What Control Center is and where to find it
Control Center is the panel that slides up from the bottom of your iPhone screen (or down from the top right on newer models) and holds quick toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, flashlight, camera, and other tools you use often. You can rearrange which controls appear there, remove ones you don't use, and add new ones from the full list available on your phone.
On iPhone X and newer, swipe down from the top-right corner. On iPhone 8 and earlier, swipe up from the bottom. The panel that appears is what you are customizing. Control Center is designed to give you one-tap access to the features you reach for most, so the order and selection matter to how fast you can use your phone.
The customization itself does not happen in Control Center—it happens in the Settings app. This confuses many people because they expect to edit Control Center from within Control Center itself. Instead, you open Settings, find the Control Center menu, and make all your changes there.
Key Takeaways
- Control Center customization happens in the Settings app under Control Center, not in Control Center itself.
- You can add controls by tapping the green plus button next to any available option, and remove them by tapping the red minus button.
- The order of controls in Settings matches the order they appear in Control Center, so drag them into the sequence you want.
- Some controls like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth cannot be removed, but most others can be hidden if you don't use them.
- Changes take effect when ready—you do not need to restart your phone or confirm anything.
Opening Settings and finding the Control Center menu
Open the Settings app on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Control Center. You will see two sections: "Include" (controls currently in your Control Center) and "More Controls" (controls available to add).
The controls listed under "Include" are the ones showing in your Control Center right now, in the order they appear. The ones under "More Controls" are available but not currently displayed. If you have never customized Control Center before, "Include" will show only the default controls Apple puts on every iPhone.
The "Include" section is where you spend most of your time. This is where you add, remove, and rearrange everything. The "More Controls" section is just a library—nothing there affects your Control Center until you tap the plus button to move it to "Include".
Adding controls you want to use
Look through the "More Controls" list for anything you use regularly. Common ones include Notes, Voice Memos, Stopwatch, Timer, Calculator, Screen Recording, Accessibility Shortcuts, and Reminders. Tap the green plus button next to any control you want to add.
The control moves when ready to the "Include" section and appears in your Control Center the next time you open it. You can add as many as you want—Control Center will scroll if needed, so there is no limit to how many controls you can have active at once.
If you are not sure what a control does, you can add it and test it in Control Center. If you do not like it, removing it takes two seconds. There is no penalty for experimenting.
Removing controls you don't need
In the "Include" section, find any control you never use. Tap the red minus button next to it. The control disappears from your Control Center and moves back to "More Controls" if you change your mind later.
Some controls like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Airplane Mode do not have a minus button—these are permanent fixtures on every iPhone and cannot be hidden. Apple keeps these locked because they are essential for phone function and connectivity. You can rearrange them, but you cannot remove them.
Removing a control does not delete anything from your phone. It just hides it from Control Center. The app or feature still works normally if you open it from the home screen or app library.
Reordering controls to match how you work
The order of controls in the "Include" list is the order they appear in your Control Center. To rearrange them, tap and hold the three horizontal lines (the drag handle) next to any control and drag it up or down to a new position.
Rearrange so the controls you use most often are at the top. Changes take effect when ready—open Control Center to see the new layout. You do not need to close Settings or restart your phone.
Think about your daily routine when you order controls. If you use the flashlight multiple times a day, move it near the top. If you use Screen Recording once a month, it can go lower. The goal is to minimize how much you have to scroll in Control Center.
Customizing controls with multiple options
Some controls, like Brightness, Volume, and Camera, let you customize them further. In the "Include" section, tap the control itself (not the minus button) to open its settings. For example, tapping Camera lets you choose which camera (front or back) opens by default when you tap the camera icon in Control Center.
Not all controls have extra options. If tapping a control does nothing, it does not have customization available. The ones that do are usually the ones you interact with most—they offer shortcuts to save you time.
These secondary settings are optional. You can use a control without ever opening its customization menu. The defaults work fine for most people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have different Control Centers on different home screens?
No. Control Center is the same no matter which home screen you are on or what app you are using. The customization you make applies everywhere on your phone.
Why don't some controls have a minus button?
Apple locks certain core controls like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Airplane Mode into Control Center because they are essential for phone function. You cannot remove them, but you can rearrange their position.
What happens if I remove a control and want it back?
Go back to Settings > Control Center, find the control in the "More Controls" section, and tap the green plus button. It returns to your Control Center in the position you place it.
Can I add the same control twice?
No. Each control appears only once in Control Center. If you add it, it shows up in one spot only.
Do my Control Center changes sync to other devices?
No. Control Center customization is specific to each device. If you have an iPad and an iPhone, you customize them separately. Changes on one device do not affect the other.