How to set shortcut keys on a Samsung Intensity cell phone

Like many cell phones, the Samsung Intensity has a set of four directional buttons (up, down, left, right) that can be programmed as shortcut keys to open specific programs from the main display screen.  By default, the keys are set to launch the following programs:

Up:  Mobile Web
Down:  Calendar
Left:  My Verizon

The right directional key brings up the My Shortcuts menu, which has four additional shortcuts programmed on it (which are chosen by pressing a number from 1 to 4): new text message, new picture message, enable or disable Bluetooth, and the Alarm Clock.

Any of these shortcuts can be changed, so you have a total of seven shortcuts you can program on your phone.  You can program just about any menu item or application on your phone as a shortcut, from the Calculator to the Sounds Settings menu to the email client.  Depending on which programs and functions you use most often, customizing your shortcuts can save you a lot of time hunting through the phone's various screens looking for a certain option.

To reprogram any or all of your shortcuts keys, press the Menu button (the center of the directional pad) and go to Settings & Tools (which is typically in the lower right corner).  Choose Phone Settings from the menu, and scroll down to option #2, Set Shortcuts.  From here, you can choose to change a shortcut on the My Shortcuts menu (option #1, Set My Shortcuts) or to change a shortcut for one of the three directional buttons (option #2, Set Directional Keys).  The only thing you can not change is the function of the right directional button, which brings up the My Shortcuts menu.

Once you've chosen one of the two options, click on a shortcut to change it.  A list of possible applications, options, and menu items will appear -- just scroll to the one you want to use and select it.  You can change as many of the shortcuts as you want.

If you ever want to go back to the original configuration, you can reset your shortcuts by pressing the upper right option button in either of the shortcuts menus (it will be labeled Options on the screen).  You can choose to reset just the specific shortcut that is highlighted, or the whole group of shortcuts that you're currently viewing (either My Shortcuts or the three directional keys).  To reset all of your shortcuts, you'd have to go into each of the two shortcut menus and reset that group, then go to the other group and do the same thing.

(Originally published on Helium.com, August 2010)