Android setup

The Android app saves what you copy on your phone and shares history with your computer. Android limits clipboard access more than desktops do, so setup takes a few extra taps. This page walks through all of them.

Why the extra steps

Since Android 10, only the keyboard or the app on screen may read the clipboard. ClipTrail doesn't ask you to switch keyboards. Instead it uses:

• an accessibility service that notices when you tap Copy (or a "Copied" message appears) and reads the clipboard at that moment; it doesn't read or store anything else on screen;
• a persistent notification so Android keeps it running;
• a Quick Settings tile, the share menu and the text-selection menu as manual ways to save anything automatic capture misses.

On Android 12 and newer you'll see a short "ClipTrail pasted from your clipboard" message after each capture. That's Android telling you an app read the clipboard; it's expected.

1. Install the APK

1. Download the .apk from the Download page on your phone.
2. Open it. If asked, allow Install unknown apps for your browser or file manager, then tap Install.
3. Requires Android 10 or newer.

2. Turn on the accessibility service

1. Open Settings → Accessibility → Installed apps (on some phones: Downloaded apps or Installed services).
2. Tap ClipTrail, switch it On, and confirm with Allow.

If the switch is greyed out: restricted settings

Android 13+ blocks accessibility for apps installed from a file until you allow it once:

1. Try to turn the service on once (you'll see a "Restricted setting" message). Close it.
2. Open Settings → Apps → ClipTrail, tap ⋮ in the top-right corner, then Allow restricted settings, and confirm with your PIN or fingerprint.
3. Go back to step 2 above; the switch now works.

3. Allow notifications

Allow notifications when asked. You'll see a quiet "capturing" notification; it keeps the app alive and has a Save clipboard button.

4. Keep it running (Samsung)

Samsung (and Xiaomi, OnePlus, Huawei) phones aggressively stop background apps. On a Samsung Galaxy:

1. When the app asks "Let app always run in background?", tap Allow. Or: Settings → Apps → ClipTrail → Battery → Unrestricted.
2. Settings → Battery → Background usage limits → Never sleeping apps → + → add ClipTrail.
3. On the same screen, turn off Put unused apps to sleep.

Other brands: look for "Autostart", "No restrictions" or "Don't optimise" in the app's battery settings. dontkillmyapp.com has per-brand instructions.

5. Add the Quick Settings tile

1. Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings.
2. Tap the ✎ edit (pencil) button.
3. Drag Save clipboard into your active tiles.

Tap the tile after a copy that wasn't caught automatically. You can also select text and choose ClipTrail from the selection menu (⋮), or use Share → ClipTrail for text and images.

6. Pair with your computer

1. Make sure the phone is on the same Wi-Fi as your computer.
2. On the computer: Settings → Devices → Pair a phone.
3. On the phone: open ClipTrail, choose pairing and scan the QR code.
4. Check that the 4-digit check code matches on both screens.

From then on, copies on either device appear in the other's history. On the phone, tap a clip to copy it, then paste anywhere. Details in Sync your devices.

Privacy on Android

• The accessibility service only reacts to copy actions and reads the clipboard then. It doesn't log screen content.
• Clips marked sensitive by the app you copied from (Android's "sensitive" flag) are skipped, and copies from password managers (such as Bitwarden, 1Password, KeePass apps, LastPass, Dashlane, Proton Pass, Samsung Pass) are never read.
• Sync keys stay on the phone, in the app's private storage. The app only talks to your own hub on your local network.

Something not working? See Troubleshooting → Android.