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macOS Sierra and iOS 10: Universal Clipboard for Cross Device Copy/Paste

JTToft said:
Balls. Really hate how they're artificially limiting the availability of Continuity. I can't use it on my technically perfectly capable Bluetooth 4.0-enabled Mac just because my model is blacklisted by Apple.
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It's probably because the Wifi interface in your Mac lacks support for peer-to-peer mode/Wifi Direct.
 
Rigby said:
It's probably because the Wifi interface in your Mac lacks support for peer-to-peer mode/Wifi Direct.
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- It's not. The Continuity features can be activated on my machine using a software patch called Continuity Activation Tool. I've used it previously, but unfortunately found it caused other issues.
If only Apple allowed it, all would be well.
 
i can copy stuff form my iPhone and paste to my mac but i can't copy stuff from my mac and paste to my iPhone. iPhone 7 plus and MacBook pro 2015
 
JTToft said:
- It's not. The Continuity features can be activated on my machine using a software patch called Continuity Activation Tool. I've used it previously, but unfortunately found it caused other issues.
If only Apple allowed it, all would be well.
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The hack may have activated it, but I don't see how Continuity can be fully functional without hardware supporting peer-to-peer Wifi (which is e.g. used by the Mail app if you use Handoff with a mail that contains a large attachment).
 
Rigby said:
The hack may have activated it, but I don't see how Continuity can be fully functional without hardware supporting peer-to-peer Wifi (which is e.g. used by the Mail app if you use Handoff with a mail that contains a large attachment).
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Continuity doesn't seem to require Wifi at all. It works between my iPhone using 4G and my iMac using Ethernet. Bluetooth is turned on for both.
 
Rigby said:
As someone who sometimes uses copy/paste for sensitive information (e.g. to copy passwords from a password manager), this makes me very uneasy if true. Does anyone know if this is documented somewhere? I had assumed that the universal clipboard works similarly as Airdrop, which does not upload anything to iCloud (but rather uses a combination of Bluetooth and peer-to-peer Wifi to transfer the data locally). Unfortunately the iOS Security Guide has not yet been updated to cover the universal clipboard.
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it seems to work the same as hand-off. no internet connection is needed. only that there is proximity for a BT connection and that the devices are on the same network (wifi or ethernet). this works even if the network the devices are connected to does not have access to the internet.
 
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macandgeesuz said:
Yah. I don't understand why Continuity and Airdrop require WiFi and/or Bluetooth. If you have a network connection you should be good to go but Apple has to make it difficult.
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Airplay works over wifi only as well. Just.. no Bluetooth please!
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coolfactor said:
I'm glad it doesn't use iCloud... I don't want everything I copy to be sent over the internet immediately.
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That's true, but at least make it work over Wifi via your LAN. Airplay does this, why not this feature?
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RichTF said:
Any particular reason why you don't like turning on Bluetooth?
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Battery, tracking in stores.
 
vmachiel said:
Airplay works over wifi only as well. Just.. no Bluetooth please!
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That's true, but at least make it work over Wifi via your LAN. Airplay does this, why not this feature?
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Battery, tracking in stores.
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because wifi doesn't give you true proximity (i.e. it an be faked). continuity features are intended to be used between devices that are close to each other. this is by design, to ensure the end users security.
 
JimCy said:
because wifi doesn't give you true proximity (i.e. it an be faked). continuity features are intended to be used between devices that are close to each other. this is by design, to ensure the end users security.
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I don't care how close my devices are. You can securely send data over wifi, especially in your home LAN
 
vmachiel said:
I don't care how close my devices are. You can securely send data over wifi, especially in your home LAN
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when you can easily spoof a local network connection (i.e. how vpns work) it it isn't secure. you can't fake a bluetooth connection because they have to be right next to each other to work.
 
Well, what happens after the "expiration"? Do your other devices get back in the clipboard what was previously there?
 
Rigby said:
The hack may have activated it, but I don't see how Continuity can be fully functional without hardware supporting peer-to-peer Wifi (which is e.g. used by the Mail app if you use Handoff with a mail that contains a large attachment).
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- Well, my 2011 MacBook Pro has the exact same Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities as the 2012 MacBook Pros that are officially supported. I've literally installed the exact AirPort/Bluetooth module from a 2012 machine into mine. There are no hardware limitations.
 
For me it works copying on Mac and pasting on iPhone but not the other way round.

2015 rMBP
iPhone 7+
 
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JimCy said:
when you can easily spoof a local network connection (i.e. how vpns work) it it isn't secure. you can't fake a bluetooth connection because they have to be right next to each other to work.
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Ok fair enough. I'm still not turning on Bluetooth though.
 
Doesn't work for me. 5k iMac on ethernet and 6+ on wifi. When I connect the iMac to wifi, I can paste a placeholder image from Evernote (?). restarted each device.
 
i was soo fed up with this thing but then i turned on my bluetooth and it worked, i have wireless keyboard and mouse so its usual for my imac but i never usually have bluetooth turned on in my iphone 6 plus. i guess ill have to keep it on cause this feature is cool. at first copying from iphone was mac is pretty quick and the reverse wasnt really working. after toggleing bluetooth on and off copying and pasting from either device is fast. nice job apple but you shouldve told us this was a bluetooth feature. thought it was via airplay or icloud and was fustrated that it wasnt working, but once i turned on my bluetooth and watched the logo blink i realized it was going to work and did.
[doublepost=1474472679][/doublepost]bluetooth on and handoff on, in general settings on both devices, once the apps start popping up on the bottom of your iphone you know you got it
 
jonnysods said:
No more emailing myself crap!!
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With all the note taking apps (Notes, OneNote, Evernote, Notability, Notebooks, etc.) you could have stopped doing that ages ago. These apps are one of many reasons why I see very little point in the universal clipboard (Messages already shares conversations by default, same for e-mail via IMAP/Exchange and tabs in Safari). One big bonus with all those apps: no need for a specific bluetooth version.

I'm also very curious how this is going to work out with sharing the various clipboards between devices (what if you are working on your notebook and you gave your child your iPad...). Nothing more annoying then when you want to paste something it pastes the wrong thing.
 
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