Copy and paste between Windows and Mac

Copying a line of text on one computer and needing it on the other is a small problem that comes up dozens of times a day. The usual workarounds are a chat message to yourself, a notes app, or an email draft. They all work, and they are all slower than pasting.

DeskAcross syncs clipboard history between your computers so the thing you copied on Windows is already in the list when you open the clipboard window on your Mac. There are two ways to connect the computers. This post explains both and when each one fits.

The part both methods share

Sync starts in Sync → Device Sync. On every computer:

1. Turn on Sync Between Devices.
2. Set the same Sync Passphrase.

DeskAcross uses the passphrase to encrypt synced data. Every computer that should read your clipboard needs the same one. After that, you enable at least one sync method.

Method 1: Local network

Open Sync → Local Network and turn on Sync over Local Network on each computer. DeskAcross looks for other devices on the same network automatically. Your operating system may ask for local network or firewall permission the first time.

This is the method for computers that sit on the same desk or in the same office. Items travel directly between your computers over your own network.

Local network sync is also what keyboard and mouse sharing runs on. That feature is in development and labelled Experimental in the app. If you plan to try it, you need this method on.

Method 2: Shared folder

Open Sync → Shared Folder, turn on Sync via Shared Folder, and choose the same folder inside Dropbox, iCloud Drive, or OneDrive on every computer. Pick a folder that is separate from the app's data directory.

DeskAcross writes new local items to the folder immediately. Check Interval sets how often it looks for changes that arrived from other devices. Your cloud storage app moves the files. DeskAcross reads and writes them.

This is the method for computers that are not on the same network, such as an office desktop and a laptop at home.

Which one to use

You can enable both. A desktop and laptop that are usually side by side can use the local network at the desk and the shared folder when the laptop leaves.

What actually syncs

Sync does not send your whole history. Sync → What Syncs controls the scope.

• Items to Sync sets how many of your most recent clipboard items are sent to other devices.
• Maximum Size per Item keeps anything over the limit on the current computer. For a clipboard item containing several files, the limit applies to their combined size.
• Text covers plain text, HTML, and RTF.
• Images and Screenshots covers image items.
• Files sends copies of copied files so you can paste them on another computer. Folders are excluded.
• Include Sensitive Items decides whether items detected as passwords, keys, or tokens leave the computer they were copied on.
• Notify When Items Arrive shows a system notification. Sensitive items are left out of previews.

These settings only govern what is sent. What gets saved to history in the first place is controlled separately under Capture. If an item never appears locally, it cannot sync.

Limits by plan

The pricing page has the full table. The rows that affect sync are these.

Free is enough to find out whether a shared clipboard between two computers changes how you work. The ten most recent items cover the common case: you copied something a moment ago and want it on the other machine.

When an item does not arrive

Most sync problems come down to one of four things.

1. Passphrase. Confirm Sync Between Devices is on and the passphrase matches on both computers.
2. Network. For local network sync, check that both computers are on the same network and review any permission or firewall prompts you may have dismissed.
3. Folder. For shared folder sync, check that both computers point at the same cloud-synced folder and that the cloud app has finished syncing.
4. Scope. Check What Syncs for the item's type, size, recency, and the sensitive-content setting.

Then select Sync Now and look at Status for the last successful sync.

If you want a clean start on one computer, Reset Sync on This Computer removes the passphrase, device key, trusted devices, keyboard and mouse permissions, and screen layout, then restarts the app. Clipboard history and received files are kept.

Try it now ...

Download DeskAcross on both computers and follow the Quick Start. The detailed reference for every setting mentioned here is in Sync Your Clipboard Across Devices.