What Control Center is and why you'd want to customize it
Control Center is the quick-access menu that slides up from the bottom of your iPhone or down from the top-right corner of your Android phone. It holds toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, flashlight, and other tools you use often without opening the full Settings app. You can add your own apps and shortcuts to it so the things you use most are always one swipe away.
The default Control Center works fine for most people, but customizing it saves time. If you constantly turn on your camera, adjust your volume, or launch a specific app, adding it to Control Center means fewer taps to get there.
Key Takeaways
- iPhone Control Center is customized through Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls, where you add or remove individual toggles and apps.
- Android Control Center (called Quick Settings) is customized by opening the settings panel, tapping the edit button, and dragging tiles to reorder or remove them.
- Not every app can be added to Control Center — only apps that support it will appear in the customization menu.
- Changes take effect when ready, and you can undo them by going back to the customization screen.
How to customize Control Center on iPhone
Open the Settings app and scroll down to find Control Center. Tap it, then tap Customize Controls. You will see two lists: green plus buttons next to items you can add, and red minus buttons next to items already in your Control Center.
Tap the green plus next to anything you want to add — Camera, Notes, Voice Memos, Reminders, or third-party apps that support Control Center. Tap the red minus to remove something. You can also reorder items by tapping and dragging the three horizontal lines next to each one. The order you arrange them is the order they appear when you swipe up from the bottom of your screen.
Once you are done, close Settings. The next time you open Control Center, your changes will be there. You can go back and change it anytime.
How to customize Quick Settings on Android
Swipe down twice from the top of your screen to open the full Quick Settings panel (one swipe usually shows notifications; the second swipe shows the settings tiles). Look for an edit button — it is usually a pencil icon or the word "Edit" in the bottom corner. Tap it.
You will see all available tiles, some already in your Quick Settings and some grayed out or below a line. Drag tiles up into the active area to add them, or drag them down to remove them. Reorder by dragging tiles left and right. When you are done, tap outside the edit area or tap a back button to save.
Different Android phones (Samsung, Google Pixel, OnePlus, etc.) arrange this slightly differently, but the concept is the same: edit mode, drag to add or remove, save by closing the menu.
Which apps and shortcuts can actually be added
Not every app you own will show up in the customization menu. An app has to be built to work with Control Center — the developer has to write that feature into it. Common apps that support it include Camera, Notes, Reminders, Voice Memos, Stocks, Shortcuts, Home (for smart home devices), and many third-party apps like Spotify, Flashlight apps, and meditation apps.
If an app you want is not in the list, it straightforward does not support Control Center yet. You can still open it the normal way — from your home screen or by searching for it. Some apps add Control Center support in later updates, so if you update an app and suddenly see it available, that is why.
Using the Shortcuts app to add custom controls
If you want more control over what appears in Control Center, iPhone users can create custom shortcuts using the Shortcuts app (built into iOS). You can make a shortcut that does multiple things at once — like turning on Wi-Fi, opening a specific app, and sending a text message — then add that shortcut to Control Center as a single button.
Open the Shortcuts app, tap the plus icon to create a new shortcut, and build it by adding actions (turn on Wi-Fi, open app, send message, etc.). Give it a name and an icon, then go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls and look for your shortcut in the list. Add it the same way you would add any other control.
This is more advanced, but it is useful if you have a routine you run often and want it to be one tap away.
Troubleshooting: why an app might not appear
If you are looking for an app in the customization menu and it is not there, the most common reason is that the app does not support Control Center. Check the app's description in the App Store or Google Play to see if it mentions Control Center support. Some apps only added this feature recently.
Another reason is that you have not updated the app. Open your app store, search for the app, and see if an Update button appears. If it does, update it and check the customization menu again. Occasionally a phone restart helps too — close all apps, turn your phone off and back on, then try customizing Control Center again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add the same app to Control Center twice?
No. Each app or shortcut can only appear once in Control Center. If you need the same action in multiple places, create a shortcut (on iPhone) that does what you want, then add the shortcut instead of the app itself.
What happens if I remove something and then want it back?
Go back to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls (iPhone) or the Quick Settings edit menu (Android) and add it again. Removing something from Control Center does not delete the app or feature — it just hides it from the quick-access menu.
Do I need to restart my phone after customizing Control Center?
No. Changes take effect when ready once you close the customization menu. You will see your new layout the next time you open Control Center.
Can I have different Control Centers for different situations?
Not built-in. Both iPhone and Android have one Control Center layout. However, iPhone users can create multiple shortcuts with different names and icons, then add the ones you want to Control Center depending on what you are doing.