Overview
- Microsoft filed an EU Digital Markets Act interoperability request for cross-device clipboard sharing on March 25, 2026, prompting Apple to evaluate the proposal and move it forward in its review process.
- Apple confirmed on June 26 that it will develop a solution that lets iPhones share and import pasteboard items with paired Windows PCs using accessory extensions and notification patterns.
- The proposed design requires third-party developers to adopt AccessorySetupKit so users grant a one-time permission for each paired device before clipboard contents can be shared.
- Apple frames the work as a significant engineering and system-integrity task and says development should be complete by fall 2027 with a developer beta released first.
- Rollout is expected to start in the European Union to meet DMA obligations, which could limit initial availability to EU users even if a wider release is possible later, and the change could affect how users copy and paste between iPhone and non-Apple PCs.