How to Quickly Share Screenshot from MacBook to iPhone

Learn how to use the Universal Clipboard feature to easily copy and paste a screenshot from your MacBook to your iPhone in a few simple steps.

If you ever need to share a screenshot from your MacBook to your iPhone, you might think that you have to use email, AirDrop, or other methods that require multiple steps. However, there is a much quicker and easier way to do this, using the Universal Clipboard feature that is built into macOS and iOS.

This feature allows you to copy and paste content across your Apple devices, as long as they are signed in with the same Apple ID and meet the system requirements.

In this article, you will learn how to use the Universal Clipboard to share a screenshot from your MacBook to your iPhone in less than a minute.

Step 1: Take a screenshot on your MacBook

1. To take a screenshot of your entire screen, press Shift-Command-3.
2. To take a screenshot of a portion of your screen, press Shift-Command-4 and drag the crosshair to select the area you want to capture.
3. To take a screenshot of a window, press Shift-Command-4 and then press the Space bar. The pointer will change to a camera icon. Move the camera over the window you want to capture and click.
4. To take a screenshot of a menu, press Shift-Command-4 and then press the Space bar. The pointer will change to a camera icon. Move the camera over the menu you want to capture and click.
5. To take a screenshot of the Touch Bar, press Shift-Command-6.
6. The screenshot will be saved as a PNG file on your desktop, with the name “Screen Shot date at time.png”.

Step 2: Copy the screenshot to the Universal Clipboard

1. Locate the screenshot file on your desktop and open it with Preview or any other image viewer app.
2. Press Command-A to select the entire image, or use the selection tool to select a part of the image if you want to crop it.
3. Press Command-C to copy the image to the clipboard. You will see a notification on your screen that says “Copied to your clipboard on your other devices”.
4. Alternatively, you can right-click on the screenshot file and choose Copy from the context menu.

Step 3: Paste the screenshot to your iPhone

1. On your iPhone, open the app where you want to paste the screenshot, such as Messages, Mail, Notes, Photos, or any other app that supports images.
2. Tap and hold on the text field or the blank area where you want to paste the screenshot, and choose Paste from the pop-up menu.
3. The screenshot will appear on your iPhone, and you can edit, share, or save it as you wish.

Conclusion

Using the Universal Clipboard feature, you can easily share a screenshot from your MacBook to your iPhone in a matter of seconds, without having to use any other apps or services. This feature works for other types of content as well, such as text, links, files, and more. To learn more about the Universal Clipboard and how to set it up, you can visit this Apple support page.