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You would think that after so many user complaints, Apple would address the problems with Copy Image function in Safari.
Every other browser with similar feature actually copies the image (without the associated address) so the user can paste appropriately. Safari copies the image + the address, and in most cases parses out the address when pasting the image.
[Edited by Moderator]
MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 13.0
Thanks, I'm aware who I'm addressing. That's not very helpful. I'm using the Copy Image not Copy Image Address. Hence, the frustration.
It seems that others require screenshots to demonstrate, so here goes...
Note: Copy Image is selected rather than Copy Image Address
Note: I selected Paste to paste the image I supposedly just copied
Note that Safari pasted the address of the image.
Thanks, I'm aware who I'm addressing. That's not very helpful. I'm using the Copy Image not Copy Image Address. Hence, the frustration.
It seems that others require screenshots to demonstrate, so here goes...
Note: Copy Image is selected rather than Copy Image Address
Note: I selected Paste to paste the image I supposedly just copied
Note that Safari pasted the address of the image.
Contrast the behavior of Safari in the screenshots above with the behavior of Brave.
Note Copy Image is selected
Note I selected Paste to paste the image I just copied
Note Brave actually pasted the IMAGE rather than the ADDRESS the way Safari did.
Contrary to what others have suggested, Safari IS NOT behaving the way Brave, Chrome (not pictured), and Firefox (not pictured) behave.
Drag/drop isn't very easy when you are going from one tab to another in Safari...feels cumbersome. It would be so much easier if the Copy Image function did exactly that. But alas, for some reason the Safari product team seems to think that it should copy both the image and the image address.
I'm not the first one this has annoyed, and I've found a lot of posts about this behavior on the web going back YEARS.
Even more annoying that the problem is people responding with "Copy Image Address" suggestions. Yes, I am using the right one "Copy Image" rather than the other "Copy Image Address".
Safari's contextual menu offers the user a choice of Copy Image Address and Copy Image.
For example, refer to the following screenshot:
Copy Image Address will copy just the address portion of that HTML page element, which can then be pasted into any text-only field. If you were to choose Copy Image, attempting to paste it into a text-only field will extract only the text portion of that page element, because it is its only relevant context.
The message composition field of this site will recognize both.
For example, choosing Copy Image and then pasting it into this same reply yields the following:
Copy Image Address from the above example and then pasting it into this reply yields the following:
https://discussions.apple.com/public/assets/avatars/SYSTEM_DEFAULT_AVATAR_EN_8999.png
... and if you were to click that URL Safari loads that address in a new tab or window. Safari renders it as an image.
Every other browser with similar feature actually copies the image (without the associated address) so the user can paste appropriately.
Incorrect. Brave for example does the exact same thing:
Copy Image and then Paste results:
Copy Image Address and then Paste results:
https://discussions.apple.com/public/assets/avatars/SYSTEM_DEFAULT_AVATAR_EN_8999.png
... and if you were to click that URL Brave loads that address in a new tab or window. Brave renders it as an image.
FYI you are not addressing Apple on this website. To contact Apple, Contact Apple. Safari's Copy Image is doing exactly what it is supposed to do though — same with Brave, Firefox, and DDG for that matter.
You're right: drag/drop isn't always feasible (or, at least, not in a handy manner).
The only suggestion I can give – and I know that it's not a fix – is to try a Safari Technology Preview to check whether the bug has been fixed.
BTW, a quick search on WebKit Bugzilla lists similar issues with copy/paste.
https://bugs.webkit.org/buglist.cgi?quicksearch=copy%20paste%20image
A possible workaround: I use Alfred (a launcher app) which includes a sort of clipboard manager. If I copy the image in Safari, invoke Alfred's clipboard and paste the copied image then it's pasted correctly.
For the record, my test was the following: copy the image from Safari and paste into a graphic app (Photoshop in my case).
It worked so I assumed that the copy/paste procedure was flawless.
Now, I see Twitter in your screenshot.
First I tried from Safari to Twitter app and it worked again.
Then I tried from Safari to Twitter website (not the app) and it didn’t work as you stated.
The same action using Firefox as a source and pasting in Safari worked again. The other way around (Safari the source and Firefox the destination) didn’t work either.
it seems indeed a Safari “copy” issue rather than the “paste” command and specifically when a text input field as a destination is involved.
The drag/drop works too.
My Safari (16.3) offers two separate commands in the contextual menu after a right-click on an image:
The latter copies the plain image, without its address.
Issues with "Copy Image" in Safari
