ClipNSync
Your clipboard, on every device. Encrypted end to end.
Copy on your Mac, paste on your Windows PC. Text, images, and files sync through the cloud folder you already use. No cloud company ever sees your data - everything is encrypted on your device first.
Why ClipNSync
A clipboard manager that syncs everywhere without handing your data to anyone.
End-to-end encrypted
AES-256-GCM with a key derived from your passphrase via Argon2id. Encryption happens before anything leaves your device.
Bring your own storage
Uses a folder your cloud client already syncs - iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Nextcloud - or your own WebDAV. No provider APIs, no lock-in.
Password-safe
Clips your password manager marks concealed or transient are never captured or synced. Your passwords stay put.
Easy pairing
Add a device with a one-time code instead of retyping your passphrase. The key travels encrypted, never in plaintext.
Instant on your LAN
On the same network, trusted devices discover each other and push the same encrypted clip directly over the wire - near-instant.
Send files to people you trust
Link an optional account and send files straight to someone by email. Incoming files from people you have not accepted always ask first, accepted contacts can be trusted to skip the prompt, and you can block anyone or turn off being discoverable entirely - every transfer is end-to-end encrypted. Adding someone who is not on ClipNSync yet opens your own mail app with a ready-to-send invite.
See your usage
A built-in Usage view shows your relay quota for the day and your last 30 days of transfers: how much you sent and received, and how many went through.
Ignore patterns
Exclude anything you do not want synced with a regular expression: card numbers, key material, whatever you choose.
No admin required
Installs and runs as a regular user on macOS, Windows, and Linux. No UAC prompt, no privileged helper, no kernel extensions.
Cross-platform
One Rust core behind a menu-bar/tray app on desktop, with iOS and Android companions. Crypto is never reimplemented per platform.
Private by design
The server only ever sees ciphertext. Encryption keys are derived from your passphrase and never leave your device.
Features
Everything the app does today, in one list.
Clipboard sync
- Text, images, and files sync across all your devices
- Any cloud folder: iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Nextcloud
- WebDAV backend for Nextcloud or your own server
- LAN mesh: near-instant direct delivery between trusted devices
- Offline catch-up: devices sync what they missed when they return
- Run entirely on your LAN - no cloud account or folder needed
- Size cap and text-only mode you control
Clip history
- Encrypted searchable history that survives restarts
- Click to copy any past clip back to the clipboard
- Pin clips to keep them -- pins sync to every device (optional), and deletes always follow, including over the LAN
- Delete a clip everywhere with one click
- Quick clip picker on a global hotkey (press-to-record your own)
- Recent clips right in the menu-bar/tray menu
Send files to people
- Send any file to a contact by email, end-to-end encrypted
- Findable by exact email (opt-out any time); strangers always ask first; block anyone
- Direct on your LAN, direct over the internet, or relay fallback
- Privacy mode: force the relay to hide your IP, per contact if you like
- Receiving modes: always ask, trusted auto-accept, or verified auto-accept
- Invite someone new from your own mail app
Folder sync
- Sync whole folders between devices, one-way or two-way
- Conflict handling that never silently loses a file
- Runs on a schedule or on demand
Security and privacy
- AES-256-GCM encryption, key derived from your passphrase (Argon2id)
- Zero knowledge: storage and server only ever see ciphertext
- Keys live in the OS keychain, never in config files
- Password-manager clips are never captured
- Ignore patterns: exclude card numbers, keys, anything by regex
- Pause syncing whenever you want
Devices
- Pair a new device with a one-time code or QR - no retyping your passphrase
- Automatic discovery of your devices on the network
- Per-device delivery status: caught up or how many clips pending
- Manage and unlink devices from the web portal
Usage statistics
- Per-day counters for clipboard, file send, and folder sync - by transport
- This device or all your devices, today or the last 30 days
- Devices on your LAN share stats so every screen agrees
- Linked accounts see the same numbers on the web dashboard
- Relay quota meter so you always know where you stand
Desktop app
- macOS, Windows, and Linux (x64 and ARM64, Raspberry Pi included)
- Installs and runs without admin rights
- Self-updating: automatic checks hourly to monthly, or manual only
- Start at login, desktop notifications, light and dark theme
Account (optional)
- Everything works with no account - local and LAN forever
- Linking adds contacts, internet file send, and cross-device stats
- Web portal: devices, usage, profile, and email management
How it works
The storage layer only ever sees ciphertext.
Device A copies text -> encrypted locally (AES-256-GCM, your key) -> written as a small file into your chosen sync folder -> your existing cloud client syncs the file -> Device B sees the new file, decrypts locally -> clipboard updated
Sync speed depends on your cloud provider (usually a few seconds). On the same network, the LAN mesh delivers near-instantly.
ClipNSync never stores your clips on clipnsync.com or any ClipNSync server - we run no storage of your clipboard data. Clips move one of two ways, and both are end-to-end encrypted on your device first: directly device-to-device over your local network (LAN), or through a cloud folder you already use (iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Nextcloud), where only encrypted ciphertext is ever stored.
Screenshots
The actual desktop app on macOS (dark mode).
Zero-knowledge by design
The security model, in plain terms.
Keys never leave your device
Your passphrase derives the key locally via Argon2id and is stored in the OS keychain - never in a config file, never uploaded.
Nothing readable on the wire or in the cloud
Every clip is AES-256-GCM encrypted before it touches the sync folder or the network. The cloud only holds ciphertext.
Optional accounts, never plaintext
Clipboard and folder sync need no account - you own the transport: your cloud folder or your own WebDAV. Add an optional account and you can send files end-to-end encrypted to people by email: direct on your LAN or across the internet when possible, or through an encrypted relay as a fallback. The server only ever sees ciphertext and routing metadata - never file contents, names, or keys.
Auditable
Crypto lives in one open Rust core with cross-implementation test vectors as the compatibility contract.
Download
Alpha, v0.21.7. Unsigned builds show a one-time Gatekeeper/SmartScreen prompt.
| Platform | Build | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | Universal .dmg | Menu-bar app; Intel + Apple Silicon |
| Windows | Per-user .exe (NSIS) | Installs to %LOCALAPPDATA%, no admin |
| Linux | .deb / .rpm / AppImage | x64 and ARM64 / Raspberry Pi |
| iPhone + iPad | TestFlight build 17 | Join the iOS beta (needs the TestFlight app) |
| Apple Vision Pro | TestFlight build 12 | Join the visionOS beta |
Latest in the Apple betas: files you receive save to Photos (media) or the Files app (everything else), you can share a received file again from File History, and sending from a Mac or Windows PC to your iPhone or Vision Pro works over the internet. Background clipboard capture is impossible on iOS and is not faked.
FAQ and troubleshooting
The unsigned-alpha rough edges, and how to get past them.
macOS says the app "can't be opened" or "is damaged"
The alpha builds are not code-signed yet, so macOS Gatekeeper blocks them on first launch. Right-click ClipNSync in Finder, choose Open, and confirm - or run this once in Terminal:
xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/ClipNSync.app
It is a one-time step per install. Code signing (issue #13) will remove it.
Windows SmartScreen blocked the installer
SmartScreen warns on any app it has not yet seen widely signed.
Click More info, then Run anyway.
The installer is per-user: it installs to %LOCALAPPDATA%
and never asks for admin or shows a UAC prompt. Signing will remove
the warning later.
How do I use ClipNSync with Nextcloud?
Two ways, both end-to-end encrypted - your Nextcloud server only ever stores ciphertext:
- Through the Nextcloud desktop app (recommended).
Let the Nextcloud client sync a folder as usual, then in
ClipNSync pick that folder (for example
~/Nextcloud). ClipNSync writes encrypted.cnsfiles into it; Nextcloud carries them to your other devices, where ClipNSync reads them. Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux. - Direct WebDAV (advanced). The app can talk to
a Nextcloud server over WebDAV with no desktop client, using your
WebDAV URL
(
https://your-server/remote.php/dav/files/USERNAME/) and an app password (Nextcloud: Settings -> Security -> Devices & sessions -> Create new app password). This is wired in the core but not in the settings window yet, so it is config-file only for now and still needs real-server validation.
Use the same passphrase on every device. If Nextcloud's "Virtual files" feature keeps clips online-only, see the next entry - ClipNSync pins them for you on Windows.
I use Nextcloud (or OneDrive/iCloud) and see a "cloud file provider exited" or sync error
ClipNSync watches a folder your cloud app syncs. Nextcloud, OneDrive, and iCloud can keep files "online-only" as placeholders that download only when opened. If the desktop client is offline or restarting, reading a placeholder fails with messages like "the cloud file provider exited unexpectedly" (Windows os error 404). Two things fix it:
- Make sure your Nextcloud/OneDrive desktop app is running and signed in.
- Right-click the ClipNSync folder and choose Always keep on this device so its files stay downloaded locally.
ClipNSync handles this for you: v0.7.20 skips the file and retries on the next check (showing a calm "waiting for your cloud sync app" note instead of an error), and v0.7.21 automatically pins its files on Windows - the "Always keep on this device" effect - so they stay downloaded and the error stops happening.
How do I build from source?
You need stable Rust and your platform's Tauri prerequisites. Then, from the repo root:
cargo test --workspace cargo run -p clipnsync-desktop
Common gotchas:
- Linux: install the
webkit2gtkandlibappindicatordevelopment packages first. - macOS: install the Xcode Command Line Tools with
xcode-select --install. - Unsigned dev builds re-prompt for Keychain access after each
rebuild; set
CLIPNSYNC_PASSPHRASE=<pass>to skip the keychain while testing.
Is my clipboard data really private?
Yes. Everything is encrypted on your device with AES-256-GCM before it touches the folder or the network; the key is derived from your passphrase with Argon2id and never leaves your devices. The storage layer only ever sees ciphertext, including the full threat model of what is and is not protected.
How fast is sync?
Through a cloud folder, sync is as fast as your provider - usually a few seconds, not instant. On the same network, the experimental LAN mesh delivers clips near-instantly between trusted devices.
Do I need an account?
No. Clipboard, image, and folder sync work entirely through your own cloud folder or WebDAV server, with no ClipNSync account. An account is optional and only unlocks one thing: sending files to other people by email. If you never send files to someone else, you never need one.
How do I send a file to someone else?
Link a free account, then type the person's email. People are findable by their exact address unless they opt out (Profile, "Discoverable by email"), and anything from someone you have not accepted always asks before a single byte is saved. Add them as a contact and they can accept you for a smoother, trusted flow. Either way they get a prompt to accept or decline, and you can block anyone permanently. Every transfer is end-to-end encrypted, and you can mark a contact as trusted to skip the prompt next time. If the person is not on ClipNSync yet, the app opens your own mail app with a ready-to-send invite - the message goes out from your mail account, never from our servers.
How does sending files over the internet work?
ClipNSync picks the fastest path that will reach the other person: a direct connection on your local network, a direct connection across the internet when your networks allow it, or an encrypted relay as a fallback when they do not. In every case the file is encrypted on your device first. The server only ever sees ciphertext and the routing metadata needed to hand the transfer off - never the file contents, file names, or your keys.
What does "anonymous install statistics" share?
Once a day, the desktop app sends us a small ping: a random id generated for this install, the app version, your OS, and your CPU type. That id is not your sync identity - it is separate from the device id ClipNSync uses to sync your clipboard, and it is never sent alongside any account or sync request. This tells us what platforms and versions to keep supporting. On Windows and Linux, fully removing the app sends one final ping with the same fields marked as an uninstall (skipped if you opted out), so our install counts stay honest.
It never includes clipboard content, file names, your email, or anything about your account, and we do not keep IP addresses from these pings. It is on by default; turn it off any time in Settings -> Privacy -> Share anonymous install statistics.
Support and contact
Questions, bugs, ideas - all welcome.
Email us
General questions and private support: support@clipnsync.com. We read every message.
Report a bug or request a feature
Let us know what is broken or what you would like to see: contact support.