Seven Android Quick Settings You Should Use
The Quick Settings panel on Android is an underrated tool that is often forgotten by most users. While the iPhone’s Control Center gets a lot of flack, if you’re willing to put in the work, the Android version is far more customizable and feature-rich.
You can use third-party apps to add almost anything you need to the Quick Settings panel. This can include simple shortcuts to apps and actions, as well as quick access to features like calendar appointments and weather forecasts.
How to customize the quick settings panel
If you’re new to Android or just haven’t customized your phone much, the Quick Settings panel may still be set up by default. Let’s check.
Quick Settings is the panel that appears on top of your notifications when you pull down the notification shade. It typically shows tiles for controlling settings like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth right away, but you can swipe again to expand the panel and see even more settings and toggles.
I say “usually” because the panel looks different depending on the manufacturer and the skin. So the default quick settings panel on a Samsung phone will look a little different than on a Pixel, though as Android evolves, manufacturers seem to be trying to minimize these differences.
The entire Quick Settings panel is customizable, and you can move, edit, add, and expand panels by tapping the Edit button in the bottom-right corner. You’ll see the default Android settings at first, but scroll far enough and you’ll even see options for third-party apps. This is where the panel’s core capabilities come into play. It’s all pretty straightforward, but for more on how to customize the Quick Settings panel, check out my guide to customizing the Quick Settings panel in Android 16 .
Now that we know how to use and add Quick Settings tiles, let’s talk about some of my favorite tiles for this section.
Application shortcuts
One of the most convenient features to add to your Quick Settings panel is apps and app shortcuts. With the Tile Shortcuts app, you can add almost anything to your Quick Settings panel, including websites and system settings. The app is free, but a $0.99 subscription unlocks additional features like app shortcuts.
Open an app and tap the Plus button to create a new tile. Then choose what you want to add: an app, a shortcut, or a website. Shortcuts are created by apps, so you can create a shortcut to open a Drive folder, a contact, or a saved location. Choose the action you want, select an icon, and you’re done.
Once you’ve created a tile, open the Quick Settings page to add it to your Quick Settings panel. But be aware of one thing. Before you add tiles, they’ll have default names like “Tile 1” or “Tile 2” (they’ll also show up in the app). Don’t worry — the names will change once the tiles appear on your Quick Settings panel.
Meeting calendar
CalenTile is a handy utility that adds your next appointment to your calendar as a quick settings tile. To use it, you need to increase the tile size. This app costs $0.99, but in my opinion, it’s worth it if you use Calendar to manage your entire schedule. The tile will display the time and name of your next appointment, and you can tap on it to get more information.
Keep the screen active
Your device’s screen automatically turns off when you’re not looking at it, but there are times when you want it to stay on, like when you’re working on documents or using your Android tablet in the background at work. In those cases, the Wakey app can help. It’s a simple free app that can be upgraded for $2.50 to remove ads. Open the app and grant it access to notifications. A new tile called “Enable Wakey” will appear in your quick settings. When enabled, the screen will stay on no matter what you’re doing (or, rather, not doing) on your device.
See the weather forecast at a glance
The Chronus app offers a variety of customizable weather widgets for your home screen. You can also add a quick settings tile that will only display temperature and weather conditions. To set this up, first open the Chronus app, tap the Menu button, and select Quick Settings . Here, you can grant the app access to your location or add your location manually. Now add the tile to your quick settings, and you’re good to go.
Shortcut to add a reminder
One of the best uses of Quick Settings that I can think of is as a quick way to create a reminder. The faster you write down something you want to do, the more likely you are to remember it later.
Many popular productivity apps, like TickTick , Todoist , and Microsoft To Do , offer a Quick Settings tile that does just this. Check to see if your favorite productivity app has one.
Easy access to system application functions
If you’re using a Pixel, you can also add some system apps to the Quick Settings panel. The Quick Settings menu has a section called From system apps where you can quickly add shortcuts to Calculator, Voice Recorder, Quick Post, and Automatic Captions.
Activate OS-wide read mode
Google has a hidden feature called Reading Mode that you can enable anywhere on Android, not just in Chrome. It transforms the contents of your screen into a minimalist reading environment with customizable fonts. It removes all formatting and even supports text-to-speech. Since it’s an accessibility feature, you’ll need to select the page or text you want and then share it in the Reading Mode app to get started. But a quicker way to do this is to use the Reading Mode tile in Quick Settings. The tile is under Third-Party Apps if you have the app linked above installed.