I used this simple shortcut to turn my Apple Watch Ultra into a one-touch rest timer at the gym

I have the Apple Watch Ultra since the advent of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 last year. It’s undoubtedly the best Apple Watch the company has ever made, with a host of specialized features that make it ideal for tracking and exercising, including one I’ve only just discovered.

I have neglected the action button on my computer for a long time iPhone 15 Pro Max (and now mine iPhone 16 Pro Max) and the Action button on my Apple Watch Ultra. I’ve never really taken the time to think about what exactly I might use either of them for, and I’ve certainly never thought about straying beyond the default features into the world of shortcuts beyond.

However, the Apple Watch Ultra Action button can be used for different functions. Standard options include starting a workout (my previous use of the button to date), starting the stopwatch, dropping a waypoint, recording your route with Backtrack, starting a dive, turning on or turn off the flashlight, record a voice memo, start Translate, or turn on an accessibility feature.

Recently I started thinking about how I could better use the action button on my Ultra 2, and quickly realized that my reluctance to use shortcuts was ridiculous.

Apple’s Shortcuts app is a visual scripting app that can be used to trigger all kinds of actions, such as controlling your smart home, taking screenshots and sending them to people, and more. For my first Apple Watch venture, I started simple, and now I can use my Apple Watch’s action button to start a one-minute timer with just the touch of a button, making it the perfect rest timer for my gym sessions and workouts. I often struggle to use the Apple Watch in a weight room, but this is perfect for my needs.

Here’s how to create a shortcut and turn your Apple Watch Action button into a rest timer. Don’t have an Apple Watch Ultra? You can also apply this shortcut to the action button on the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 series.

What you need

How to create a rest timer shortcut

Quick steps

Create a shortcut for the start timer
Assign this to your action button in the Apple Watch app

Step-by-step guide

1. Create a shortcut for the start timer

Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and press the + button in the top right corner. Scroll down to Clock or just type

(Image: © Future / Apple)

Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and press the ‘+‘ button in the top right corner. Scroll down to Clock or simply type ‘clock’ into the search field and then tap. Scroll through the clock options to Start timerlocated at the bottom.

Tap the Duration field and enter the amount of time you want (I chose one minute because it’s versatile and works for me, but you can choose anytime) and then press Done. Crane ‘i‘ at the bottom of the page and check if Show on Apple Watch is switched green.

Your new shortcut should appear as a colored tile on the front page of Shortcuts. From here you can long press to edit the shortcut, including renaming it.

2. Assign your shortcut to the action button on Apple Watch

Open the Apple Watch app and select the Action Button setting (to see this you need an Apple Watch Ultra paired with your iPhone). Tap the action field and select Shortcut. Press the action button at the top left to go back a page, then tap the shortcut field below. Select your Timer shortcut, which will be called Start Timer unless you've given it another name.

(Image: © Future / Apple)

Once your shortcut is created, you need to assign it to your action button. Open the Apple Watch app and select the action button setting (you’ll need an Apple Watch Ultra paired with your iPhone to see this).

Tap the Action field and select Shortcut. Press Action button in the top left corner to then go back a page tap the shortcut field below. Select your timer shortcutthat is called Start Timer unless you have changed its name.

Now your Apple Watch Action button should activate the selected timer every time you press it. If you need more flexibility, instead of choosing a specific time, you can use the Ask every time field at the duration step so you can adjust your rest timer each time.

Don’t have an Apple Watch Ultra? You can also use the same shortcut on your iPhone’s action button if you have a iPhone 15Pro, iPhone 16or iPhone 16 Pro.

3. (Optional alternative) Assign your shortcut to the action button on iPhone

Open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone and press the + button in the top right corner. Scroll down to Clock or just type

Open the Institutions app on your iPhone and Select Action button. Swipe until you see it Shortcutthen select the options field and tap your timer shortcut.

Your perfect training partner

Now you have a built-in rest timer on the action button of your Apple Watch or iPhone, which can be deployed in an instant and customized to your needs.

Not sure which duration to choose? If you last a minute, you can always extend your rest by simply pressing the shortcut again if you need more time.