How to Block Specific Apps from Accessing Clipboard on Android

Recently, we wrote a guide on how to get iOS 14 features on Android and came across a nifty way to block clipboard access on Android. It works pretty well and you can even find all the apps that have access to the clipboard on your Android device. Blocking clipboard access will help you protect sensitive information like passwords, PIN, private messages from rogue apps which are always on a lookout to capture your clipboard. So without any delay, let’s go through the guide and learn about the steps.

Block Clipboard Access on Android (2020)

Google addressed the long-standing issue of clipboard access with the release of Android 10. It put a heavy restriction on apps that can access copied data in the background. However, after uproar from the Android community, it seems Google has quietly backtracked.

As things stand now, even on Android 10, many apps have access to the clipboard. So no matter which Android version you are running, follow this guide to manually block the access.

1. To block clipboard access on Android, you need to set up ADB on your computer. In case, you are completely unaware of ADB then go through our linked guide for detailed information.

2. Once you have set up ADB, run adb devices in your Terminal window to verify the connection. If it returns a serial number then you are good to go.

3. Next, run adb shell on your Terminal window.

4. Now, to find the apps that have clipboard access on your Android device, execute the below command. It will output a long list of package names of apps having clipboard access.

cmd appops query-op --user 0 READ_CLIPBOARD allow

5. Note down the package name of apps that you want to block from accessing your Android clipboard. Now, replace the package name in the below command and run it. It won’t output anything, but changes will be made in the background.

Note: Don’t block text editors as this action will also disable the “Paste” functionality within the app.

cmd appops set <packagename> READ_CLIPBOARD ignore

6. If you want to allow an app to access the clipboard on Android then you can simply replace ignore with allow and run the same command.

cmd appops set <packagename> READ_CLIPBOARD allow

Prevent Apps From Accessing The Clipboard on Android

So that is how you can block clipboard access on Android. I wish there was an easy way to manage this crucial permission, but sadly there isn’t one. So, just set up ADB– which is a one-time thing– and you will be all set. Apart from that, you can also uninstall bloatware from Android devices using ADB. Anyway, that is all from us. If you found the article helpful then do comment down below and let us know.