Camera Wear

camera remote · Wear OS + Android

Camera Wear solves the group photo where somebody has to run back into frame. The phone sits on the tripod doing the photography, and the watch on your wrist shows you what it sees.

  • Live viewfinder
  • Lens and timer presets
  • Needs the paired phone

The Camera Wear tile

On the wrist

Live preview from the phone lens, with the shutter, the timer and the lens switch.

On the phone

Does the photography — it runs the camera and keeps the shots.

How it works

Three steps, and none of them is a settings screen.

  1. Step 1

    Open the app on both devices — the watch screen finds the phone and connects to it.

  2. Step 2

    Frame the shot on your wrist. The preview is live from the phone lens, so you can see whether you are actually in it.

  3. Step 3

    Tap the shutter, or set the timer and walk into frame. The photo appears on the watch as soon as it is taken.

What it does

Everything Camera Wear is, in full.

  • A viewfinder, not a button

    The watch shows the live preview from the phone, which is the difference between framing a shot and hoping.

  • The controls that matter

    Lens presets, the self-timer and the capture settings sit on the watch screen, so you set them up from where you are standing.

  • Review without walking back

    The shot you just took comes straight to the wrist, so you know whether to take another one before you break the pose.

Permissions

What it asks for, and why.

Photos and video are saved on the phone and are never uploaded. The app does send anonymous usage and crash reports to Google Firebase, and the premium upgrade is bought through Google Play. Read the privacy policy.

Camera (phone)
Runs the camera the watch is aiming. This is the whole app.
Microphone (phone)
Records sound when you use the watch to start a video.
Display over other apps
Lets the watch wake the camera when the phone screen is on something else.
Notifications
Shows that the camera is live while the app runs in the background.

What you need

Two devices, no account.

Watch
Wear OS 4.0 or newer
Phone
Android 10 or newer
Pairing
Two of three run standalone
Data
Your files never leave your devices

More

The other apps.

  • FileManager

    files on the watch

  • Video Player

    video on the watch