- To copy text on an Android device, long press on the desired text and select Copy from the pop-up menu.
- Some apps and PDFs do not allow text copying, but you can use Google Lens to extract the text from the image.
Method 1: Copy and Paste General Text
To copy and paste text on your Android device, follow these steps:
Step 1: Long-press the text you want to copy. Two markers will appear; one at the start and one at the end. Drag both markers to select the text you want to copy.
Step 2: Tap the Copy option in the pop-up menu. The selected text will now be copied to your clipboard.
Note: On a Samsung Phone, tap on the three dots in the pop-up menu and select Copy .
Step 3: Navigate to where you want to paste the text. Long-press on the text field and tap on Paste from the pop-up menu.
Method 2: Copy and Paste a Text Message
You cannot select text messages on an Android phone using the above method. Follow these instructions to copy text messages on Android phones.
On Google Message
Step 1: Open the message conversation whose text you want to copy.
Step 2: Long-press the text message and tap the Copy icon on the top bar to copy the entire message.
Step 3 : Open any app and long-press on the text box. Choose Paste from the menu.
On Samsung Phones
If you use the Samsung Messages app instead of Google Messages , follow these steps to copy messages on it:
Step 1: Open the message conversation on your Samsung device.
Step 2: Long-press the text you want to copy, then tap Copy from the menu options. The entire message will be copied.
Note: If you only want to copy a portion of the message, you can use the markers to select and copy just that part.
Step 3: Open a new message or note app and long-press the text field. Tap Paste from the pop-up menu to paste the copied text.
Method 3: Copy and Paste a URL or Link
There are two ways to copy and paste a URL or link on your Android device:
Using the Address Bar
Step 1: Open the webpage with the link you want to copy.
Step 2: Tap on the address bar at the top of your browser. The entire URL will be highlighted.
Step 3: Tap on the Copy icon in the pop-up menu.
Using the Copy Link Option
Step 1: Open the webpage with the link you want to copy.
Step 2: Long press the link and select Copy link address from the menu.
Step 3: Navigate to the location where you want to paste the link. Long-press the text field and tap Paste .
Method 4: Use Google Lens to Copy Text From Images
Tip: Learn how to copy text from web pages that don’t allow copying.
Step 1: Take a screenshot of the text you want to copy. Then, open the Google app on your phone.
Step 2: Tap on the Lens icon in the search bar and select the screenshot. Long-press the text in the screenshot you want to copy.
Step 3: Use the selection bubbles to highlight the text, then tap on Copy .
Also see: How to Copy Text From an Instagram Post
Method 5: Copy Unselectable Text on Google Pixel Phones
On Google Pixel phones, you get a special feature to copy text from apps that don’t allow copying, even from images. Here’s how to use it:
Step 1: Launch the app where you want to copy text. Next, open the Recent Apps screen.
Step 2: Select the preferred text using the selection bar.
Step 3: Tap Copy from the menu options.
Note: You can also use this feature to copy images and links on Google Pixel phones.
