A new entry on Apple’s Interoperability Requests page in the European Union indicates Apple will build a cross‑platform clipboard‑syncing solution that lets Windows PCs, including Galaxy Books, access clipboard items copied on iPhones and vice versa.
Microsoft submitted an interoperability request on March 25, 2026, asking for the ability to share clipboard data between iPhones and paired Windows computers. Apple initially said it could not offer the feature, and Microsoft argued the change was meant to provide basic cross‑device productivity rather than duplicate Apple’s ecosystem experience.
After reviewing the request, Apple moved the functionality to the next phase of the interoperability process on April 27, 2026, noting that developing such a solution could affect system integrity and that it would need to test potential impacts on its intellectual property rights.
On June 26, 2026, Apple confirmed to Microsoft that it would develop a cross‑platform clipboard‑syncing solution for Windows PCs. The company said the feature would follow patterns similar to its existing Accessory Notifications and Accessory Live Activities frameworks, introduced with iOS 26.5.
How the clipboard sync will work
Apple said Microsoft would need to use the AccessorySetupKit API to obtain permission to access an iPhone’s clipboard. Users would be required to grant permission for each new device that requests access.
Apple also warned the project requires significant engineering effort and estimated the work could be completed by fall 2027, with a beta release possible before a stable rollout. Based on that timeline, clipboard syncing between iPhones or iPads and Windows PCs could arrive alongside iOS 28 and iPadOS 28.
