Getting an address, tracking number, or note from your phone into a form on your Mac

The quickest free way to move a short piece of text from an Android phone to a Mac is to send it somewhere both can open: a text to yourself, read in Google Messages for web, or a link sent with Chrome. A shared clipboard is faster once it is set up: copy on the phone, press Command-V on the Mac. This page covers four routes for a short piece of text, and says when each is the right one.

Publisher note: The Relay publishes this guide and is one of the products discussed. Details about other products come from each maker's own pages, checked on 26 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm before you buy.

What are the four routes?

Route 1: send it to yourself

Google Messages for web shows your phone's conversations in a browser on the Mac. Pair once: in Google Messages on the phone, open your account menu, tap Device Pairing, then on the Mac open Messages for web, sign in with the same Google Account, and tap the matching emoji on the phone. Then send a text to a friend or to a group of one, and copy it from the web page.

Google lists a few things to know. Messages are sent through your phone's connection, so carrier fees apply as in the app. You are unpaired automatically if you do not use it for a few weeks. Only one computer is active at a time.

This route works with any Android phone, and it also leaves the address in your message history, which may or may not be what you want.

Route 2: send a page, not text

For a web address, such as a store's page or a map link, Chrome's Send to your devices sends a tab. Google's page lists one requirement: be signed in to Chrome with the same Google Account on both devices. It describes the tab opening in Chrome on the receiving device when the phone has notifications on. Its steps are written for sending from a computer, so test the phone-to-Mac direction yourself.

Route 3: KDE Connect

KDE Connect is free software with a Clipboard plugin. Its wiki says the plugin shares the clipboard between devices, does not work with images, and on Android 10 and later needs you to tap a Send Clipboard button or tile on the phone. It is practical for text such as a tracking number. See KDE Connect on a Mac.

Route 4: a shared clipboard

With The Relay, copy the address on the phone and paste it on the Mac, and the other way round. Text, images, and links are covered. It travels directly between your devices over your local network, not through The Relay's servers. See clipboard sync.

What goes wrong, and how do I check?

• The old clipboard pastes. You copied, but the Mac pastes something older. Wait a moment and try again, and check that the phone and the Mac are on the same Wi-Fi network.
• Line breaks and spaces. An address copied from a message can bring a stray line break. Paste into a plain-text box first and tidy it.
• Sensitive text. A clipboard shared between devices carries whatever you copy, including passwords. Do not copy secrets you would not want on both.
• A different network. Guest Wi-Fi or a hotel can stop two devices seeing each other. The route through Google Messages for web does not care.

A five-minute test: copy a short address on the phone and paste it into Notes on the Mac. Do it three times at different moments in the day.

Where does The Relay fit?

If you only need this once a month, the first route is enough and free. The Relay is worth a look if you do it daily, for example with delivery addresses, order numbers, and customer details. It also covers images, such as a photo of a form or a screenshot. It needs both devices on the same local network or in Bluetooth range, so it does not help when your phone is elsewhere, and it needs Android 8.0 or later and macOS 13 Ventura or later. The Relay is one subscription through Google Play that covers your phone and your Mac, with a 7-day free trial at /download.

Questions people ask

How do I copy text from my Android phone and paste it on my Mac?

Without an added app, send it by message and copy it from Google Messages for web. With an app, use a clipboard sync such as KDE Connect or The Relay.

Does this work for tracking numbers and codes?

Tracking numbers, yes, as text. For login codes, see SMS verification codes on a Mac.

Can I paste an address from a photo?

Not as text on its own. Copy the image across, or send the photo to the Mac and use whatever text recognition the Mac offers.