5 Ways to Copy and Paste Text on Android

Quick Tips

• To copy text on an Android device, long press on the desired text and select Copy from the pop-up menu.
• Some apps and PDFs do not allow text copying, but you can use Google Lens to extract the text from the image.

Method 1: Copy and Paste General Text

To copy and paste text on your Android device, follow these steps:

Step 1: Long-press the text you want to copy. Two markers will appear; one at the start and one at the end. Drag both markers to select the text you want to copy.

Step 2: Tap the Copy option in the pop-up menu. The selected text will now be copied to your clipboard.

Note: On a Samsung Phone, tap on the three dots in the pop-up menu and select Copy.

Step 3: Navigate to where you want to paste the text. Long-press on the text field and tap on Paste from the pop-up menu.

Method 2: Copy and Paste a Text Message

You cannot select text messages on an Android phone using the above method. Follow these instructions to copy text messages on Android phones.

On Google Message

Step 1: Open the message conversation whose text you want to copy.

Step 2: Long-press the text message and tap the Copy icon on the top bar to copy the entire message.

Step 3: Open any app and long-press on the text box. Choose Paste from the menu.

Also read: Forward Text Messages to Another Phone or PC on Android

On Samsung Phones

If you use the Samsung Messages app instead of Google Messages, follow these steps to copy messages on it:

Step 1: Open the message conversation on your Samsung device.

Step 2: Long-press the text you want to copy, then tap Copy from the menu options. The entire message will be copied.

Note: If you only want to copy a portion of the message, you can use the markers to select and copy just that part.

Step 3: Open a new message or note app and long-press the text field. Tap Paste from the pop-up menu to paste the copied text.

Also read: How to Use the clipboard on Samsung Galaxy phones

Method 3: Copy and Paste a URL or Link

There are two ways to copy and paste a URL or link on your Android device:

Using the Address Bar

Step 1: Open the webpage with the link you want to copy.

Step 2: Tap on the address bar at the top of your browser. The entire URL will be highlighted.

Step 3: Tap on the Copy icon in the pop-up menu.

Using the Copy Link Option

Step 1: Open the webpage with the link you want to copy.

Step 2: Long press the link and select Copy link address from the menu.

Step 3: Navigate to the location where you want to paste the link. Long-press the text field and tap Paste.

Method 4: Use Google Lens to Copy Text From Images

Sadly, many apps like YouTube and Instagram don’t let you copy text from comments or descriptions. Similarly, some PDFs block text copying. In such cases, take a screenshot and use Google Photos or Google Lens to copy text from the image.

Tip: Learn how to copy text from web pages that don’t allow copying.

Step 1: Take a screenshot of the text you want to copy. Then, open the Google app on your phone.

Step 2: Tap on the Lens icon in the search bar and select the screenshot. Long-press the text in the screenshot you want to copy.

Step 3: Use the selection bubbles to highlight the text, then tap on Copy.

Also see: How to Copy Text From an Instagram Post

Method 5: Copy Unselectable Text on Google Pixel Phones

On Google Pixel phones, you get a special feature to copy text from apps that don’t allow copying, even from images. Here’s how to use it:

Step 1: Launch the app where you want to copy text. Next, open the Recent Apps screen.

Step 2: Select the preferred text using the selection bar.

Step 3: Tap Copy from the menu options.

Note: You can also use this feature to copy images and links on Google Pixel phones.