Screenshots won't move to clipboard between devices

Aeterna-Lux — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 04:53:49 GMT

Hello all,

my issues is as follows:

When I capture screenshots on my S25U, it doesn't copy over to my Galaxy Book5 Pro 360.

Copying images over from either devices works mostly, but screenshots from my phone only generates an empty file that won't let my paste it anywhere.

Weirdly, screenshots made by my phone get captured by Phone Link in Windows, but until I click on the notification, it won't be in my clipboard in Windows.

An additional weird behaviour:
Copying images from my phone sometimes transfers over to Windows instantly, but then Samsung Continuity Service gives out a notification that it has been copied, then the image seemingly disappears from Clipboard, can't be copied, and after a while, can be copied again.

It seems like there are different instances that work agains eachother.

Please help me.
I just bought into this expensive ecosystem and it already consumes so much time troubleshooting.
Why do you need a continuity service, when phone link is also serving the same purpose.
Are those two application maybe working against eachother?

Seemingly this issue persists since a few years already:
https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyTab/comments/zmz9uf/samsung_flow_clipboard_problem_with_screenshots/
Is it maybe related to Samsung Flow? I tried a deinstall of Samsung Flow, but it did not change anything. Maybe a first install tampers with the correct use of the Samsung Continuity Service?

Re: Screenshots won't move to clipboard between devices

Dharoka — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 08:33:02 GMT

Hey! You're definitely not alone in this—Samsung's ecosystem can feel more like a tug-of-war than a seamless experience sometimes. Based on what you're describing, Samsung Continuity Service and Phone Link (via Microsoft) might indeed be clashing when it comes to clipboard/screenshot handling. Here's what’s likely going on and how you can potentially fix it:

🔍 What’s Happening

There are two clipboard sync systems fighting each other:

Samsung Continuity Service (Samsung Flow-like feature between Galaxy devices)
Microsoft Phone Link (formerly Your Phone, tied into Windows)

They both try to manage clipboard sync and screen captures, which can cause:

Screenshots from your phone showing as blank or unpasted in Windows
Image transfers behaving erratically or delayed
Clipboard overwriting or dropping content mid-transfer

✅ What You Can Try

1. Turn Off One Clipboard Sync Service

Choose one to keep, and disable the other.

Disable Clipboard sync in Samsung Settings:
- Go to your phone: Settings > Connected devices > Link to Windows > Advanced features
- Turn off "Sync clipboard"

Disable Clipboard sync in Phone Link (Windows):
- Open Phone Link on your PC
- Settings > Features > Clipboard
- Toggle "Sync across devices" off

Pick the one that behaves more reliably for your use case.

2. Stick with One Ecosystem’s Features

If you want full Samsung integration (like drag & drop, DeX, calls), lean into Samsung’s ecosystem.
If you prefer clipboard reliability and integration with Microsoft Office, go with Phone Link.

3. Check for Updates

Make sure:

Samsung Continuity Service, Phone Link, and Link to Windows apps are all up to date.
Sometimes clipboard bugs are resolved in updates.

🧠 Why Is This So Messy?

Samsung and Microsoft collaborated to bring Link to Windows, but Samsung didn’t retire its own continuity system, so there’s overlapping functionality—clipboard sync, image share, drag & drop—which leads to this kind of confusion.

💡 My Suggestion

If you use your Galaxy Book5 and phone together often, I’d recommend:

Use Link to Windows exclusively
Disable Samsung clipboard sync
Test screenshot behavior again

topic Screenshots won't move to clipboard between devices in Mobile Apps & Services