Android Lollipop 5.0.1 has come up with a series of very relevant news to A. Although perhaps the most notable thing would be the fact that native support for watch faces has been added, the truth is that there are other new features worth highlighting, such as the added ability to be able to take a screenshot very easily on any smartwatch with Android Wear.
Before updating to Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, for take a screenshot on a smartphone en A It was necessary to execute commands from ADB - here we explain how to install ADB and Fastboot easily on your Windows, Mac and Linux computer - which meant having to use a computer. Obviously, if we have bought a smart watch, it is not to have to use the computer to manage it. In addition, to that it should be added that non-expert users would not even know how to take a screenshot. With the arrival of Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, screen capture has become much easier. In fact, it is almost as simple as taking a screenshot on a smartphone, and arguably more intuitive.
In fact, the only thing necessary is to download the application A on our smartphone, something we'll have already done, as it's necessary to use the smartwatch. We access the options menu with the button in the upper right corner, and here we'll find the option to take a screenshot. In the image accompanying this post, you can see this options menu in English, with the option "Take wearable screenshot." This will be very useful for showing someone the new design of our watch, or simply for writing a post or illustrating a guide on how to use the smartwatch.
However, keep in mind that in some cases it may be necessary to activate your smartphone's Developer Options. You can do this in Settings > About phone > Build Number, tapping the latter option seven times. Go back to Settings, and you'll find Developer Options in the About Phone section.
Capture the screenshot from the Wear OS or Pixel Watch app
The simplest way for users is to use the official Wear OS app on Android. Open the app, tap the menu three points and choose Capture the screen on the watchIf it doesn't appear, activate the Developer options from the phone (Settings > About phone > Build number, seven taps). The phone will send the command to the watch and you will see notifications like "Screenshot request sent" y "The clock screenshot is now ready.". Press "Press to send" to share the image.
En Google Pixel Watch You can also do this from its companion app: three-dot menu > Take a screenshot of a wearable. The notification flow is the same and will allow you share or save capture in your favorite apps.
Captures and recordings from Android Studio
If you develop or want maximum quality, Android Studio allows you to capture and record the interface of Wear OS connecting a device or emulator. From the window logcat use the icons Take Screenshot y record screen. They are also in Running Devices; note that these controls only appear if you use the device duplication to cast the screen to that window.
After taking the screenshot, an editor will open for you. adjust the image, add device frame and save. In recording, choose video options, press Start recording, perform the actions on the clock and stop to to export the file.
ADB: Direct Captures and How to Circular Shape
From the command line, ADB It's still very useful. For a quick capture, run:
adb exec-out screencap -p > screen.pngOn Wear OS this command captures the square framebuffer without the circular mask. If you want a round, share-ready finish, apply a circular mask with ImageMagick:
adb exec-out screencap -p | magick - -alpha set -background none -fill white \( +clone -channel A -evaluate set 0 +channel -draw "circle %,% %,0.5" \) -compose dstin -composite png:screen.pngRecord the screen when there is no screen record
Unlike mobile phones, adb screenrecord It is not available on many Wear OS watches. An excellent alternative es scrcpy To record without a window and without audio:
scrcpy --no-audio --no-window --record video.mp4If you prefer to limit the duration, add –time-limit:
scrcpy --no-audio --no-window --record video.mp4 --time-limit=30Scrolling (stretched) screenshots using ADB + Python
To capture a conversation or an entire menu, you can create a elongated capture. Activate the clock on the Developer Options, enables ADB debugging y Bluetooth Debugging. In the Wear OS app on your phone, go to Advanced settings tab and activate Bluetooth Debugging.
Then, redirect ADB through the phone with:
adb forward tcp:4444 localabstract:/adb-hub
adb connect localhost:4444Install Python on the PC and the bookstore Pillow:
pip install pillowDownload the stitching script (for example, wear_screenshot_stitch.py) and run it. If your clock is round:
python ./wear_screenshot_stitch.py --roundThe script will take several screenshots while scrolling the content and will unite in one image elongated ready to share.
These options cover everything from the simplest method for users to advanced workflows for developers, including circular mask editing and screen recording without relying on unsupported features. This way, you can clear captures, with the perfect format for your watch and ready to document, share or promote your app.
