Search results for

All search results
Best daily deals

Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.

How to copy and paste a text message on Android

Copying and pasting a text is a quick and easy way to forward links, directions, or other info.
By

Published onJanuary 24, 2024

When you need to quickly share a message with a friend or family member, copy and paste instructions or directions, or copy a link from another message, you can do this pretty easily on any of the best Android phones. Depending on which app you use as your default for messaging, the steps vary slightly. So, we’ll guide you through how to copy and paste a text message on Android.

QUICK ANSWER

To copy and paste a text message using Google Messages, just open the app and then open the message you want to copy. Tap and hold the text to copy, and then select the Copy icon from the top right pop-up menu. The next step is to open the message you want to paste the text into or create a new message, then tap and hold in the text entry box and select Paste from the pop-up menu. Keep reading for more detailed instructions.

How to copy and paste a text message on Android

It’s easy to copy and paste text messages on Android, and below we’ll walk you through how to do this using Google Messages, as well as what to do if you have a Samsung phone.

How to copy and paste a text message in Google Messages

To quickly and easily copy and paste text messages in Google Messages, here’s what you need to do:

  • Open Google Messages.
  • Open the text message you want to copy and paste.
  • Tap and hold the text.
  • Select the Copy icon from the top right menu (it looks like two stacked sheets of paper) to copy the text to your clipboard
  • Create a new message — or open the existing message you want to paste into — then tap and hold in the text entry box and select Paste from the pop-up menu.

How to copy and paste a text message on a Samsung phone

If you’re using Samsung Messages on a Samsung device, the process is quite similar but not exactly the same. You can check out the detailed instructions below.

  • Open up Samsung Messages.
  • Open the text message you want to copy and paste.
  • Tap and hold the text.
  • Drag the highlight boundaries until all the text you want to copy is highlighted.
  • Select Copy from the pop-up menu that appears.
  • To paste your text message, create a new message — or open the existing message you want to paste into — tap and hold in the text entry box, then select Paste from the pop-up menu.

To send information to several recipients, it’ll likely be easier to forward a text message rather than copy-pasting text from it.


Bear in mind that other phones have their own messaging apps, and there are many third-party messaging apps in the Google Play Store. With so many apps out there to choose from, we can’t create instructions for all of them, or this post would be too long. If you have a different brand of device not mentioned on this list — or if you use a third-party messaging app — the steps to copy and paste a text message on Android should be pretty similar.

FAQs

Sometimes it’s easier to forward a message rather than copy and paste it. For example, if you need to send the information to several recipients. Check out our guide on how to forward a text message for all you need to know.

How to copy and paste a text message using any third-party messaging app not mentioned here should be pretty similar.

You might like