Discover an Unfamiliar iPhone Movement: A Suitable Substitute for Airdrop
Kick It Up a Notch with Secret Apple Gestures
Think you're a pro when it comes to your Apple devices? You might know your way around, but there's always more to learn – especially when it comes to hidden features and gestures. MacRumors recently pointed out one such secret trick for cross-device sharing on your iPhone and iPad that might just blow your mind.
So, grab your favorite media and get ready to impress your mates. The gesture in question is quite simple: open a photo or video, then take three fingers (your thumb, index, and middle finger) and pinch in on the image. Voila! A "Copy" pop-up appears at the top of your display. Remember, you can still dismiss the image, but just make sure you copied it first.
Want to copy text or an image the old-fashioned way? Highlight the text or long-press on an image, then tap "Copy." But here's the cool part: Once you've copied something, you can paste it wherever you want using a three-finger spread gesture instead of pinching in. This is where the real convenience kicks in.
Why? Because you can take advantage of Apple's Universal Clipboard feature, which allows you to copy and paste items across devices. So, you can copy a photo on your iPhone and instantly paste it on your Mac, or copy a video from your iPad and paste it to your iPhone. Unfortunately, this gesture doesn't work on Mac, but hey, we can't have it all, right?
Now, for this to work its magic, your devices need to be signed into the same Apple Account, connected to the same wifi network with Bluetooth enabled. Plus, you need to turn on Handoff on all devices. To do this, simply go to Settings (System Settings on Mac) > General > Airplay & Continuity > Handoff.
Once you've set everything up, here's what you do: on your iPhone or iPad, go ahead and try a three-finger pinch on any photo or video. Immediately, paste it to another device you have open.
Next time you need to share a photo or video across devices, give this a shot before resorting to AirDrop or texting yourself. Not only is it quicker to share the file, you'll already have pasted the media where it needs to be. Win-win.
Handoff and Universal Clipboard Pro Tips:
- Use three-finger gestures for more than just photo and video sharing: Copy text, cut it, paste it, and even undo or redo actions with these handy finger movements.
- Ensure your devices are connected: Both must be signed in with the same Apple ID, connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and have Bluetooth enabled.
- Turn on Handoff: Navigate to Settings > General > AirPlay & Continuity > Handoff on your device and toggle it to the on position.
- For a more straightforward cross-device sharing of photos and videos, consider using AirDrop or iCloud services.
- Discover a hidden Apple gesture that simplifies cross-device sharing: open a photo or video, then pinch three fingers in on the image to copy it.
- Once you've copied an item, you can paste it anywhere using a three-finger spread gesture instead of the traditional method.
- To take full advantage of this feature, your Apple devices must be signed into the same Apple Account, connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and have Bluetooth enabled, with Handoff enabled in Settings.
- Handoff and Universal Clipboard aren't limited to just photo and video sharing – you can also copy, cut, paste, and redo actions using three-finger gestures.
- To share photos or videos quicker without resorting to AirDrop or texting yourself, try this hidden Apple gesture instead.
