A device and method provide for maintenance of a shortcut key to an application accessible at the device. The method includes assigning a first application to a shortcut key at a device, wherein the shortcut key at the device is a button on the device; storing an identifier of the first application to a first file at the device; determining if the first application at the device assigned to the shortcut key remains executable at the device; if the first application is determined to be unexecutable at the device, assigning a second application to the shortcut key at the device, wherein an identifier of the second application is stored in a second file at the device, and further wherein the second application is executable at the device.