Your iPhone’s Control Center gives you quick access to system features, apps, and shortcuts, and its default layout gives you access to system toggles, music playback, screen mirroring, a timer, and more.
But did you know there’s a hidden treasure trove of other features and shortcuts you can add to Control Center, like screenshots, quick launch notes, and a QR code scanner?
How to add controls to the Control Center
Credit: Khamosh Pathak
Adding or removing switches in Control Center is easy: Open it settings app and go to Control center. Scroll down and tap Plus next to the icon you want to add (Apple calls them “controls”). The control will be added to the section at the top of this screen. You can use three lines Lunch icon to rearrange the controls however you like.
Now let’s take a look at the controls worth adding to your iPhone’s Control Center.
Enable dark mode with a touch
Love using dark mode? Don’t want to go to Settings every time you want to turn it on? Just add a dark mode switch. It’s a simple one-touch toggle that will enable or disable dark mode.
Use a fully functional Apple TV remote
Can’t find Siri Remote for Apple TV? Forget watching under your pillow and use Apple TV control in Control Center. It gives you a full remote interface with touchpad, menu, playback controls and wake/sleep function.
Ping your Apple Watch
You can always use your Apple Watch to find your iPhone, but now if you have iOS 17 or later, you can now ping your Apple Watch from your iPhone too!
Add a new one Ping my watch control, and when you press the icon, your Apple Watch will beep loud enough for you to look for it.
Quickly scan QR codes
The iPhone Camera app has a built-in QR code scanner, but it’s not automatic—you still have to tap the link from the QR code. The Code Scanner control solves that problem. Tap the icon, point your phone at the QR code, and the link will automatically open in the specific app.
Control your favorite HomeKit devices
The control center has a section for HomeKit accessories, but it takes up too much space. Instead, add a single home control that will expand to show all of your HomeKit-connected devices and accessories.
Zoom in on anything
It’s augmented by another hidden iPhone secret, available as an app in iOS 15 and later. Using this control, you can open a specialized camera interface that will allow you to quickly zoom in on your subject (up to 10X).
Start recording your iPhone screen
The Screen Capture control gives you one-touch access to the screen capture feature. Just tap the icon to start recording. When you’re done, tap the tablet icon on the top toolbar to stop. The snapshot will be saved in the Photos application. If you want to record sound as well, tap and hold Screen recording control and enable Microphone option.
Shazam the song
Your iPhone has built-in Shazam music recognition. Add the Shazam icon to Control Center and tap it to let your iPhone do its thing. Once the song is recognized, you’ll get a notification that you can tap to open the Shazam page for the song in your web browser. Want to listen to a song on Apple Music? Touch and hold the notification to reveal that option as well.
Take notes quickly
When you tap the Quick Note icon, a new note will launch and immediately display the keyboard so you can start typing. When you’re done, hit Save and it will join the other notes in your Notes app.
Improve text for easier reading
This is one of my favorite accessibility features on the iPhone and iPad. I like bigger text, but I don’t like using the Display Zoom feature that magnifies everything in the app, including the UI and buttons. Text Size Control will let you increase the text size of the app you’re currently using or quickly change the default text size for your entire iPhone.
Use the guided access feature when you give your phone to someone else
The Guided Access feature allows you to lock your iPhone to only what is currently displayed on the screen. No one can access the rest of your iPhone until you authenticate with Face ID or a passcode. First, install it from Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access. Then add the icon to Control Center and tap it to enter Guided Access mode.
Use low power mode to save battery life
The Low Power Mode control isn’t anything fancy—it’s just a touch button to turn on Low Power Mode—but you use it often. Whenever I want to squeeze more battery out of my iPhone, I like to have handy access to a low power mode switch.
Record voice memos without missing a beat
Voice Memos is another one of those incredibly simple yet incredibly useful shortcuts. Tap it to open the Voice Recordings app, or tap and hold the icon, then tap the New Recording button to quickly start a new audio recording.
Launch your favorite accessibility shortcuts
Accessibility Shortcuts are another example of how much focus iOS has placed on accessibility. This neat icon brings many accessibility features, such as color filters, color inversion, and AssistiveTouch, to Control Center. You can select up to three accessibility features that you want to quickly access from the Control Center.
Turn on Live Listen for your AirPods
Hearing Control gives you quick access to live listening and background sounds (iOS 15 and later). Live Listen is an accessibility feature for AirPods that helps you hear conversations in loud environments. The background sounds feature allows you to listen to sounds like ocean, rain, electricity, balanced noise, bright noise and dark noise.