[User Guides](/en/guides) # How to Allow Paste for Clean Links on iPhone and iPad PublishedApril 10, 2026 If iPhone or iPad asks whether Clean Links can paste from another app, you are looking at Apple's clipboard permission prompt. It appears when you copy a link in one app, switch to another app, and try to paste it there. For Clean Links, that usually means you copied a URL from Safari, Mail, Messages, or a social app and want to clean it before you share or open it. This guide shows what the prompt means, how to allow paste for Clean Links, what to do if you already tapped **Don't Allow**, and how to keep clipboard-based cleaning private and under your control. ![iPhone Paste from Other Apps permission prompt shown over the Clean Links app with Allow and Don't Allow buttons](/images/blog/clean-links-paste-from-other-apps-prompt.png) The iOS Paste from Other Apps prompt as it appears inside Clean Links after copying a link in another app. ## [](#what-paste-from-other-apps-means-on-iphone)What "Paste from Other Apps" Means on iPhone Starting in iOS 16, Apple added a separate permission for pasting from the clipboard. Apps are set to **Ask** by default, which means iPhone shows a prompt the first time an app tries to paste something copied in another app. Apple documents how to [control app access to information](https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/control-access-to-information-in-apps-iph251e92810/ios) in its iPhone User Guide, and the clipboard prompt is part of that same permission model. That prompt is not a warning about Clean Links doing anything unusual. It is how iOS surfaces clipboard access. If you copied a link and then opened Clean Links to clean it, preview it, or pass it into a Shortcut, iOS may ask whether Clean Links can use that clipboard content. If you tap **Allow**, Clean Links can paste copied links without asking every time. If you leave it on **Ask**, iPhone keeps prompting. If you tap **Don't Allow**, manual paste workflows stop working until you change the setting again. ## [](#how-to-allow-paste-for-clean-links)How To Allow Paste For Clean Links The fastest path is to allow the prompt when it appears: 1. Copy a link from Safari, Messages, Mail, or another app. 2. Open Clean Links. 3. Paste the link into the app. 4. When iPhone shows **Paste from Other Apps**, tap **Allow**. That is enough on most devices. If you already dismissed the prompt or tapped **Don't Allow**, change it in Settings: 1. Open the **Settings** app. 2. Open **Apps**. 3. Find and tap **Clean Links**. 4. Tap **Paste from Other Apps**. 5. Choose **Allow**. On some iOS versions, Apple still shows app settings directly in the main Settings list. If you do not see **Apps**, scroll down in **Settings**, tap **Clean Links**, then open **Paste from Other Apps** there. ![iPhone Settings screen for Clean Links showing the Paste from Other Apps option set to Allow under Apps](/images/blog/clean-links-paste-from-other-apps-settings.png) Settings → Apps → Clean Links → Paste from Other Apps, where you can switch between Don't Allow, Ask, and Allow. ## [](#what-to-do-if-you-tapped-dont-allow)What To Do If You Tapped "Don't Allow" If paste stopped working, you do not need to reinstall the app. 1. Open **Settings**. 2. Go to **Apps** -> **Clean Links** -> **Paste from Other Apps**. 3. Change the setting from **Don't Allow** or **Ask** to **Allow**. 4. Return to Clean Links and paste the link again. If you do not see the setting yet, copy a link first, open Clean Links, and try pasting again. iOS sometimes waits until an app actually requests clipboard access before showing the control in Settings. ## [](#why-clean-links-needs-paste-access)Why Clean Links Needs Paste Access Clean Links uses paste access for one simple reason: you copied a link elsewhere and want to work with it here. That includes a few common flows: - Clean a copied URL before sharing it again - Expand a short link to see the final destination - Open the app, paste a link, then generate a clean QR code - Start from a copied link and continue with [Apple Shortcuts link cleaning](/guides/apple-shortcuts-link-cleaning) If you do not want to paste manually, you can often skip clipboard access entirely by using the iOS Share Sheet. Many guides on this site use the Share Sheet first because it is faster and avoids the prompt altogether. ## [](#privacy-note-what-happens-to-pasted-links)Privacy Note: What Happens To Pasted Links Pasted links are handled on-device. Clean Links does not log or store the links you clean or check. Many links can be cleaned fully offline. Some short links and redirect wrappers need a direct request from your device to the destination in order to reveal the final URL. When that happens, Clean Links still does not send the link through a third-party API or through Numen's servers. The request goes from your device to the destination, and Clean Links strips tracking parameters before and after each redirect hop when possible. If you want clipboard-based cleaning to stay fully on-device with no outbound requests at all, disable all network requests in Clean Links settings or in a Shortcut. Clean Links will still strip known tracking parameters, but it will stop following redirect chains for short links like `bit.ly` or `t.co`. If you want more detail, the [Clean Links FAQ](/faq#local-processing) explains how local processing and redirect resolution work. ## [](#what-to-do-next)What To Do Next Once paste access is allowed: - Paste a copied link into Clean Links and clean it directly - Use the Share Sheet when another app already exposes the URL, like the flows in the [Reddit link cleaner](/guides/reddit-link-cleaner) and [X link cleaner](/guides/twitter-link-cleaner) guides - Build a shortcut from the [Apple Shortcuts guide](/guides/apple-shortcuts-link-cleaning) if you want the clipboard flow to feel more like one tap If you came here because iPhone kept interrupting a copy-and-paste flow, the Share Sheet is usually the cleanest fix. If you prefer opening Clean Links and pasting links yourself, set **Paste from Other Apps** to **Allow** once and you should be done. ## [](#faq-allow-paste-for-clean-links)FAQ: Allow Paste For Clean Links **Does Clean Links read my clipboard all the time?** No. This setting controls whether iOS lets Clean Links paste clipboard content when you use a paste-based workflow. **Can I leave it on Ask?** Yes. Clean Links still works, but iPhone may show the prompt again when you paste a copied link. **Can I use Clean Links without clipboard access?** Yes. The Share Sheet, Safari extension, QR reader, and many Shortcut flows do not require manual pasting from the clipboard. ## [](#get-clean-links)Get Clean Links Allow paste once, then clean copied links without the repeated prompt. [Download Clean Links](/download) free for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. ## Related Posts [User Guides](/en/guides) ### [Safari Link Cleaner: Clean URLs Before the Page Opens](/en/guides/safari-link-cleaner-before-the-page-opens) Clean Links now strips supported tracking parameters during Safari navigation on iPhone, iPad, and Mac before the page opens. May 1, 2026 [User Guides](/en/guides) ### [Link Cleaner Online: Clean Links Now Works in Every Browser](/en/guides/link-cleaner-online) Clean Links users asked for it. The link cleaner online ships today: paste a URL, strip the trackers, and unwrap short links from any browser. April 15, 2026 [User Guides](/en/guides) ### [How to Use the Clean Links Safari Extension on iPhone & Mac](/en/guides/safari-extension-link-cleaner) Strip tracking parameters from every link on any webpage with the Clean Links Safari extension. One tap on iOS, one click on macOS - setup guide included. April 7, 2026 Get Clean Links - The Privacy-First Link Cleaner for iPhone & Mac [![Download on the App Store](/app-store/download-badge/en/download.svg)![Download on the App Store](/app-store/download-badge/en/download-dark.svg)](/download)[Discord](/discord)[4.9148 ratings on the App Store](/reviews) ## Link Cleaner and Safe QR Code Scanner That Shows the Final URL Before You Tap Follows every hidden redirect on your device and strips tracking parameters at every hop. [![Download on the App Store](/app-store/download-badge/en/download.svg)![Download on the App Store](/app-store/download-badge/en/download-dark.svg)](/download)[Discord](/discord)