Copying and pasting on Facebook works the same way on every device, select the text, copy it, place your cursor, then paste, but the exact taps and clicks change between desktop and phones. Below is the quick version for every device, plus how to copy a post, a link, or a comment, and what to do when paste refuses to work.
The quick answer
On a computer, highlight the text with your mouse, press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Cmd + C (Mac) to copy, click where you want it, and press Ctrl + V / Cmd + V to paste. On a phone, press and hold the text until the selection handles appear, drag them to cover what you want, tap Copy, then long-press the box where you want it and tap Paste.
Copy and paste on Facebook (desktop)
The browser version of Facebook gives you the most control because you have a real cursor.
Copying text from a post or comment
- Click and drag your mouse across the words you want to select.
- Press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Cmd + C (Mac). You can also right-click the highlighted text and choose Copy.
- Click into the status box, comment field, or Messenger window where you want the text.
- Press Ctrl + V / Cmd + V, or right-click and choose Paste.
Copying a link to a post
Every public post has its own URL. Click the timestamp (the date under the author's name), then copy the address from your browser's address bar. That is the route Facebook's Help Center documents for getting the link to a post, comment, photo or video: click the date or time link, then copy the link in your browser's address bar (Get a link (URL) to report a piece of content on Facebook, read October 6, 2026). To send a post to your own Feed, a Story, Messenger or a group instead, click Share in the bottom right below the post (Share a post you see on your Feed).
Copy and paste on Facebook (iPhone)
- Press and hold a word in the post or comment until it highlights and the blue selection handles appear.
- Drag the handles to cover everything you want.
- Tap Copy in the small pop-up menu.
- Go to the field where you want the text, press and hold, and tap Paste.
To get the link to a post on iPhone, open the post in a browser, click or tap the date or time link on the post, and copy the address from the address bar, the method Facebook's Help Center documents (Facebook Help Center, read October 6, 2026). iOS can also show a clipboard-privacy prompt when an app reads something another app copied. At WWDC22 Apple said that in iOS 16 "the system confirms intent for all access to pasteboard items written by other apps", and that using the edit options menu, the long-press Paste above, is one of three ways an app avoids the prompt (Apple, What's new in privacy, read October 6, 2026).
Copy and paste on Facebook (Android)
- Long-press the text until selection handles appear.
- Drag the handles over the words you want.
- Tap Copy.
- Open the destination field, long-press, and tap Paste.
Some Android keyboards, such as Gboard, keep a clipboard history, tap Clipboard at the top of the keyboard to paste something you copied earlier (Gboard Help, read October 6, 2026).
Pasting into Messenger and Stories
Messenger uses the same clipboard as the rest of your phone, so anything you copy in the Facebook app can be pasted into a chat. For Stories, add a text layer first, then long-press inside it to paste. Formatting from a document, such as bold, italics or colored text, is usually dropped when you paste it into Facebook, so check the composer before you post.
When copy and paste won't work
- The menu won't appear: tap directly on the words, not on an image or link, and hold for a full second.
- Paste is greyed out: your clipboard is empty, copy something again.
- Formatting looks wrong: paste into Notes first to clean it, then re-copy.
- App is glitchy: force-close and reopen Facebook, or update to the latest version, clipboard bugs are common in outdated builds.
Last checked October 6, 2026 against the Facebook Help Center, Apple and Gboard pages linked in this article. Menu names and positions change between Facebook, iOS and Android app versions, so if a step looks different on your phone, follow the Facebook Help Center page for your device.
Related reads
Once you're comfortable moving text around, put it to work: see our Facebook caption ideas for posts that actually get engagement, our complete Facebook marketing guide, and how to grow a Facebook Page organically.
The bottom line
Copy and paste is identical in spirit on every device, select, copy, place, paste, the only thing that changes is whether you're using keyboard shortcuts or press-and-hold. Bookmark the device section you need and you'll never fumble a Facebook link or caption again.
