# Copyable A type whose values can be implicitly or explicitly copied. ``` protocol Copyable ``` ## Overview Conforming to this protocol indicates that a type’s value can be copied; this protocol doesn’t have any required methods or properties. You don’t generally need to write an explicit conformance to `Copyable`. The following places implicitly include `Copyable` conformance: - Structure declarations, unless it has a noncopyable stored property - Enumeration declarations, unless it has a case whose associated value isn’t copyable - Class declarations - Actor declarations - Protocol declarations - Associated type declarations - The `Self` type in a protocol extension - In an extension, the generic parameters of the type being extended A class or actor can contain noncopyable stored properties, while still being copyable itself — classes and actors are copied by retaining and releasing references. In a declaration that includes generic type parameters, each generic type parameter implicitly includes `Copyable` in its list of requirements. Metatypes and tuples of copyable types are also implicitly copyable, as are boxed protocol types. For example, all of the following pairs of declarations are equivalent: ``` struct MyStructure { } struct MyStructere: Copyable { } protocol MyProtocol { } protocol MyProtocol: Copyable { } protocol AnotherProtocol { associatedtype MyType associatedtype MyType: Copyable } func genericFunction(t: T) { } func genericFunction(t: T) where T: Copyable { } let x: any MyProtocol let x: any MyProtocol & Copyable ``` To suppress an implicit conformance to `Copyable` you write `~Copyable`. For example, only copyable types can conform to `MyProtocol` in the example above, but both copyable and noncopyable types can conform `NoRequirements` in the example below: ``` protocol NoRequirements: ~Copyable { } ``` Extensions to the `Copyable` protocol are not allowed. --- Copyright © 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)