Apple Watch Digital Crown Works as Remote Shutter for Camera Apps Using Music Glance
Several apps that make use of the iPhone's camera have a feature that lets the volume button be used as a trigger to snap a photo, and in those apps, the Apple Watch's Music Glance lets the Apple Watch's Digital Crown serve as a remote camera trigger.
Discovered by a reddit user this morning, the hidden trick works in any app that lets the iPhone's volume buttons be used to take a photograph. Examples include Snapchat, Camera+, and Manual, all apps where the iPhone's volume button works in the same way as a press on the on-screen photo capturing button.
To use the Apple Watch as a remote trigger, open a compatible app like Snapchat, open up the Music Glance, and turn the Digital Crown. The action will cause the camera to take a photograph, much like pressing on the iPhone's volume button would do. It also works within the Music app itself.
This seems to work because in the Music app and the Glance, the Digital Crown serves as a replacement for the iPhone's volume controls, triggering the camera functionality. Headphones with volume controls work in much the same way. It's not clear if this was an intentional feature addition or if it's a bug that was overlooked, but it's a handy way to use the Apple Watch as a shutter remote for iPhone apps that support the functionality.
Though the Apple Watch can be used as a remote trigger for compatible apps through the Music Glance, the function is not as feature rich as Apple's remote control option for the built-in camera. With the default camera, the Apple Watch can turn the iPhone on and capture a photograph.
Popular Stories
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself.
Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed.
Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles."
If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
This week saw rumor updates on the iPhone 17 Pro and next-generation Vision Pro, while a minor iOS 18.4.1 update delivered not just security fixes but also a fix for some CarPlay issues.
We also looked ahead at what else is in Apple's pipeline for the rest of 2025 and even the 20th-anniversary iPhone coming in 2027, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
iPhone 17 ...
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes.
The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps.
In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner.
In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
