12 Handy Controls You Should Add to Your iPhone’s Control Center

If you talk about handy features on your iPhone, Control Center is one that can’t go unnoticed. It has an array of tools and shortcuts that make it much easier to navigate your phone.

You can control volume, brightness, and your wireless connections. And the best part is that you can actually customize it to fit all your needs. There’s no one size fits all, but if you don’t know where to begin, you should add some great controls first. 

How to Edit Control Center

Before we start, you should know how to add new controls to your Control Center. Don’t worry; it’s super easy to do.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Scroll down and tap Control Center.
3. Under Included Controls, tap the “-” icon to remove controls from your Control Center.
4. Likewise, tap the “+” icon under the More Controls section to add controls to your Control Center.
5. You can also rearrange the controls by dragging the three lines on the right side of the controls.

Make the Most Out of Your Controls

Another thing you should know is that you can long-press almost every control in the Control Center. This will give you a list of quick actions you can make instead of having to open the app. This doesn’t work on every control, though, so you’ll need to test your favorite ones first. 

Now with that out of the way, here are 12 Controls You Need to Have On Your iPhone’s Control Center:

12. Low Power Mode

If you ever feel like the battery on your iPhone won’t last you through the day, and you don’t have any chargers available, you can use Low Power Mode.

This feature reduces the number of updates your iPhone does, so its battery lasts longer. Low Power Mode will turn off automatically next time you fully charge your iPhone.

11. Music Recognition

There’s nothing worse than finding a cool new song and not being able to save it for later. Fortunately, you can use the Shazam control in the Control Center to find out which songs you’ve heard and save them for later.

10. Apple TV Remote

Did you know you can use iPhone to control your Apple TV? Moreover, you can even add this option to your Control Center to make it even easier to use. This control will turn your iPhone into a remote and start searching for your Apple TV. Once it finds it, you can control it with your iPhone.

9. Text Size

Not everyone has great eye-sight. Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t use technology to your advantage. You can add a control to change the text size of your apps immediately.

You can trigger it from your Control Center and see the text size change in real-time. Not only that, but you can set it so this change applies to all your apps or just the one you’re using.

8. Dark Mode

You can easily turn Dark Mode on from your Control Center by long-pressing the brightness slider. But, if you want, you can also add it to your Control Center to have even quicker access.

You’ll be able to turn Dark Mode on and off with a single tap. It’s perfect if you want to change modes in a flash.

7. Magnifier

The Magnifier app is a really useful tool that helps you use your iPhone’s camera as a magnifying glass. You’ll never have to worry about the fine print ever again.

The best part is that you don’t have to search for the app. You can instantly open the Magnifier with a single tap in your Control Center.

6. Notes

Apple recently added Quick Notes to iPad and Mac. This lets both devices create a new note almost instantly. And even though the iPhone doesn’t have that feature yet, you can add the Notes app to your Control Center.

What’s more, if you long-press the Notes control, you’ll be able to do things like creating a new note or scan a document with no struggle at all.

5. Code Scanner

This is a must-have control nowadays. Many places like restaurants or coffee shops have their menus available online, so you can use the Code Scanner control to scan the QR code and open it right then and there.

4. Screen Recording

Another useful tool to have in your Control Center is screen recording. You can use it to share quick videos of your screen, whether you want to showcase an app or brag about your skills in a video game.

The screen recording control also lets you choose if you want to record your voice at the same time, so it’s a great tool if you want to teach a friend or family member how to do something on their iPhones.

3. Voice Memos

On the other hand, if you don’t want to record your screen, you can just record your voice. Voice Memos is a useful app to record your thoughts when your hands are too busy to write them down.

Keep in mind, though; you’ll need to download Apple’s Voice Memos app. It’s possible that you don’t have it downloaded yet, but you can get it from the App Store at no cost.

2. Alarm, Timer, And Stop Watch

Let’s be honest; most of us don’t know where the Clock app is anymore. Fortunate, you can have everything you need in your Control Center.

The Alarm, Timer, and StopWatch are three different controls for each section in the Clock app. And as a tip, if you long-press the timer control, you can instantly start a time with the set time that you want.

1. Accessibility Shortcuts

You may believe this control isn’t for everyone, but there are many accessibility hacks you can use on your iPhone. The Accessibility Shortcuts control will help you trigger specific shortcuts you may need or want to use.

You’ll need to specify which shortcuts you want to trigger first. After that, you’ll be able to turn them on from your Control Center.