Uncovered Secrets: Exploring Unconventional Functions of Your Garmin Smartwatch
Sneakily unlock the hidden powerhouses inside your beloved Garmin Forerunner 265S (or any other Garmin watch like a Norwegian 4x4)! You'll uncover amazing features that you've probably never known existed, as well as handy shortcuts that will streamline your watch-using experience.
Slaying Navigation with Shortcuts
Beaming back to the home screen at the speed of light
Career move over, warp drives — on touchscreen Garmin watches, you can get back to the home screen by simply covering the screen with your palm. Trust us, it works like a charm, no matter how deep into the menus you've become lost.
Illuminating the path ahead with a flashlight
In a heartbreakingly true turn of events, your watch may not be equipped with an actual LED flashlight. But fret not! To activate the digital flashlight feature, double press the top left light button. This nifty trick creates a brilliant stream of white pixels, perfect for navigating darkened hallways or stealthily exiting your child's room without setting off an alarm. To turn it off, just cover the screen with your palm (see, it's everywhere!).
Long pressing for complication context
You've likely assumed that complications on your watch face are boring, static bits of information. But, in an unexpected twist, you can long press a complication to bring up more details. Want to know what time sunset is tonight? Just long press your sunrise/sunset complication, and voilà! You'll get a beautifully circular chart showing sunrise, sunset, dusk, and dawn times, along with options for checking future dates and locations.
Spreading the Love with Garmin Share
If you run with friends, or if you like to gab about workouts with pals who also use Garmin, you'll be smitten with the Garmin Share feature. This nifty gizmo lets you beam workouts (or course maps) to another person's watch. "But what is this mystical Norwegian 4x4?" your husband might ask. "Here, let me send it to you!" And just like that, it'll be in his on-watch workout library in a flash.
Here's how to share the wealth:
- Press the Start button as if you were getting ready to begin an activity.
- Scroll down until you see the Garmin Share option, then select it.
- Marvel at the screen saying "Ready to Receive," and admire your shareable items like workouts and courses. Choose one.
- Your watch will search for devices. If your friend has opened their receiving screen, their watch model and name will appear.
Want to snag a workout from someone else's watch? Here's how:
- Again, go to the Start button and select Garmin Share.
- Behold the "Ready to Receive" screen.
- When your buddy shares a file, you'll see an opportunity to accept or decline the download.
You can also share a workout by locating it on your watch and selecting Share instead of Do Workout.
Embracing the Setting Sun
Set up alerts for whatever your heart desires on your watch. One day, I stumbled upon the "sunset" option while exploring each nook and cranny of my Forerunner's menus.
I often find myself venturing out for an evening run without properly checking the time. This leads to unfortunate situations, like needing a flashlight or just wishing I had started my run earlier in the day. But those days are gone! I navigated to Settings > Notifications and Alerts > System Alerts > Til Sunset, and set the time to one hour (1:00:00). Now, I receive a gentle buzz on my wrist when I have an hour before the sun sets. If I'm dressed and ready for a run but lagging in getting out the door, that's my cue. And if I realize I won't make it back before dark, I grab a flashlight as I head out.
Taming Shortcuts with Hot Keys
A hot key is a time-saving shortcut, similar to long pressing the START button (top right) to turn sleep mode on or off.
To set up your very own hot keys, journey to Settings > System > Hot Keys. Choose from among seven hot key combinations using the start, back, or down buttons, or by pressing two buttons simultaneously (e.g., start and down, start and up, back and light, or back and up)[1][3].
Some of the handy features you can map to a hot key include:
- Locking the device (great for stopping a rambunctious toddler from playing with it).
- Broadcasting heart rate (so you can see your HR on gym equipment).
- Switching sports (handy for transitioning from running on the track to a conventional run when soccer practice Unexpectedly disrupts your routine).
- Turning the touchscreen on or off (perfect for preserving battery life or avoiding accidental touches).
Finding Your Phone in Style
This is old hat these days, but you'd be amazed at the number of people I've seen frolicking around, blissfully unaware of this standard smartwatch feature. Here's your friendly public service announcement: To find your phone, simply hold the top left light button, then select the "Find My Phone" option from the shortcuts wheel.
- The smartwatch features of the health-monitoring Garmin watch, including its home screen shortcut and flashlight, can be useful for men at sunrise or darkened locations, making the Forerunner 265S (or other similar models) a versatile tool for daily use.
- With the Garmin Share feature, data can be transferred between watches, allowing men to share workouts and course maps with friends who also use Garmin devices, enhancing their social fitness experiences.
- For personalized conveniences, the Garmin Forerunner 265S allows users to set alerts, such as for sunset, using hot keys and the watch's menu system, helping improve health and fitness routines by reducing oversights.
