All applications can read the Clipboard (iPhone - Android)

You have seen the news about TikTok; A new privacy feature in iOS 14 has revealed that the Chinese social media app is constantly reading clipboard of the iPhone. But this is not new.

All applications can read clipboard of the smartphone whenever they want.

We just found out what applications are already doing

What it does TikTok it is not new. The only new thing is that the Apple iOS 14 update notifies you now when an app logs content (paste) from clipboard.

Of course, the TikTok claimed that it does not save the data and an update was released to stop reading it. However, as Engadget points out, many other applications do the same thing by constantly reading data from clipboard.

(it's a beta, so I'm not complaining, just… observing in public)

- Jeremy Burge (@jeremyburge) June 24, 2020

Because smartphones allow applications to read it clipboard;

When you copy something to clipboard, applications can read its contents clipboard without manually selecting "Paste".

For example, when you copy a number to clipboard on your iPhone or iPad and open an application that you want to paste the specific number, it is possible due to this feature. When you copy a web address (URL) to clipboard and you open a browser, it will take you to this address.

This applies to Apple iPhone and iPad as well as Android. Whatever operating system of the smartphone you are using, applications can read it clipboard your.

Your copied text could be sent to a remote server

However, as shown by TikTok, applications can also record its content clipboard you in the background and do whatever they want with it. They can send its contents clipboard on a remote server.

We do not blame any application for doing this, we just say that it is technically possible and there is nothing to stop it on both iOS and Android. Applications do not need to ask permission before reading it clipboard as they do before they read your contacts, photos and location.

Copying private content is dangerous

Let's assume that you are using a password manager and you need to copy the password of a bank account or a credit card number to paste it into another application. If you leave this personal information at clipboard other applications you use, such as TikTok, can read the clipboard and see this data.

The same goes for all sensitive data types, such as names and addresses or even private photos. The applications you open can see what's in clipboard your.

The only way to really protect yourself after copying data is to clean it up clipboard copying some other data. For example, you can highlight any word on any webpage or in any application and select "Copy".

Apple devices, as well as Android, do not remember the history you copied to clipboard, as Windows can do. Applications can simply view the current copy in clipboard which is the last thing you copied.

On a desktop or laptop, it works differently

Technically, on Windows or Mac computers, any application you use can also read it clipboard you at any time.

However, on a desktop computer, you probably have access to many services through your web browser. Web applications cannot read it automatically clipboard without your permission. You must manually upload content to a site.

The Facebook site cannot track clipboard you, but surely the Facebook app on your phone can .

The clipboard is not as private as you think

The above news is a reminder of what applications really have access to our phones.

Mention here that there is no way to install an app on iPhone, iPad or Android without letting it read from clipboard.