1. Access Control Center in Multiple Ways

Typically, you need to swipe down from the top-right edge for iPhones with Face ID or swipe up from the bottom for iPhones with a Home button to open Control Center. But, if you don’t like the default method, you can open Control Center using Assistive Touch, Reachability, and from Back Tap. Check our other post that covers in detail how to access Control Center in different ways.

2. Add Items to Control Center

You can customize the apps, settings, or features that show up in Control Center i.e., you can add or remove items from Control Center. To add items to Control Center, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app and go to Control Center.
  2. Scroll down to the More Controls section and tap on the + (add) button next to the control that you want to show in Control Center.

3. Remove Items From Control Center

You can clean up the Control Center and remove items from it that you don’t use for a neat Control Center as shown below:

  1. Go to Settings > Control Center.
  2. Scroll down to Included Control section. Tap on the – (remove) icon next to the item that you want to hide from Control Center. Then, tap on the Remove button. Note: You cannot remove Airplane mode, Cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Audio playback, Lock screen rotation, Do not disturb, and Screen mirroring items from Control Center.
  3. The removed items will go to the More controls section at the bottom from where you can re-add them anytime.

4. Remove Home Accessories Card

The Home accessories and scenes card take up a lot of real estate in Control Center. If you don’t use it often, you can free up some space in Control Center by disabling the Home Controls card. Follow these steps to disable Home Controls from showing up in Control Center:

  1. Open Settings > Control Center on your iPhone.
  2. Turn off the toggle next to the Show Home Controls.

5. Rearrange Control Center Items

By default, the items in Control Center will show up in the order that they were added to it. You can, however, rearrange them to suit your preferences and needs.

  1. Open Control Center Settings from Settings > Control Center.
  2. Press and drag the three-bar icon next to the item that you want to rearrange and move it to the desired position.

6. Access Additional Options in Control Center

Typically, one would tap on an item in Control Center once to activate or use the feature. But, many controls offer additional features if you touch and hold them. Here are some useful examples to use Control Center as a pro:

Touch and hold the network card (one that consists of Airplane mode, Bluetooth, etc.) to see AirDrop and Personal Hotspot buttons.Touch and hold Wi-Fi or Bluetooth icons to switch between available connections.Touch and hold the Camera to take a selfie, record a video, or take a slow-mo video.Long press the Flashlight icon to adjust the intensity of the flashlight.Long press the Screen Recording icon to enable the Microphone to record audio.Long press the Focus widget to access available Focus modes.

7. Customize Note-Taking Features in Control Center

By default, when you long-press the Notes icon in Control Center, it will create a new note. But, you can change this behavior and open the last created note instead. To do so, go to Settings > Notes. Scroll down and tap on Access Notes from Lock screen. Select Resume Last note. You can further customize the note that you want to open and when to create a new note.

8. Turn off Control Center in Apps

Control Center can be opened from any app screen and not just from the home screen. But if you don’t like that, you can disable Control Center within apps by going to Settings > Control Center. Turn off the toggle for Access within apps.

9. Turn off Control Center on Lock Screen

Generally, Control Center can be accessed when your phone is locked. While this makes things easy, on one hand, it can be a bit dangerous as anyone can modify the settings or turn on features via Control Center. If you want, you can disable Control Center on the Lock screen as shown below:

  1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
  2. Go to Touch ID and passcode. Scroll down and turn off the toggle next to Control Center.

1. What are the Buttons on iPhone Control Center?

Each button in Control Center has a specific meaning. You can check it by going to Settings > Control Panel. Or, read our guide on the meaning of iPhone Control Center icons.

2. How to Turn off Control Center on iPhone?

You cannot disable Control Center completely on your iPhone. You can only turn it off on the lock screen or within apps.

3. How to Fix Control Center Not Working?

If you are unable to access Control Center on your iPhone, make sure it is enabled on the lock screen and within apps as shown above.  

Customize Your iPhone

iOS customization has greatly improved over the years. For instance, you can customize the home screen, use custom icon packs, and add third-party widgets. You can even create custom charging animation on your iPhone.