About the Online Clipboard
What is an online clipboard?
An online clipboard is a web page where you paste text on one device and open it on another.
A short PIN or a link takes the place of an account. This one stores your text for the time you choose, from 1 hour to 30 days, or until the first read if you turn on burn after reading. Retrieval needs only the 6-digit PIN, the link that carries it, or the QR code, so it works between a phone and a PC, two computers, or two people.
Facts worth knowing before you paste
- A PIN has 6 digits, which gives 900,000 possible PINs, and each one is issued at random.
- Text is kept for 1 hour, 1 day, 7 days or 30 days. You choose when you save, and 7 days is the default.
- Burn after reading deletes the text on the first successful retrieval, including your own test.
- Each clipboard holds up to 500,000 characters of plain text. Files and images are not supported.
- You need no account or email, and there is nothing to install on either device. A browser is enough.
How to copy and paste between devices
- Paste or type the text on the first device and pick how long it should live.
- Turn on Burn after reading if the text should vanish after one read.
- Press Save and get PIN. The PIN, a link and a QR code appear together.
- On the second device, open this page and enter the PIN in the Retrieve box, or open the link or scan the QR code, either of which fills the PIN in for you.
- Press Retrieve, then copy or download the text. Nothing loads until you press it. With burn on, that first read deletes it from our server.
Example
This text will be converted to a PIN, a link and a QR code. The options are the defaults, 7 days and burn off, and any other device can open it:
Meeting moved to 3 pm, room 204.
Bring the printed contract.
PIN: 482193
Link: https://codeshack.io/online-clipboard/#482193
QR code: scan it with the camera
Expires in 7 days
Type 482193 into the Retrieve box on the phone, or open the link to fill it in, then press Retrieve and the same two lines appear there. Turn on Burn after reading and that first retrieval also deletes them.
Ways to move text between devices
An online clipboard is one of several options. This table shows where each one fits.
Ways to move text between devices compared
| Method | Account needed | Works across platforms | Leaves a copy behind |
|---|
| Online clipboard (this page) | No | Yes, any two browsers | Until it expires or burns |
| Emailing yourself | Yes | Yes | In the mailbox, on every device |
| Messaging app, saved messages | Yes | Yes | In the chat history |
| Phone Link (Windows) | Microsoft account on both | Windows with a supported Android phone | No, it syncs the clipboard |
| Apple Universal Clipboard | Same Apple ID on both | Apple devices only | No, it syncs the clipboard |
Is an online clipboard safe?
An online clipboard is as private as its PIN. Anyone who has the PIN, the link or the QR code can read the text until it expires, and the server slows repeated wrong guesses but cannot rule out a lucky one.
Treat it like a note left on a desk. It is fine for a link, an address or a code snippet, and wrong for a password, a card number or a private key. For anything sensitive, turn on burn after reading, choose the 1 hour expiry, and send the PIN over a channel you trust.
The same caution applies to text you receive. A shared link only fills in the PIN, and nothing loads until you press Retrieve, so treat what arrives like a message from a stranger and never run code or open links from it blindly.
Common mistakes
- Pasting a password. Anyone with the PIN can read it. Use a password manager's sharing feature instead.
- Testing a burn clipboard yourself. Burn after reading deletes the text on the first successful retrieval, so your own check uses it up.
- Typing the PIN with spaces or letters. Only the digits count. The link and the QR code avoid typing altogether.
- Leaving before copying the PIN. The PIN is shown after you save. Copy it or the link before you close the page, because it cannot be looked up later.
Common Use Cases
The tool earns its keep whenever two devices are within reach but not connected:
- Phone to laptop. Move a link, an address or a tracking number without messaging yourself.
- Laptop to phone. Save a long note on the keyboard you prefer, then scan the QR code.
- Across a desk. Hand a colleague a code snippet or a log excerpt with a six-digit PIN.
- A new or borrowed device. Get text onto a machine where none of your apps are signed in.
Retrieved text can go straight into the Text Cleaner to strip formatting, or into the Word Counter if you need its length.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I retrieve my clipboard?
Open this page on the other device, enter the PIN in the Retrieve box and press Retrieve. The shared link fills the PIN in for you, and the text appears in the editor ready to copy or download.
Is an online clipboard safe?
It is safe enough for links, notes and code, but not for passwords or anything private. Anyone with the PIN can read the text, so for sensitive text turn on burn after reading and choose the 1 hour expiry.
How long is my text kept?
The text is kept for the time you pick when saving, from 1 hour to 30 days. With burn after reading on it is kept until the first read, and after expiry the row is deleted on the next lookup or by a sweep that runs alongside other requests.
How do I copy and paste from my phone to my PC?
Paste the text on your phone and press Save and get PIN. Open this page on the PC and enter the PIN in the Retrieve box, and from PC to phone, save on the PC, scan the QR code with the phone camera and press Retrieve.
What is the alternative to an online clipboard?
Phone Link on Windows and Universal Clipboard on Apple devices sync the clipboard between your own devices. Each needs the same account signed in on both and stays inside its own ecosystem, while an online clipboard works between any two browsers with nothing installed.
Is the online clipboard free?
Yes, with no account and no limit on how many clipboards you save. Each one holds up to 500,000 characters.