Most people believe a smartwatch is a fitness gadget or a way to view notifications discreetly. But did you understand that you can also utilize your smartwatch as a camera remote?
So somewhat of racing to beat the Timer for your next group photo or selfie, you can use your smartwatch to maintain your phone’s camera shutter.
Few smartwatches, like the Apple Watch, have this feature built-in. Others need you to download an independent third-party app. You’ll also require to be within Bluetooth range since smartwatches share with your phone.
It probably won’t be a problem in most scenarios, but it’s something to keep in mind if you consider using this feature on a more enterprising photo project.
In any case, here’s how to allow the feature on some of the most prevalent smartwatches.
APPLE WATCH
Suppose you’ve got an Apple Watch, good news: as noted earlier, the Apple Watch already arrives with a Timer app and camera remote pre-installed. You can also utilize your watch as a viewfinder when putting up the photo and review the picture instantly from your wrist after you’ve taken it. Plus, you can use the look to toggle other settings like flash, HDR, and Live Photo. Siri is also functional as a hands-free option when using the feature.
TO TAKE A PHOTO:
- Once you’ve put up your iPhone to take your photo, unplug the Camera app on your watch. It’s the identical icon as the Camera app on your iPhone.
- After you open the app, you should witness what your photo will look like on your watch face. Grab this time to manage your shot.
- Employ the Digital Crown to zoom in and out.
- Dab the shutter icon in the center of the look screen to take your photo
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You can review the photo you just accepted by tapping on the thumbnail in the bottom left. Double tapping will make the image fill the screen. Pinching left, or right will let you notice other photos you’ve taken.
- Tap the three-dot button on the below right to access the settings menu. With this menu, you can count a three-second timer, switch between your iPhone’s front and rear cameras, edit Live Photo settings, edit flash settings, and toggle HDR on or off.
- If you want to tamper with focus, you can tap on a detailed area in the photo on the watch screen.
SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH 4 AND SAMSUNG WATCHES
If you’ve acquired a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or Watch 4 Classic, you don’t have to bother installing anything. The Camera Controller app arrives preloaded onto the smartwatch. However, if you’ve acquired an older Samsung watch that drives on the proprietary Tizen OS, you’ll need to download the app.
Here’s how to establish the Camera Controller app for Tizen watch owners:
- Open the Galaxy Store app and explore the Camera Controller app.
- Click Install
- Follow prompts for granting permissions.
- When prompted, decide to install the app on the phone the watch is paired to. You won’t be able to employ the app otherwise.
Samsung’s smartwatch camera remote will allow you to review photos on your watch. In addition, you can also utilize the watch as a viewfinder, set timers, and choose which camera you desire to take a photo from. Lastly, Samsung’s camera remote feature also allows you to record video.
TO TAKE A PHOTO OR VIDEO:
- Unlock the Camera Controller app
- Accept the time to set up the shot
- For videos, swap to Video Mode on your phone
- Click Capture for photos or Record for videos
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- To exchange between the rear and front cameras, swipe up on the watch
- If you like to set a timer, there’s a Timer icon at the top hub of your screen
- To review any images you’ve taken, tap the Gallery icon that seems next to the Capture button
WEAR OS SMARTWATCHES
You’ve got a few choices for wearing OS watches. If your timepiece is paired to a Pixel phone, downloading the Google Camera app is the most comfortable choice.
You can swap the timer on or off by swiping up and tapping Timer. You can’t customize the amount of time, however. So you’re stuck with the default three-second timer. Extract the slider to the right or left to zoom in and out.
If you’ve acquired a Fitbit, Garmin, or a non-Samsung Wear OS watch that’s not paired to a Pixel phone, you will have to download a third-party app to get this feature. But, again, there are plenty of options available — though you may have to spend for the app, and your mileage may vary.
That said, third-party apps are shot or miss. Because the workers aren’t the ones coding these apps, they can end up damaged after an update and are at the impulse of whatever software updates a manufacturer moves through. Other Android phones may also have distinct power-saving settings that impact how well the app works.
The upside is there is a combination of apps with additional features, and you’re free to do small hunting on your own to discover which apps suit your specific requirements. To find these apps, you can explore the Google Play Store, the Garmin Connect IQ store, the App Store, and Fitbit’s App Gallery.
Remember that because these aren’t native apps, you might have to follow some extra steps to install and use them. It is particularly true for Fitbit and Garmin owners, as these watches don’t have robust third-party app ecosystems. As a result, you’ll generally have much fewer options on these platforms, and the available options don’t tend to be highly rated.