Using your phone’s control center | What the Tech?

Jamey Tucker | KOB

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT THE TECH) — Sometimes we miss something right under our nose that, once we know about them, we will start using it all of the time. On iPhones and Android devices, Control Center can and will save you a lot of time.

Even if you don’t use it, Control Center has probably popped up on your screen accidentally. On iPhones without a home button swipe down. IPhones with a button, you swipe up.

Here you’ll see many of the more common apps and features. On iPhones, you can add things like the calculator, Shazam, alarm clock, flashlight, zoom, and battery saver.

You’ll also find controls for airplane mode, Bluetooth, Airdrop, and WiFi. Instead of searching for the calculator app, swipe down to the Control Center and tap the calculator icon.

You can choose what you want to see in Control Center, in settings. If you use Notes, add it there.

Sometimes we miss something right under our nose that, once we know about them, we will start using it all of the time. On iPhones and Android devices, Control Center can and will save you a lot of time.

Control Center is especially helpful if you need to turn the battery saver on when your phone is running low. Rather than opening settings, scrolling to “battery” and tapping low power mode, just swipe down for Control Center.

By adding items in Control Center, you can also hide those apps from your Home Screen to save screen real estate.

Android phones have a Control Center as well. It’s called Device Controls. Depending on which brand you have, just swipe down on the Home Screen. Twice. Where you’ll find many of the same controls as on an iPhone. Tap the pencil icon to move those tiles around and add others. On Android, you can quickly access Shazam, bedtime and focus modes, and, your files stored on Google.

Here are all of the things you can add to Android’s Device Control Center:

  • WiFi network
  • Bluetooth devices
  • Do not disturb
  • Wallet
  • Google Drive
  • Google Home device control
  • Alarm
  • Flashlight
  • Device orientation lock and auto-rotate
  • Battery saver/low power mode
  • Airplane mode
  • Night light
  • Screencast
  • Screen recorder
  • Location
  • Hotspot
  • Invert colors
  • Data saver
  • Dark theme
  • Extra dim
  • Sound amplifier
  • Focus mode
  • Bedtime mode
  • Live caption
  • Calculator
  • Nearby share through Google Play
  • Sound notifications
  • Live transcribe
  • VPN
  • Auto Shazam
  • Audio play, pause and skip and volume

On your iPhone, you can do most of those things plus iPhone-only Airdrop, screen mirroring, camera, magnifying glass, QR code scanner, notes and more.