Emily Bennett
How To Customize the Control Center on iOS 26
The Control Center on your iPhone is kind of weird, but it lets you quickly toggle stuff like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even Night Mode. Customizing it to your liking can make your life a lot easier, especially if you hate digging through settings all the time. Here’s a quick rundown of what works, based on some trial and error.
Step 1: Access the Control Center
First off, swipe down from the top right corner of your screen. It’s the same messy swipe gesture as before, but on iOS 26, it feels snappier. Sometimes, it might just not open if your phone’s acting up — a quick reboot or a soft reset can fix that, because of course, Apple has to make it harder than necessary. When it opens, you’ll see all your toggles, but not everything is customizable right away.
Step 2: Open Control Center Settings
Now, look at the top left corner of the Control Center — you should see a little gear icon or something resembling settings gear. Tapping that, on iOS 26, definitely brings you into the editing mode, but be aware: some toggles won’t go away no matter what. Anyway, this is where the magic begins.
Step 3: Add or Remove Controls
Inside the editing menu, you’ll see a list of controls and options. To add a new toggle — say, Screen Recording or Low Power Mode — hit the plus (+) button next to it. To remove something, tap the minus (−) button, or sometimes just swipe left on the item. This is how you declutter your Control Center to show only what you really need every day. Just be aware, on some setups, removing a toggle might not stick immediately — a reboot or killing the Control Center and opening it again sometimes helps.
Step 4: Rearrange Controls
Want your favorite controls front and center? Easy. Press and hold the three horizontal lines next to each toggle or widget, then drag them around to your preferred spot. It’s kinda finicky sometimes, especially if you’re switching between different iPhones or beta versions — but overall, it’s a straightforward drag-and-drop. This way, your go-to functions are just a tap away.
Step 5: Add Widgets
If you’re into more customization, you can add widgets to the Control Center. Tap the Add Control button (that’s the same gear icon), and scroll through the list of available widgets — like Home controls or shortcuts. Select what you want, and it’ll show up in the Control Center. It’s not perfect, sometimes the order gets reset after reboot, but hey, better than nothing.
Step 6: Finalize Your Changes
When everything looks good, swipe up from the bottom or hit the back button (which isn’t always visible) to get out of editing mode. Your new setup is saved or at least should be — but yeah, sometimes a restart helps if controls refuse to stay in place. Be prepared to do a little jig occasionally.
Extra Tips & Common Issues
A few things to keep in mind: customizing controls depends on your iOS version — some new options are only available if your device is fully up to date. Also, not all toggles can be removed; some are baked into the system. If a feature is missing, consider updating your OS or checking if the control is hidden in the settings menu — Settings > Control Center. And if things go haywire, resetting to default might help, but that’s a different story.
- Explore all available options: Don’t be shy to fiddle with the list of controls and widgets — some hidden gems might surprise you.
- Check for software updates: Sometimes new controls appear after a quick iOS update.
- Reset to default: If your Control Center is a cluttered mess, go to Settings > Control Center > Reset Controls (if available) or just toggle everything off and on again.
Conclusion
All in all, poking around the Control Center on iOS 26 isn’t too complicated once you get the hang of it. It’s a matter of dragging, tapping, and sometimes rebooting to get it right. Keep in mind that some features might still be hidden or limited, but with a little patience, you can tailor it pretty close to what you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I reset my Control Center to the default settings?
Yup. Just go into Settings > Control Center and look for a reset option, or toggle controls on/off. On some iOS versions, you can’t fully reset, so you might need to do a device restart or reset all settings in general.
Are there limits to the number of controls I can add?
There’s technically space for a handful of toggles and widgets — depends on your screen size and the controls themselves. Generally, fewer is better unless you wanna scroll through the list all the time. Prioritize what’s essential.
What if a control is missing from the options?
This usually means your iOS version doesn’t support it yet. Keep your device updated — Apple tends to roll out new controls in software updates, so patience helps.