Sometimes we’re missing something right under our noses that once we find out about it, we’ll use it all the time. On iPhones and Android devices, Control Center can and will save you a lot of time.
Even if you don’t use it, Control Center probably accidentally popped up on your screen. On iPhones without a home button, swipe down. IPhones with one button swipe up.
Here you can see many of the more common apps and features. On iPhones, you can add things like the calculator, Shazam, alarm clock, flashlight, zoom, and sleep mode.
You’ll also find controls for Airplane mode, Bluetooth, Airdrop, and WiFi. Instead of looking for the Calculator app, swipe down to Control Center and tap the Calculator icon.
You can choose what you want to see in Control Center in Settings. If you use Notes, add it here.
The Control Center is especially helpful when you need to turn on sleep mode when your phone is low on power. Instead of opening Settings, scrolling down to “Battery” and tapping on Battery saver, just swipe down to go to Control Center.
By adding items in Control Center, you can also hide these apps from your home screen to save screen space.
On the iPhone, here are all the apps and features you can open right away from Control Center:
Airplane modeBluetooth devicesWiFi networkAirDropVolume controlAudio play, pause and skipScreen orientation lockScreen mirroringFocus modesFlashlightCalculatorBattery saver/Sleep modeScreen captureCameraAlarm clockShazamTimerMagnifying glassQR code scannerNotesQuick NotesText sizeBackground sound controlAccessibility shortcutsApple TV remote controlDark modeFeedback assistantHome control devicesWallet
Android phones also have a control center. It’s called device control. Depending on the brand, just swipe down on the home screen. Twice. You’ll find many of the same controls here as you would on an iPhone. Tap the pencil icon to move these tiles around and add others. On Android, you can quickly access Shazam, bedtime and focus modes, as well as your files stored on Google.
Here are all the things you can add to Android’s device controls:
WiFi NetworkBluetooth DevicesDo Not DisturbWalletGoogle Storage (Drive)Google Home Device ControlAlarmFlashlightLock and Auto-Rotate Device OrientationBattery SaverAirplane ModeNight LightScreencastScreen RecorderLocationHotspotInvert ColorsData Saver ModeDark DesignExtra DimmingSound BoosterFocus ModeBedtime ModeLive CaptionsCalculatorNearby Share via Google PlaySound NotificationsLive TranscriptionVPNAuto Shazam
If you’re already using Control Center, congratulations. You know one of the biggest time savers for apps you use frequently.
