might have to do with how I'm making this work then again before I tried to pair the two I could copy one way only. It would go from the Mac to the phone but not the other way. Perhaps the people having the issue should try to pair the phone to their Mac and try again.
 

Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
5,313
5,100
I have it working both ways but it took a little work. I have a 2011 Mac mini which does not officially support continuity features. I found a tool that will turn this on (Continuity Activation Tool) since the 2011 is Bluetooth 4.0. I tried to add my phone to my Mac via bluetooth but the connection fails. Still the copy back and forth works fine. So, it will go both ways for me. The connection thing might have to do with how I'm making this work then again before I tried to pair the two I could copy one way only. It would go from the Mac to the phone but not the other way. Perhaps the people having the issue should try to pair the phone to their Mac and try again.


Could you try copying something on iOS and pasting into Spotlight or Terminal? Curious to know if it's just me having the odd inconsistencies.
 

ZEEN0j

macrumors 68000
Sep 29, 2014
1,560
715
It's Mac to iOS for now but I don't like the way the feature is implemented at all as it's not at all obvious it's going to do anything. Even if you enter multitasking in ios after you copy in macOS it just says "Safari from Mac" (if that's where you copied from) and tapping that will just open the page. I can't see any indication that something has been put on the clipboard so it feels like roulette. Maybe I missed something.

What you are seeing in the app switcher has nothing to do with universal clipboard. That's handoff. You can open a link for example in Safari on your Mac. And if you want to continue reading it on your iPhone you drag the little icon in the iPhone lock screen or the window in the app switcher.

As far as I understand universal clipboard there is no indicator that it's been passed on. You just copy on one device and paste with the other no thinking required. It's suppose to just work but doesn't on beta 1.
 

Feenician

macrumors 603
Jun 13, 2016
5,313
5,100
What you are seeing in the app switcher has nothing to do with universal clipboard. That's handoff. You can open a link for example in Safari on your Mac. And if you want to continue reading it on your iPhone you drag the little icon in the iPhone lock screen or the window in the app switcher.

As far as I understand universal clipboard there is no indicator that it's been passed on. You just copy on one device and paste with the other no thinking required. It's suppose to just work but doesn't on beta 1.

Yep, you're right and like I said, the last thing I want to do is trash my clipboard on the Mac every time I copy text on phone or iPad. Even worse that there's no indication that it happened. I really hope there is "paste from" option at some point.
 

GreyOS

macrumors 68040
Apr 12, 2012
3,355
1,682
Regarding it trashing clipboards, I read it only lasts 2 minutes, wonder if the original clipboard returns after that time?
 
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