You can learn how to change button shortcuts on Galaxy Watch 4 with this article.
Have you noticed that your Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has two physical buttons? And that you usually only use the top one? Well, if you’re wondering these things is that you want to get even more out of this smartwatch. And, spoiler alert: it can do a lot more for you. The trick here is to know that you can customize the buttons to perform some actions that are comfortable for you: from launching your favorite apps to invoking the Bixby assistant, among other things. Read on to find out how it works.
How to change button shortcuts on Galaxy Watch 4?
As standard, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 has two physical buttons. The top one, the one you already know, allows you to return to the initial dial with a single press. And, if you press twice quickly, the screen displays the last app, menu, or function you used. But there’s more. A long press of this same button allows you to activate the Bixby assistant to dictate voice commands to it. Did you know all this?
For its part, the secondary button, the one at the bottom, as standard, seems a bit useless. A short press produces no reaction. Neither does a double press. However, if you press it for more than a second, you can access Samsung Pay, the mobile payment service. That is, as long as you have the app installed on your phone and watch, with your credit or debit card information on it. And so you can quickly pay at a datafono with this Samsung watch.
However, as you can see, some uncovered functions can be customized. For this, you will need to go through the Samsung Wear app where you will find the information and advanced settings of your smartwatch.
How to customize the buttons with Samsung Wear?
Just go to Samsung Wear and click on the settings section. Then follow these steps:
- Go into the Advanced features menu.
- Go to the Back key section. It is the one that refers to the secondary button, with which you return to the initial sphere. Well, here you can choose to return to the home screen with a short press or to open the recent applications. Very useful to access multitasking and return to that tool that you had left halfway.
- There is another section called the Home button, which in this case controls the main clock button. Here you have more customization options. On one side is the double press, which Samsung allows us to customize with quick access to settings, recent apps, alarm, Bixby, calendar, stopwatch, gallery, and a bunch more mobile apps and functions. On the other side is the long press, which in this case only allows us to configure it to call Bixby or access the shutdown menu of the clock.
With this, you will have more control over the functions of these buttons. It’s not total and complete control, but at least you’ll be able to take better advantage of these physical resources of the Samsung smartwatch. Something that will give you a new perspective of this smartwatch, making you don’t even have to use its digital bezel to move quickly between settings and applications. Or that you can go back to an app you were using without too much fiddling around. A user experience that feels more like a mobile than a classic smartwatch.
How to customize the buttons directly from the Watch?
But if you do not want to depend on the mobile for anything, this Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 also allows you to perform all these actions from the wrist. Much faster than the app, but perhaps not as comfortable.
- Display the shortcuts menu by sliding your finger from top to bottom.
- Go to Settings.
- Find the Advanced Features section.
- Find the Customize keys menu.
- Adjust the keystrokes of both buttons with the options you prefer and you’re done.
The limitations are the same as of the app, so you won’t have full control over all types of key presses for both buttons. But at least you won’t have to rely on your phone to customize the experience.
