Conquer the clipboard in iPadOS: My system for always-on copying
While iPadOS offers an API for apps to access the clipboard, it's limited to when apps are in the foreground. This poses a challenge for clipboard manager apps like Copy 'Em, as they miss the latest copied item when inactive.
To address this limitation, I have two effective workarounds:
Stage Manager: By placing your clipboard manager app in a stage, you ensure it remains active. For instance, during research, I keep Copy 'Em in a stage with Safari. Everything I copy in Safari within that stage is automatically saved to Copy 'Em. When transitioning to the writing stage, I move Copy 'Em, to my writing stage ensuring access to all the copied content during research.
Universal Clipboard: This feature allows seamless copying and pasting of content (text, images, files) across your iPad, iPhone, and Mac. For my workflow, I keep Copy 'Em running on my iPad Mini alongside my iPad Pro. Anything copied on my iPad Pro is saved in Copy 'Em on the iPad Mini, enabling easy access for pasting on the iPad Pro.
These workarounds enhance the clipboard experience, ensuring accessibility across your different workflows.
Published first to ldstephens.net – January 18, 2024