# Is there any way to directly copy a URL with Chrome or other browsers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897 "2020-12-12T15:43:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/1 "2020-12-12T15:43:24Z")
Chrome no longer gives Copy option when pressing a URL. Screenshot > **[Screenshot-20201212-092803 hosted at ImgBB](https://ibb.co/3vMh3jV)** > > Image Screenshot-20201212-092803 hosted in ImgBB Gmail, NewsFeed, Chats, Messages Completely useless options for me. Pressing the other button, that looks like two sheets of paper copies with Amp Links. I get criticizied for posting a Amp link Chrome took away the ability to edit a URL a couple years ago. If the URL ended with /page1 I used to routinely change it to /page2 or /page7. Whatever I wanted. You can’t press a URL and change it anymore. Is there any work around to copy a URL? Do any other phone browsers support URL copying without Amp? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/2 "2020-12-12T15:48:45Z")
Safari definitely works. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/3 "2020-12-12T15:52:20Z")
Aye: Safari. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/4 "2020-12-12T15:53:11Z")
I just noticed the pencil when I press a URL. It allows editing a URL. You can also copy. It’s clunkly and a double step process. But the pencil works. (until Chrome changes it again) I don’t remember seeing that pencil until today. They keep changing Chrome. It’s hard to know what feature does what anymore. I’ll try the Safari App. I tried Firefox for Android and wasn’t impressed. It’s not the browser I loved 3 years ago ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/5 "2020-12-12T16:18:01Z")
There’s no official Safari release in the Android App store. There are knockoffs with Ads like Brave browser. I’ll try Opera and see how well it works. Opera has an ad blocker and VPN. > **[Can You Install the Safari Browser on Android?](https://www.lifewire.com/install-safari-browser-on-android-5078911)** > > Apple's Safari Browser is not available for Android, though there are lots of fakes out there. Download a mobile browser with similar features instead. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/6 "2020-12-12T16:23:43Z")
Whatchoo talkin’ about, Willis? [![](https://www.genderkitten.com/WS4/ah3files2/chromeURL.jpg) ](https://www.genderkitten.com/WS4/ah3files2/chromeURL.jpg) oh… phone browsers. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/7 "2020-12-12T16:29:39Z")
😉 I should have mentioned phone in the question title. I forgot to make the distinction. It’s been at least three months since I booted up my laptop. My Android tablet and phone handle most of my daily computing needs. I edit digital media on my laptop. Mostly video and photos. I use an old version of MS Office on the laptop for large documents and spreadsheets. It is a valid distinction. Chrome for Windows has a lot of features that are missing in the Android version. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/8 "2020-12-12T16:32:13Z")
I have no problems copying URLs in Chrome using my Android device. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/9 "2020-12-12T16:35:36Z")
Are you using the pencil button they recently began offering? Long pressing on the URL gives a blank that can be pasted into. Or you could type a search term or URL. Pressing the share (sideways V) gives the screenshot that I posted in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/10 "2020-12-12T16:36:21Z")
ETA: the OP’s post just above appeared while I was typing. But I still don’t know what is this “pencil button” he’s talking about. I do not understand what the issue is. I have Chrome on my android phone. When I press and hold on a link that’s in a page a pop-up appears with the choices “open in new tab”, “open in incognito tab”, “copy link address”, “Copy link text”, “download link”, and “share link” Each of which do exactly what you’d expect. If the OP is referring to the link in the URL input box at the top of the page, i.e. the URL _of_ the page you’re looking at, not one _on_ the page you’re looking at, that’s slightly different. To edit that link, tap it. The pop-up changes and the URL input box becomes blank. Which is misleading. Whatever was most recently in that box is now shown as the top entry in the displayed list of history. Tap the pencil icon at far right and that link loads into the URL box and it is editable. Or tap any of the other history links which are then loaded into the URL input box in editable form. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/11 "2020-12-12T16:40:55Z")
I need to get accustomed to the pencil. It’s not hard to use. I’ll also try Opera. I’d really like to get away from Google’s Chrome browser. The big changes to the Share button really bug me. There’s no reason to even use it anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/12 "2020-12-12T16:51:04Z")
What pencil? What version of Android are you using? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/13 "2020-12-12T16:56:55Z")
And what version of Chrome? I’m using Chrome Version 87.0.4280.101 and Android 10 ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/14 "2020-12-12T17:01:20Z")
Okay, I see what pencil you mean. You’re talking about the one next to the Copy and Share buttons when you click on the address. The pencil works for me, I just tried it and it let me edit the address. I don’t use that, though. I just copy the address, and then paste it wherever I want–usually in an address bar, and then I just edit it after I paste it, before hitting [Enter], or whatever we’re calling the [—\>] button at the bottom right of the keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/15 "2020-12-12T19:39:08Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Chrome no longer gives Copy option when pressing a URL. I’m using Chrome now and when I right click on an URL in a post or content of a web page, I get a pop-up menu with the option to “Copy link address”; when I click in the URL bar once, the entire URL is selected and then the right-click gives me a pop-up menu with the option to copy. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/16 "2020-12-12T19:53:03Z")
I’m glad the windows version of Chrome still works the same. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/17 "2020-12-12T21:14:30Z")
I like Firefox. I use it on my PC and it can synchronize if you log into it, so my bookmarks are kept the same between my PC and my Android device. I have trouble with Chrome on my mobile device, it doesn’t feel intuitive to me. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/18 "2020-12-12T22:35:31Z")
On my Android phone, using Chrome, I can copy the URL through the Share functionality. I open the menu in the upper right corner (vertical ellipsis), select “Share…”, then I get a list of ways to share the content to various applications and channels (SMS, GMail, Print, Pocket, etc.). One of them is called “Copy” and copies the URL to the clipboard. It works for me, but I don’t find it particularly intuitive. I guess they’ve decided that people don’t care about the URL itself, they just want to “share” content in the most convenient form. ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/19 "2020-12-12T22:43:31Z")
Too late to edit : I admit that when I want to share a page with my hubby, I just go Share - SMS and the URL appears in a new SMS message. Same if I want to send the address through GMail. So maybe the explicit Copy - Paste process is less necessary than it used to be. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2020, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897/20 "2020-12-12T22:44:18Z")
Maybe my copy of chrome (on android) is out of date, but i click the three dots in the top right corner, and one of the options is “share”. If i click the little “square on square” next to that, it copies the URL into my clip board. That seems pretty straightforward to me. Was there some other way that doesn’t work any more? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-way-to-directly-copy-a-url-with-chrome-or-other-browsers/927897.md?page=2)