Guide · one Saturday, three shots

How to Take Photos Remotely With Your Phone

A shy bird, a video you need to be in, and a photo with the whole family - three shots you can't take while holding the camera. Here's how.

📅 Published Aug 27, 2026 ✍️ Yoav Franko, developer of SayCheese ⏱️ 3 min

Install the free SayCheese app on two phones - yours and a friend's. One phone is the camera, the other is a live remote with a shutter button. You see what the camera sees, tap to shoot, and the photo saves in full quality on both phones.

What do you need to take photos remotely with a phone?

Two phones - any mix, iPhone with Android included - and the free SayCheese app on both. No Wi-Fi network, no internet, no account.

The full list of what pairs with what is in the supported setups.

How do you set up two phones as a camera and a remote?

Install the app on both phones, tap to pair, prop one phone up, and shoot from the other. It takes about two minutes.

  1. Install SayCheese on both phones. Get the free SayCheese app from the App Store or Google Play on both phones.
  2. Open the app on both phones and tap to connect. One phone becomes the camera, the other becomes the remote.
  3. Prop the camera phone on a shelf, a table, or anything stable, pointed at the scene.
  4. Watch the live preview on the remote, then tap the shutter. The photo saves on both phones.

How do you take a photo hands-free with your voice?

The camera listens for the word “cheese” and shoots the moment you say it. It even works with a single phone, as a smarter self-timer.

Hands full? Everyone says the word together - the camera hears it and takes the shot.

How far away can the remote phone be?

Anywhere the phones hold their direct link - across a room, a house, or a garden. Walls and distance shorten it.

Line of sight works best. Nothing is uploaded, and it all works fully offline.

Where do the photos and videos save?

On both phones, automatically, in full quality.

Video works too, with start and stop from the remote. Filming yourself for YouTube? The remote shows exactly what your viewers will see.

How do you use another iPhone as a camera remote?

Install the free SayCheese app on two iPhones or iPads from the App Store and tap to pair - one iPhone becomes a live remote shutter for the other's camera. An iPad works as the remote too - a big live viewfinder.

That's all it takes to use another iPhone as a remote camera. Either side can be the camera, iPhone and iPad pair in any mix - so the old iPad in the drawer is a remote shutter waiting to happen.

How do you use an Android phone as a camera remote?

Install the free SayCheese app on two Android phones from Google Play and pair them - one shows the live view and the shutter for the other. They link directly, so it works with no internet and no Wi-Fi network.

Any two Android phones pair, different brands included. An Android pairs with an iPhone too - the iPhone + Android guide shows that QR pairing in two steps.

What if you don't have a second phone?

Use whatever you already have - an iPad, the watch on your wrist, or just one phone and your voice.

An iPad? It pairs with an iPhone - a big live viewfinder.

A watch? Garmin and Apple Watch work as live remotes - see the watch guide.

Just one phone? Voice mode: prop it, get in frame, say “cheese.”

An old phone? Make it a dedicated camera or a simple monitor.

What are the best uses for a phone camera remote?

Wildlife and pets from a distance, filming yourself for YouTube and explainer videos, group photos with nobody left out, DIY photo booths, and solo travel portraits.

More ideas in the use cases.

The album

Three shots you weren't behind the camera for

Five friends lying on the grass, photographed remotely
on the grass
Six friends waving from a wooden dock, photographed from above
down at the dock
Friends arm in arm watching the sunset over the hills
the sunset
your shot
goes here
soon 

Real moments from the app's store gallery - your album comes next.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Is SayCheese free?

Yes. SayCheese is free to download and use.

Can I use an iPad as the remote?

Yes. Any mix of iPhones and iPads works together - a popular setup is an iPhone as the camera with an iPad as a big live viewfinder. On Android, two Android phones pair the same way - and an iPhone pairs with an Android too, via a QR code.

Does it control DSLR or mirrorless cameras?

No. SayCheese is a remote for another phone's camera, not for DSLR or mirrorless cameras - for those you need the camera brand's own app. If what you want is a remote camera with a live preview, two phones and SayCheese do it with no extra gear.

Do both phones keep the photo?

Yes. Every capture saves in full quality on both the camera phone and the remote phone, automatically.

Your next shot, without the sprint

Grab any second phone and try it today - SayCheese is free on iPhone, iPad and Android.

Have a Garmin or Apple Watch? Read the watch guide →