Garmin smartwatches get new shortcut after popular sleep tool removed

The Garmin Forerunner 570 and 970 smartwatches have received a new Sleep Focus Mode shortcut in the latest software update. Software version 16.28 began rolling out to users of these running wearables earlier in February 2026.

Owners of the Forerunner 570 and 970 have confirmed that Garmin has quietly added a replacement for the Sleep Mode shortcut to these smartwatches in this update. This functionality was removed by the company in the version 15.16 release, with a fair amount of user backlash. At the time, Garmin stated that, as Sleep was now a type of Focus Mode, users would only be able to access Sleep Focus Mode from the Focus menu.

One user of the Garmin Fenix 8, another smartwatch affected by this issue, has shared a recent email from the brand’s customer support team on Reddit. This appears to confirm that, after installing the latest software, affected users can add a Sleep Focus shortcut. This can be set up by going to the Main Menu > Watch Settings > System > Shortcuts > select button(s) > Sleep Focus.

Once set up, the Sleep Focus shortcut should enable users to activate or deactivate the mode at the press of a button or buttons. In a post in the Garmin forum, a representative for the brand confirmed that all users of the Forerunner 570 and Forerunner 970 (curr. from $649.99 at Amazon) smartwatches can download software version 16.28 from the Main Menu > System > Software Update > Check For Updates.