Forget using an S Pen, use a Nintendo Switch Joy-Con as your remote shutter - Android

There's a new reason to keep your Joy-Cons charged up.

What you need to know

• A Reddit user discovered that the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con could act as a remote shutter.
• When paired via Bluetooth, the Joy-Con can perform actions like zoom in and out along with taking the picture.
• Your mileage may vary depending on what phone and camera app you are using.

Proud owners of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra have patiently awaited the arrival of the S Pen Pro with its Bluetooth capabilities, but you might not have to wait any longer. Well, at least if you're looking for a device to use as a remote Bluetooth camera shutter.

Although the Nintendo Switch has been available for more than four years at this point, and we're all awaiting the arrival of the Nintendo Switch Pro, the Joy-Cons have a hidden feature in-tow. Not only can you pair the Joy-Cons via Bluetooth to your Android device of choice, but as one Reddit user discovered, these can also be used as a remote camera shutter.

The process for pairing is as simple as pairing a set of Joy-Cons with a new Switch for the first time. All you need to do is fire up the Settings app on your phone, open up the Bluetooth menu, put one of the Joy-Cons in pairing mode, and select it. After it's been paired up with your phone, fire up the camera app. From there, you can start using the Joy-Con as a remote shutter, and in some cases, use the buttons to even zoom in and out on the subject.

We tried this with our OnePlus 9 but didn't have much luck, as the only buttons that would work were the home button that promptly took us back to the Home Screen. However, when pairing the same Joy-Con with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and opening Samsung's camera app, everything just worked. The X and Y buttons allowed us to zoom in and out, while the A button acted as the shutter.

It's also possible that there could be some limitations in the camera app that you were using. For example, we tried using the Joy-Con on the Z Fold 2 with a ported Google Camera app, but nothing worked other than the Home button taking us to the Home Screen.

A Remote Shutter

Nintendo Joy-Con (L-R)

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The Joy-Cons can be used for gaming or as a make-shift remote shutter.

They may not be the most ergonomic controllers, but Joy-Cons are extremely useful, even if you aren't using them with a Nintendo Switch. Pair them with your Android phone of choice, and use them as a regular game controller.