Controls

The controls menu lets you quickly access watch features and options. You can add, reorder, and remove the options in the controls menu (Customizing the Controls Menu).

From any screen, hold LIGHT.


Controls menu

Icon

Name

Description

Altimeter, barometer, and compass

ABC

Select to open the altimeter, barometer, and compass app.

Airplane mode

Airplane Mode

Select to enable airplane mode to turn off all wireless communications.

Alarm clock

Alarm Clock

Select to add or edit an alarm (Setting an Alarm).

Alternate time zones

Alt. Time Zones

Select to view the current time of day in additional time zones (Adding Alternate Time Zones).

Altimeter

Altimeter

Select to open the altimeter screen.

Applied ballistics

Applied Ballistics

Select to open the Applied Ballistics app (Applied Ballistics).

Assistance

Assistance

Select to send an assistance request (Requesting Assistance).

Auto dive

Auto Dive

Select to set the type of dive activity that starts automatically when you begin your descent. You can use the Snooze option to temporarily disable this feature.

Barometer

Barometer

Select to open the barometer screen.

Battery saver

Battery Saver

Select to enable the battery saver feature (Customizing the Battery Saver Feature).

Brightness

Brightness

Select to adjust the screen brightness (Changing the Screen Settings).

Broadcast heart rate data

Broadcast Heart Rate

Select to turn on heart rate broadcasting to a paired device (Broadcasting Heart Rate Data).

Calendar

Calendar

Select to view upcoming events from your phone calendar.

Camera

RCT Camera

Select to manually take a photo and record a video clip (Using the Varia Camera Controls).

Clocks

Clocks

Select to open the Clocks app to set an alarm, timer, stopwatch, or view alternate time zones (Clocks).

Compass

Compass

Select to open the compass screen.

Display on or off

Display

Select to turn off the screen for alerts, gestures, and Always On Display mode (Changing the Screen Settings).

Do not disturb

Do Not Disturb

Select to enable do not disturb mode to dim the screen and disable alerts and notifications. For example, you can use this mode while watching a movie.

Find my phone

Find My Phone

Select to play an audible alert on your paired phone, if it is within Bluetooth® range. The Bluetooth signal strength appears on the Descent™ watch screen, and it increases as you move closer to your phone.

Select to navigate to your lost phone during a GPS activity (Locating a Phone Lost During a GPS Activity).

Flashlight

Flashlight

Select to turn on the screen to use your watch as a flashlight. On the Descent Mk3i - 51 mm watch, the LED flashlight turns on.

Garmin Share

Garmin Share

Select to open the Garmin Share app (Garmin Share).

History

History

Select to view your activity history, records, and totals.

Kill switch

Kill Switch

Select to quickly remove all saved user data and reset all settings to the factory default values.

Lock

Lock Device

Select to lock the buttons and the touchscreen to prevent inadvertent presses and swipes.

Messenger

Messenger

Select to open the Messenger app (Using the Messenger Feature).

Moon phase

Moon Phase

Select to view moonrise and moonset times, along with the moon phase, based on your GPS position.

Music

Music Controls

Select to control music playback on your watch or phone.

Night Vision

Night Vision

Select to adjust the screen for compatibility with night vision goggles and disable the wrist heart rate monitor.

Notifications

Notifications

Select to view calls, texts, social network updates, and more, based on your phone notification settings (Enabling Bluetooth Notifications).

Phone

Phone

Select to disable Bluetooth technology and your connection to your paired phone.

Pool mode

Pool Mode

Select to enable the pool mode for diving. When the watch is in pool dive mode, the tissue load and decompression lockout features function normally, but dives are not saved to the dive log. The pool dive mode turns off automatically at midnight.

Power off

Power Off

Select to turn off the watch.

Pulse oximeter

Pulse Ox

Select to open the pulse oximeter app (Pulse Oximeter).

Red shift

Red Shift

Select to turn the screen to shades of red to use the watch in low light conditions.

Reference point

Reference Point

Select to set a reference point for navigation (Setting a Reference Point).

Save location

Save Location

Select to save your current location to navigate back to it later.

Settings symbol

Settings

Select to open the settings menu.

Sleep mode

Sleep Mode

Select to enable or disable Sleep Mode (Customizing Sleep Mode).

Stealth mode

Stealth Mode

Select to enable stealth mode to turn off wireless communications and prevent the storage and sharing of your GPS position.

Stopwatch

Stopwatch

Select to start the stopwatch (Using the Stopwatch).

Strobe

Strobe

Select to turn on the LED flashlight strobe. You can create a custom strobe mode.

NOTE: This feature is not available for all product models.

Sunrise and sunset

Sunrise & Sunset

Select to view sunrise, sunset, and twilight times.

Sync

Sync

Select to sync your watch with your paired phone.

Time sync

Time Sync

Select to sync your watch with the time on your phone or using satellites.

Timers

Timers

Select to set a countdown timer (Starting the Countdown Timer).

Touch

Touch

Select to disable touchscreen controls.

Wallet

Wallet

Select to open your Garmin Pay™ wallet and pay for purchases with your watch (Garmin Pay).

Weather

Weather

Select to view the current weather forecast and current conditions.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi

Select to disable Wi‑Fi® communications.

GUID-9183E86B-2399-4CFC-AB50-EAFC6D6ED326 v6
November 2025