iOS 10’s Quick-Access Control Center Sees Major Changes

The latest iOS 10 software update will bring with it some simple, but significant changes to the Control Center, which you access by swiping up from the bottom of your display screen. With this upgrade, iPhone and iPad users will find that the Control Center has been split into three panels.

The music controls have been removed from the main panel and can be accessed by swiping left once to access the media panel, which features all the typical controls (play, fast forward, etc.), volume controls, scrub controls so you can jump around within a track, album art, and artist information. There are broadcast controls at the bottom of the media panel that allow you to play music on other devices.

The top of the main panel will feature the original five buttons for airplane mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Do Not Disturb mode, and screen lock, with the sliding brightness controller remaining in the middle row. AirPlay, AirDrop, and Night Shift options have also been included in the middle row. The bottom row of the main Control Center pane will also hold controls for the flashlight, camera, calculator, and stopwatch, all of which have been 3D touch enabled.

For tech-savvy iPhone users with smart homes and connected appliances, the Control Center also features a Home panel through which you can control HomeKit-compatible products. You can access the Home panel by swiping left twice and arrange your accessories so that your most commonly used ones (e.g. your living room lights or television) are easier to control.