How to take a screenshot on Wear OS 3 smartwatches

Taking a screenshot on a Wear OS 3 or Wear OS 4 smartwatch is pretty different from what you may be used to - and we'll explain exactly how to perform one in this guide. 

While other smartwatch operating systems allow you to capture what's on your display with simple button presses, things are a little more convoluted with Google's OS. 

The steps below will alter slightly depending on which compatible smartwatch you own. However, the rough idea is the same on watches from Google itself, as well as Xiaomi, Mobvoi, and Samsung devices we've tested. 

How to take a screenshot on Wear OS 3/4

Wareable

With older versions of Wear OS, you could take a screenshot by simply holding down the crown and one of the side buttons. That's not the case with Wear OS 3/4. 

Instead, you'll need your phone handy, and have what you want to screenshot up on your phone. From there, do the following:

1. On your Android device, open up your watch manufacturer's companion app.

2. Unless automatically open, find the section of the app that shows your watch's status and settings.

3. Tap the three-dot menu in the top right to open up some settings options. This varies between each app, so you may have to sift through some other screens to bring this up.

4. Hit the option that reads something like 'Take screenshot on watch' or 'Request watch screenshot'.

5. Depending on your watch/companion app, you'll then receive a notification prompting you to send the screenshot to a certain app. 

6. We chose Google Photos as our default option and began uploading the screenshot to our camera roll, though you will initially have the option to upload it to any app.