Hands-On With Cloud Clipboard Prototype in Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 17004

Microsoft’s cloud-powered clipboard – originally slated for Windows 10 Fall Creators Update – has finally materialized in a preview build of Windows 10 “Redstone 4”.

Well, sort of.

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The feature isn’t wired up to the Microsoft Graph yet, so can’t display or manipulate any real data. But it came with placeholder content that provides a peek at how it will work.

Let’s take a look.

Similar to the Emoji Panel in Fall Creators Update, the clipboard management UI is opened via a keyboard shortcut – WINKEY + V in this case. A pop-up appears next to the caret, and it displays a list of items presently residing in your cloud clipboard – text snippets, documents, etc. (These items are sorted by copy time in descending order.) Some items may show a small cloud icon (☁) to indicate the content isn’t on your PC, meaning it will be pulled from the cloud if selected. (Selection of items is done via keyboard or mouse.)

Strangely, the prototype doesn’t show an obvious way to remove items from your cloud clipboard.

If you’re a touch keyboard user, fret not. There is a new clipboard button for easy one-tap access.

We Still Have Questions

Of course, without the real thing to play with, we still have lots of unanswered questions about how this will all work. For example, how do we manage this clipboard data? How many items can we stuff in there? How large can each item be? Can I exclude certain apps or snippets, like my LastPass passwords, from being automatically uploaded? Can I use this in the enterprise? (That one is for Mary-Jo Foley.) Will it be available outside the United States?

Do you have any burning questions? Let us know in the comments.

We’ll keep poking at the preview builds as Redstone 4 development continues and let you know if we learn anything new.

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Conversation 12 comments

  • Oasis

    Premium Member
    06 October, 2017 - 11:27 am

    <p>Keep up the Good Work….</p>

  • Ravi Tx

    06 October, 2017 - 12:15 pm

    <p>I use Swiftkey Keyboard and there is clipboard. May be they will sync cloud clipboard with <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Swiftkey and Microsoft Launcher.</span></p>

    • Rafael Rivera

      Premium Member
      06 October, 2017 - 12:17 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#204467"><em>In reply to Ravi Tx:</em></a></blockquote><p>Yeah that makes the most sense. Which often means, no, that won't happen.</p>

      • NazmusLabs

        07 October, 2017 - 12:07 am

        <blockquote><a href="#204470"><em>In reply to WithinRafael:</em></a></blockquote><p>Microsoft announced at Build 2017 that it will sync with SwiftKey</p>

    • shanahben

      28 February, 2018 - 9:41 am

      <blockquote><a href="#204467"><em>In reply to Ravi Tx:</em></a></blockquote><p>Wasn't that the plan all along?</p>

  • Joseph Ward

    06 October, 2017 - 12:18 pm

    <p>This is very cool functionality, but could it mean that they've finally fixed Windows 10's system clipboard? My PCs on 1607 and 1703 still struggle with local copy-and-paste. I need to click "Copy" 2-3 times.</p>

  • mmcpher

    Premium Member
    06 October, 2017 - 12:26 pm

    <p>Huzzah! If they can get this right and get it out soon, it will be a great thing for me, on whichever of my devices and wherever I am. This is the kind of thing that gives substance to a post-Windows Microsoft. </p>

  • MutualCore

    06 October, 2017 - 2:20 pm

    <p>They need to hook up to Microsoft Graph, otherwise it won't have the power.</p>

  • jimchamplin

    Premium Member
    06 October, 2017 - 4:18 pm

    <p>Looking good!</p>

  • adamjarvis

    08 October, 2017 - 4:46 am

    <p>Does this still work on the local area network, if there is no internet connection (for whatever reason) or does it lose the copied data then? </p><p><br></p><p>Convenient, but also a Security Nightmare. </p>

  • rbwatson0

    Premium Member
    08 October, 2017 - 9:38 pm

    <p>Love the 'Breath of the Wild' wallpaper! Oh and the great info.</p>

  • KingPCGeek

    Premium Member
    09 October, 2017 - 8:02 pm

    <p>I don't need a cloud clipboard. ArsClip works perfectly fine for me, and has for years.</p>

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