Your Garmin Has Hidden Shortcut Buttons — Here's How to Use Them
Long-press any button on your Garmin to assign a custom shortcut. Log a drink, start an activity, or open any app with one button. Most users never set these up.
Day 28: Garmin Shortcut Buttons
Every Garmin button can be programmed as a shortcut to any app, widget, or function. Most users never touch this setting. Here's what you're missing.
How to set up shortcuts
- On your watch: Settings → Shortcuts
- Select a button (Up, Down, Back, Start — depending on model)
- Assign any installed app or system function
The most useful shortcuts
- Hydration Pro: Log a drink with one button press. Wildly convenient
- Start Running: Skip the menus and start a run immediately
- Flashlight (on models that have it): Instant access
- Timer: Perfect for interval training, cooking, anything
- Body Battery: Instantly see your current energy level
Why this matters
The fewer taps it takes to do something, the more likely you are to do it consistently. Logging hydration in 1 button press vs 5 taps — you'll log it every time with 1 press. You won't with 5 taps.
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Watchfaces worth installing
Watchface
Cadence
A classic analog watchface with a wide choice of stats, fields and colours, long-press shortcuts into the app, and always-on modes for OLED screens.
Watchface
Cockpit
Everything you need to track your day on one clean, cleverly laid-out watchface, with colours you change right on the watch and a second time zone.
Watchface
Goals Pro
The most popular Garmin watchface, upgraded: the same goal rings with full control over colours, fonts, analog or digital time, and long-press shortcuts.