Your Apple Watch has had a built-in screenshot feature since day one. Just press the side button and the Digital Crown together, and watchOS captures whatever is on your screen. It sounds simple enough, but anyone who has used it knows the experience leaves a lot to be desired.
Thankfully, that might finally change. A new screenshot experience, inspired by the iPhone, is hiding behind a feature flag in watchOS 27.2.
What’s wrong with Apple Watch screenshots right now?
The biggest problem is the lack of feedback. When you take a screenshot, the only confirmation you get is a quick flash on the display.
The screenshot is then saved in the Photos app on your iPhone, but it can take several seconds to show up. Until it appears, you have no idea whether the screenshot actually worked or whether you need to press those buttons again.
How does the new screenshot preview work?
X user pdfu has discovered this hidden feature and shared a video showing it in action. When you take a screenshot on the Apple Watch, a thumbnail preview now appears on the side of the display, just like it does on your iPhone.
From there, you get three options. You can share the screenshot right away, dismiss the preview to save it to Photos, or delete it if you don’t need it.
What does this mean for you?
It’s a small change, but it fixes a long-standing annoyance. You will finally know whether your screenshot went through without picking up your iPhone to check.
I’m most excited about the delete option. I have accidentally taken more Apple Watch screenshots than I would like to admit, and they always end up cluttering my photo library. Being able to trash them instantly will save me a lot of cleanup later.
Since the feature is still hidden behind a flag, there’s no word yet on when Apple plans to turn it on for everyone. Hopefully, it arrives sooner rather than later.
