7 ways to take a photo with your phone remotely

Taking hands-free photos remotely is a nifty trick every photographer should have up their sleeve. You can do it with virtually every smartphone, whether you have one of the best camera phones or one you picked from the bargain bin. Knowing how to do this can help in a variety of situations:

• In group shots where you want to use your rear, high-quality camera and be in the shot. Also, when you don’t have the Pixel 9’s Add Me camera feature.
• For creative self-portraits where you want to avoid the worn-out selfie look or have your whole self in the frame.
• In professional settings and for product photography where you want to take a bunch of identical photos.
• When you have to hold your subject with both hands.

Let’s explore seven ways to activate your phone’s camera from a distance.

7 Using the humble self-timer

Available on practically every phone

The self-timer setting in your camera app lets you add a small delay, usually between two and ten seconds, before the camera takes the photo. You’ll then frame your shot, press the shutter button, and strike a pose in front of the camera before the timer runs out.

Pixel phones used to have an extra twist to their self-timer feature: an automatic mode. Activating it triggered the camera when everyone in the frame was smiling. A few years ago, Google replaced that with a hand gesture.

6 Take photos with a hand gesture

Just raise your hand to take a photo

Some phones let you take a picture by raising your hand. However, the feature works differently depending on the phone you have.

Samsung, for example, allows this only for selfies. Raising your hand so that it is visible in the frame starts a three-second timer. This works for both photos and videos. Palm selfies work similarly on Motorola and OnePlus phones.

On Google Pixel phones, you’ll set the self-timer first. It is an extra step, but it was likely added to allow the gesture to work on the rear cameras. The countdown activates when your palm is in the frame, as if you pressed the shutter button.

5 Take a photo with a voice command

Just say ‘cheese’ to take a snap

If you have a Samsung phone, you can take advantage of its built-in voice command feature. When the camera app is open, you can take a photo by saying “cheese,” “smile,” “capture,” or “shoot.” Or, say “record video” to start filming. This option can be turned on or off by going to Camera settings and tapping Shooting methods > Voice commands.

4 Take a photo using a wireless remote

Or a Samsung S Pen or a Moto Tag tracker

If you need to take hands-free photos often, investing in a wireless camera remote can be worth it. These cost only a few dollars and connect to a phone over Bluetooth. Some tripods for phones come bundled with these.

If you have a recent Samsung phone with a Bluetooth S Pen, such as a Galaxy Note 20 Ultra or a Galaxy S24 Ultra, you can use that. Open the camera app, frame your shot, and press the side button on the S Pen to take the photo. Additional camera actions, such as switching between cameras and modes, can be configured via Air Gestures.

The recently announced Moto Tag by Motorola doubles as a camera remote. It is primarily a tracker for items similar to Apple’s AirTags, but it has a built-in action button that activates the shutter from a distance.

Related

Moto Tag is the AirTag for Android we’ve been waiting for

Moto wasn’t first, but it might be the best

3 Control your camera remotely from another phone

Use the Bluetooth Camera Shutter app

The Bluetooth Camera Shutter app lets one Android phone trigger another phone’s camera. It works over Bluetooth, so the range of operation should be around 30 feet (10 meters). No internet connection is required to use the app or take the shot.

Here’s how to use the app:

1. Download Bluetooth Camera Shutter on the Android device you want to use as a remote control. You don’t need to download it on the phone that will take the photo.
2. Open the app, accept the required permissions, and tap the Enable button. This makes the device visible over Bluetooth for 120 seconds.

   

   

3. Go to the Bluetooth menu of the phone whose camera you want to control.
4. Pair the phone with the device on which Bluetooth Camera Shutter is running.

   

   

5. Open the camera app on the phone that will take the photo. Pressing the camera button in the Bluetooth Camera Shutter app takes the shot.

   

   

Bluetooth Camera Shutter works by sending a virtual press of the volume button. If the app doesn’t work as expected, it could be because taking a photo with the volume button is deactivated in your camera app.

The app doesn’t provide a viewfinder and can’t access the photos you took. If you require these features, consider the SayCheese app for Android.

2 Use your smartwatch to take a photo

Yet another reason to get a smartwatch

Many smartwatches can help you take a photo from a distance. For example, Samsung offers the Camera Controller app for its WearOS watches, while Google offers the Google Camera app for its Pixel Watch. These apps let you take a photo or start recording a video remotely and include a viewfinder to see what’s in front of the camera.

1 Using wired earphones to take a photo

This old-school method still works

If you hook up a set of wired earphones to your Android phone, you can use it to take a photo. That is, as long as the earphones have volume buttons and aren’t made for the iPhone. Pressing one of the volume buttons while the camera app is open activates the shutter as if you’ve pressed one of the phone’s volume buttons.

This has been a feature for a long time, and it’s nice to see that it is still functional. It is less useful now that most new phones don’t have a headphone jack, but the trick works with USB-C to 3.5mm dongles. It does not work with Bluetooth earphones and speakers, or at least it doesn’t work with any of mine.

Take your camera game to the next level

Being a good photographer isn’t only about having a high-end camera. It’s also a matter of knowing how to make the most of your gear. That includes knowing every camera feature, what it does, and the situations where it may be useful. We hope this tutorial helps you take fun, creative photos more easily. If you crave to learn more, our guide on how to use manual camera settings likely has a lot to teach you.