Duplicate Without a Real Keyboard: How To Copy And Paste On Android

Do you want to copy text from websites on your Android device but cannot do it because it’s just too confusing? Are you frustrated due to the lack of a physical keyboard and mouse for copying text on your Android device? Do you want to easily copy a link that someone sent you and paste it in your web browser?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you can forget about your copying and pasting problems, as this guide will show you how to copy and paste text easily on your Android device in a couple of seconds.

Using this guide, you’ll learn how to copy and paste on Android, and once you do it a couple of times, you’ll be able to it in seconds. Since there are no physical keyboards or track-pads available on the latest Android devices, you might think that editing text is hectic on Android due to the touch screen controls, but using the methods below, you won’t even remember your keyboard or mouse while copying and pasting text.

Method 1: Default Method

This is the default way of copying and pasting text on Android devices and this method will work on all Android devices, as this is a built-in software feature. You can use this to copy and paste text in your web browser, messages app, dialer or any other third party app that supports copying and pasting text. This method doesn’t involve anything complicated and you’ll be surprised at how easy this method is and how you didn’t come across it while you were typing. As there are several Android devices currently available, this method won’t be exactly same for all Android devices due to different manufacturers and software versions. That being said, the basic guidelines are somewhat the same, meaning that you’ll be easily able to copy and paste text using the steps mentioned below.

Step 1

Go to the screen from where you want to copy the text. This can be your web browser, your messages app or any other third party app.

Step 2

Press your finger on the text the you want to select and hold it till you see the text highlighted. For example, if you want to select a particular word, hold on it until you see it being highlighted. Alternatively, some Android devices also support a double tap selection feature where you can simply double-tap on the word.

Step 3

Once your text is highlighted, you’ll see two sliders at the beginning and at the end of your selected word or block of text. You can move these sliders around in order to select the exact text that you want to copy. For extending the text to your right or for shortening your selection from the right side, you can use the right slider. Similarly, for extending text or shortening text from the left side, you can move the left slider around.

Step 4

Press and hold on the highlighted area that you selected and a popup should appear. Tap on Copy to copy the selected text. On newer Android devices, you don’t need to press on the selected area as you get a toolbox on the tap when you highlight the text. Tap on the Paper icon to copy the selected text if you get the toolbox on the top of your screen.

Step 5

Go to the app or screen where you want to paste the text. For example, if you want to paste the text in your browser, open your browser and go to the address bar.

Step 6

Press and hold on the empty space area in the text box where you want to paste the text until you see a popup.

Step 7

Tap on the Paste option in the popup. That’s it! You have successfully copied and pasted text on your Android device. After doing this several times, you’ll be able to do it in just a couple of seconds.

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Method 2: Copy Paste It

While Method 1 is probably the most reliable method for copying and pasting text on your Android device, some users might not be comfortable with the way this works, specially people with a weaker eyesight. If you don’t like Method 1 or if you think its annoying, then you can use this method for copying and pasting text on your Android device. Copy Paste It is a fantastic third party app available on the Google Play store that lets you copy text from any app or screen on your Android device and paste it in any text box. Not only does this app make copying text easier, but it also supports copying by shaking your device or copying by holding the Search button. The app does require root access, but you don’t need root access if you get the pro/full version.

Step 1

Download and install the Copy Paste It app on your Android  device. You can get the app through the Google Play button below.

Step 2

Go to the screen from where you want to copy the text.

Step 3

Pull down your notification bar and tap on the Copy Paste It option. The app will run constantly and is accessible by tapping on the notification icon while you are inside any app. A big text box, similar to a magnifying glass, should now appear over your screen with the text inside the text box.

Step 4

Move or resize this text box around the screen to capture the exact text that you want to copy inside the box.

Step 5

Once the text is accurately available in the big text box, tap on the Copy to clipboard button.

Step 6

Go to the screen where you want to paste the text.

Step 7

Hold on the empty text box and tap on the Paste option. That’s it!

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Conclusion

Copying and pasting text is really easy and if you don’t already know how to do it, then you can easily use one of the methods mentioned above. Copying and pasting text is essential on PCs and because Android devices are getting more powerful, you might want to use this feature to copy text between your emails, text messages and web browser. Method 1 is possibly the most effective way to copy and paste text on your Android device as it is a default feature on all Android devices. Even though the method is effective, it might get annoying to hold the text and move the sliders whenever you want to select and copy text. In that case, you can use Method 2 to copy and paste text. Whichever method you choose, make sure that you follow all the instructions on how to copy and paste on Android, and feel free to shoot any questions below!