Tech

How to use your smartwatch for photos – Times of India

November 23, 2022
Bharat Times English News

Smartwatches allow users to track and monitor their health, among other salient features. But did you know you can control your phone’s camera with your smartwatch? Some smartwatches, including the Apple Watch, come with built-in features like music and camera control and if not users will need to download apps on their watch. Since smartwatches use Bluetooth to connect with your phone, you’ll also need to be in the requisite range.
If your watch comes with built-in camera control features, you just need to connect your smartwatch to your phone and be ready to click pictures. Smartwatches from Samsung and Google come with their own proprietary apps to control the camera of their phones. Here’s how you can use your Samsung Galaxy or Pixel smartwatch to take pictures:

Taking pictures with Samsung Galaxy smartwatch
If you’ve got a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or Watch 4 Classic, the Camera Controller app comes preloaded on your smartwatch. However, you will need to download the Camera Controller app if you have an older Samsung watch that uses the Tizen OS. Follow these steps to take photos:

  1. Open the Camera Controller app on your Galaxy watch.
  2. Set up the shot.
  3. Switch to video mode on your phone for videos.
  4. Tap on the Capture or Record button for photos or videos.

Taking pictures with Pixel Watch
You can remotely operate the camera on your phone by downloading the Google Camera app on your watch from the smartwatch version of Play Store. It’s important to note that this feature only works with WearOS 2 and WearOS 3 devices when they are connected to a Pixel phone. Here’s how you can use it:

  1. Wake up the watch to find the camera screen.
  2. Swipe up to find apps.
  3. Tap on the Camera option.
  4. Tap in the centre of the watch screen to start the 3-second self-timer and hit the Shutter button.

However, users will need to download a third-party app if they have a Garmin, Fitbit, or non-Samsung Wear OS watch that isn’t connected to a Pixel phone in order to use this feature.