Overview
What the UniClipboard mobile app is, how it relates to the desktop, and iOS vs Android capability differences.
The UniClipboard mobile app is a LAN-only / self-hosted clipboard sync client: it bridges your phone's clipboard with your own computer — text, images, and single files flow both ways, backed by a clipboard history. It is not a full P2P node, and it does not join the encrypted "space" that your desktop devices share.
You first need a computer running the UniClipboard desktop app with mobile sync turned on. The app connects to that computer; without it, there is nowhere to connect. For how to enable it on the desktop side, see Mobile sync and Pairing & sync.
How the app relates to the desktop
The desktop opens an HTTP service on your local network, and the phone is a client of that service — the phone reads and writes, the desktop hosts. What you copy on the desktop flows to the phone, and what you upload from the phone flows to the desktop.
Two phones do not sync with each other. Each phone talks to the same desktop independently, with the desktop acting as the hub in between.
By default this only works on the same Wi-Fi. To use it away from home (4G/5G, a different Wi-Fi), the desktop side needs a self-hosted server node or Tailscale — see Cross-network access.
The protocol, LAN API, and connect-URI internals are out of scope for this handbook — if you're building a third-party client, see Mobile LAN API and Connect URI protocol.
iOS vs Android capability differences
The two platforms share the same core sync capabilities, but each has its own set of platform-specific features.
| Capability | iOS | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Text / image / single-file sync | ✅ | ✅ |
| Clipboard history, filter by type | ✅ | ✅ |
| QR / deep-link onboarding, multi-server switching | ✅ | ✅ |
| SSE real-time push | ✅ | ✅ |
| Simplified Chinese / English, appearance mode | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom keyboard extension | ✅ | — |
| Share extension + Sharing Suggestions | ✅ | — |
| "Paste from Other Apps" permission | ✅ | — |
| Background clipboard read/write (polling / ADB events / Shizuku) | — | ✅ |
| Auto-forward SMS verification codes | — | ✅ |
| Home-screen pinned shortcuts + Quick Settings tile | — | ✅ |
| Text-selection menu (Process Text) | — | ✅ |
| Hide from the recent tasks list | — | ✅ |
In short: iOS relies on system extensions (keyboard, share sheet) to bring sync into other apps; Android can do true background clipboard sync (auto-upload on copy), but requires extra permissions. For the extension / background details on each side, see iOS extensions and Android access.
Start here
Walk through these in order and you'll be up and running:
Install the app
iOS via TestFlight, Android by side-loading the APK. First make sure a desktop is running.
Connect the desktop
Scan the QR code the desktop shows, or manually enter the server address plus username and password.
Daily use
Upload, sync, manage clipboard history, and the auto-sync toggle.