How Apple should add Copy and Paste to the iPhone

Thursday, August 28th, 2008
by lepton

Lots of people want Apple to add clipboard capability to the iPhone and iPod Touch, so you can select, copy, cut, and paste text. In a previous post, I said it it is mostly unnecessary, but Apple says they will add it, and I’m glad. Clearly it is needed at times. Here is how Apple should implement it.

First, we need a way to select some text. We already have a way to set the insertion point. Simply touch and hold on some editable text, and a loupe appears that magnifies nearby text. Slide your finger around, and you can move the insertion point wherever you like.

I propose a double tap and hold on the text to make a selection. Touch the text, then quickly raise your finger and touch again and hold. This brings up a loupe as before, but this time we are choosing the end point of the selected text, the previous;y set insertion point serving as an anchor specifying the other end of the selected text. So it is touch hold and drag to set the start point of the selection, then double touch and drag to set the end point.

Now we have some text selected. The selection is highlighted as expected.

I propose a touch and hold on the selected text should pop up a menu containing Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete options as appropriate. Paste would only appear if there were some text on the clipboard. The Delete option performs the same function as typing the DEL key on the keyboard.

That allows for cut and copy, but it only allows for pasting if there is a selection. What if you only have an insertion point?

I propose adding Paste to the virtual keyboard. If you touch and hold the DEL key on the virtual keyboard, a menu should pop up (as it already does on a number of other keys - try holding on the letter “E” for an example). The popup on the DEL key should include Cut, Copy, Paste, and DEL as appropriate. Cut and Copy would appear if there was a selection. Paste would appear if there were text on the keyboard.

This implements all the clipboard functions, without adding awkward multi-finger gestures as seen in some other proposals, and without changing any existing behavior. Let’s do it, Apple!

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