Handoff or Universal Clipboard is not working

Handoff and Universal Clipboard need the same Apple Account, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on, Handoff on, and devices near each other. Universal Clipboard uses the Handoff setting.

Fix this with your agentCopies a prompt for Claude Code, Codex or any agent that can use Terminal.

My Mac has this problem: Handoff or Universal Clipboard is not working. Read https://kilobat.app/guides/handoff-universal-clipboard-not-working.md and work through it with me. Install the Kilobat CLI if it’s missing: brew install seifip/kilobat/kilobat. Run the guide’s Terminal and kilobat checks yourself and tell me what you find. List the steps only I can do. Ask before you change any setting.

Applies to: Current macOS and iOS versions. The AirDrop & Continuity name is in recent macOS versions. Earlier versions use AirDrop & Handoff.Checked: 7 November 2026

Symptoms

  • You copy text on the iPhone, but Paste on the Mac pastes older content.
  • The Handoff icon of an app does not appear in the Dock or the app switcher.
  • Universal Clipboard works in one direction only.
  • Handoff stopped after an update or after you signed in again.

Likely causes

  • Different Apple Accounts. Apple says that each device must be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple Account.
  • Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is off. Apple says that each device must have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on.
  • Handoff is off. Universal Clipboard needs Handoff on each device. Apple says that it is on by default.
  • The devices are not near each other. Apple says that the devices must be near each other. It gives no distance for Universal Clipboard.
  • The app does not support Handoff. For Handoff, the app must be on both devices and support Handoff. The first device must be unlocked.
  • The software is too old. Universal Clipboard needs macOS Sierra 10.12 or later and iOS 10 or later.

How to check

  1. Make sure that all devices use the same Apple Account.

  2. On each device, make sure that Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are on.

  3. On the Mac, choose Apple menu > System Settings > General > AirDrop & Continuity.

  4. Look at "Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices".

  5. On the iPhone or iPad, open Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity. Look at Handoff.

  6. In earlier versions, these settings are AirDrop & Handoff and AirPlay & Handoff.

How to fix it

  1. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on each device.

  2. Turn on "Allow Handoff between this Mac and your iCloud devices" on the Mac.

  3. Turn on Handoff on the iPhone or iPad.

  4. Put the devices near each other.

  5. For Handoff, unlock the first device. Keep the app open and in front.

  6. Install the latest software updates. Restart both devices.

With Kilobat

  1. Show Bluetooth devices and whether they share 2.4 GHz with Wi-Fi.

    kilobat bluetooth

  2. Show the AirDrop link and what uses it.

    kilobat airdrop

  3. If you paused AirDrop's link with Kilobat, restore it. Apple does not say which link Handoff uses.

    kilobat low-latency off

  4. Kilobat cannot read the Handoff setting or the clipboard. Use the steps above for those.

Questions

Must the devices use the same Wi-Fi network?

Apple's Handoff and Universal Clipboard pages do not say so. They ask for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and the same Apple Account.

How long does copied content stay?

Apple says that it stays on the other device's clipboard briefly, or until you copy something else.

Can I copy whole files between Macs?

Yes. Apple says that each Mac needs macOS High Sierra 10.13 or later.

Sources

Checked on 7 November 2026.