Use my Apple Watch as a remote

Open the iPhone app on the viewfinder, then open Viewfinder on the Watch. You see the frame, step through the kit with the Digital Crown and press the shutter or record.

The Watch app installs with the iPhone app and needs watchOS 10 or later. It is a remote: the iPhone does the framing and saves the shots. The Watch follows the language you chose in the iPhone app, from the next time the Watch app opens.

1. On the iPhone, open Viewfinder and stay on the viewfinder screen.
2. Open Viewfinder on the Watch. The framed picture appears at about one and a half frames a second, with the focal length, field of view, camera and aspect.
3. Turn the Digital Crown or use the arrows to step through the lenses in your kit. On a zoom they turn the barrel.
4. Press the shutter for a still, or record and stop for a take. Double Tap does the main action.

If that didn't work

If the Watch says the phone cannot be reached, bring the iPhone app back to the viewfinder screen and keep the two devices close. It also tells you when the phone has no camera permission or no space left; every message is listed in what the Apple Watch remote's messages mean.

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Updated November 2, 2026