How to copy text between two computers
Copy and paste works brilliantly on one computer. Moving text to a second one is harder, especially when it's a different operating system, a different account or a machine you've only just unboxed.
The universal way: an online clipboard
An online clipboard works between any two computers that can open a web page: Windows to Mac, Mac to Linux, your laptop to a colleague's desktop, even across different networks or countries.
- On the first computer, copy the text and open 123paste.com.
- Press Ctrl+V (⌘+V on a Mac), then Ctrl+Enter to create the paste. You get three words.
- On the second computer, open 123paste.com, type the three words and press Enter.
- Click Copy, and the text is on the second computer's clipboard, ready to paste.
You don't install or sign in to anything, so it works on locked-down work PCs, shared computers and brand-new machines. The paste deletes itself after 30 minutes.
Built-in options when you use the same account
Windows to Windows: clipboard sync
Windows can sync your clipboard history between PCs signed in to the same Microsoft account. Turn it on in Settings under System → Clipboard, then press Win+V on the other PC to see what you copied. It's great for your own PCs, but not for someone else's.
Mac to Mac: Universal Clipboard
Macs signed in to the same Apple Account, with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Handoff on and close together, share their clipboard automatically.
Remote desktop
If you're already connected with Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, AnyDesk or similar, the session usually shares the clipboard both ways. Check that clipboard sharing is enabled in the connection settings.
Other ways people do it, and the catch
| Method | The catch |
|---|---|
| Email it to yourself | You have to sign in to your email on the second computer |
| Teams, Slack or WhatsApp | Needs the app and your account on both machines |
| A USB stick | Slow, often blocked by IT policy, and easy to lose |
| A shared document | Needs a login, and leaves copies lying around |
| Typing it by hand | Slow, and one wrong character breaks a command or link |
Good to know
- Plain text only. Online clipboards move text, links and commands, not formatting, images or files.
- Exact characters matter. For commands and code, copying beats retyping: no lost quotes, spaces or look-alike characters.
- Keep secrets out. Anyone with the three words can open a paste for 30 minutes, so don't use it for passwords.
Try it now: paste anything on 123Paste, get three words, and open it on any other device. It's free, there's no account, and pastes delete themselves after 30 minutes.