I turned my Apple Watch Ultra into a rest timer with a simple shortcut at the gym.

Since the arrival of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 last year, I have been using the Apple Watch Ultra, which I consider the best smartwatch the company has produced so far. This device comes with a variety of specialized features, particularly useful for tracking physical activities, and I have recently discovered a new way to take advantage of them.

For a while, I didn’t pay much attention to the action button on my iPhone 15 Pro Max (and now on the iPhone 16 Pro Max) or on the Apple Watch Ultra. I never explored beyond the default functions and hadn’t considered the potential offered by the Shortcuts app. However, I realized that the action button on the Apple Watch Ultra can be used for a variety of tasks. Among the default options are starting a workout (which was my usual use until now), activating the stopwatch, dropping a pin on the map, recording routes with Backtrack, starting a dive, turning the flashlight on or off, recording a voice memo, starting translation, or activating an accessibility feature.

Reflecting on how to better utilize the action button on my Ultra 2, I understood that my reluctance to use Shortcuts was unnecessary. The Apple Shortcuts app allows you to create visual scripts to trigger various actions, such as controlling smart home devices or sending screenshots. For my first foray with the Apple Watch, I started simply, and now I can press the action button on my watch to start a one-minute timer, which turns out to be an ideal rest timer during my gym sessions. I often struggle to integrate the use of the Apple Watch in a weightlifting environment, but this setup meets my needs.

Here is a guide on how to create a shortcut that turns your Apple Watch's action button into a rest timer. If you do not own an Apple Watch Ultra, you can also apply this shortcut to the action button on the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16.

What You Need

• An Apple Watch Ultra or Apple Watch Ultra 2 running watchOS 11 (it is also compatible with watchOS 10).
• An iPhone paired with the Apple Watch.

How to Create a Rest Timer Shortcut

1. Create a Timer Shortcut:

   • Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and tap the '+' button in the top right corner.
   • Search for "timer" in the search bar and select the option.
   • Scroll down to the "Start Timer" option, which is at the bottom, and select the duration field, entering the desired time (I personally chose one minute for its versatility).
   • Be sure to enable the "Show on Apple Watch" option. Your new shortcut will appear as a tile on the main Shortcuts page.

2. Assign Your Shortcut to the Apple Watch Action Button:

   • Once the shortcut is created, open the Apple Watch app and go to the action button settings (this will only be visible if you have a paired Apple Watch Ultra).
   • Select the shortcut option and choose the timer shortcut you created. Now, whenever you press the action button on your Apple Watch, it will start the selected timer.

3. (Optional Alternative) Assign Your Shortcut to the iPhone Action Button:

   • Open the Settings app on your iPhone and select the action button. Find the shortcut option and choose the timer you created.

Now you have a rest timer integrated into the action button of your Apple Watch or iPhone, ready to be used instantly and customizable to your preferences. If you decide to use one minute as the duration, you can always extend your rest by pressing the shortcut again if you need more time.