Taking screenshots on Android smartphones is as simple as pressing a couple of buttons together. Screen recording capabilities are included in most Android skins. As for Wear OS smartwatches, the answer is more convoluted. While taking a screenshot on the best Android smartwatches is possible, the steps vary depending on your watch and the Wear OS version it runs.
On Wear OS 2 and older wearables, there isn’t a physical shortcut you can press to take a screenshot. Instead, you must rely on the companion Wear OS app. On the Wear OS 3-running Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or Galaxy Watch 5, taking a screenshot is simpler as you only need to press a couple of keys simultaneously on the watch. But the process is more convoluted on the Google Pixel Watch.
Follow our guide to learn how to take screenshots on Wear OS smartwatches.
How to take a screenshot on Wear OS 2 smartwatches
You cannot directly take a screenshot on Wear OS 2-running smartwatches. Instead, you must use the companion Wear OS app on your phone.
Ensure the phone and smartwatch are connected via Bluetooth before starting the process.
- Navigate to the screen on your smartwatch that you want to capture.
- Open the Wear OS app on your phone.
- Tap the three-dot menu button in the upper-right corner of the app.
- Select the Take screenshot of watch option.
- A notification pops up on your phone saying a screenshot was taken.
Even if your Wear OS 2 smartwatch has a circular display, the screenshot captured is squarish in dimensions. The circular display area of your Wear OS smartwatch is captured with black padding added around it to make it a square. You won’t face this issue if your wearable has a rectangular or square display or runs Wear OS 3.
How to take a screenshot on Wear OS 3-powered Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 5
Taking screenshots on Samsung Galaxy Watches running Wear OS 3 is the easiest of the lot. Like the best Samsung phones, you’ll press a key combination on the device to capture a screenshot.
- Navigate to the screen on your Wear OS 3-running smartwatch you want to take a screenshot of.
- Press the Home and Back buttons simultaneously. These are usually the two physical keys on the watch’s right side.
- A screenshot is captured as soon as you let go of the keys.
Any screenshot you take is automatically saved on your phone. You can access it from the Gallery app. On Samsung phones, any Galaxy Watch screenshot is stored inside the DCIM/Pictures/Watch folder.
Currently, there’s no way to record the screen of your Galaxy Watch.
How to take a screenshot on the Google Pixel Watch
Taking a screenshot on the Pixel Watch is not as straightforward as it should be. It seems like Google put little thought into this process. Worse, the process remains the same despite the Pixel Watch receiving multiple updates since its launch.
You must enable developer options on your phone to take a screenshot on the Pixel Watch.
For this, go to your phone’s Settings menu, followed by About Phone. From there, tap Build Number seven times. The hidden Developer options appear in your phone’s Settings menu.
- Open the Watch app on your phone.
- Tap the three-dot menu button in the upper-right corner of the display.
- Select the Take screen shot on watch option.
- A Ready to send watch screenshot notification appears on your phone.
- The first time you tap the notification, a list of apps with which you can share the screenshot displays.
- Select Photos if you want to save the screenshot to Google Photos.
While the Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 series have access to Google Assistant, you cannot use the digital assistant to take a screenshot using your voice. This is unlike on phones, where you can ask Google Assistant to capture your phone’s screen.
How to take a screenshot on Fossil’s Wear OS 3 watches
To take a screenshot on a Fossil smartwatch running Wear OS 3, you must use the company’s companion Fossil app.
- Open the Fossil app on the phone paired with the watch.
- Tap My Preferences under the For You section of the app.
- Scroll down and tap System.
- Tap the Request Wear OS 3 screen shot from the sub-menu that opens.
- A window appears where you can share (or save) the screenshot with the apps installed on your phone.
The guide above does not work for taking screenshots on the Mi Band or a wearable running RTOS.
Can you record the screen on Wear OS 3 watches?
Unlike Android phones, Wear OS 3 does not provide a screen recording functionality. And given the resource constraints, third-party screen recording apps aren’t available for the platform.
If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, Google provides developers a way to record a video on Wear OS watches. This involves using the Android tool for Mac and recording the raw frame rates using an ADB command. You can find detailed instructions in the Android developer documentation.
Learn some new Wear OS tricks
Once you know how to take a screenshot on your Android smartwatch, check out the top Wear OS tips and tricks to get the most out of it. And if you have Google’s first Wear OS smartwatch, check out some essential Pixel Watch tips and tricks to try today.
