How to Customize Control Center in iOS 18

Apple’s iOS 18 introduces a major redesign to the Control Center, giving users full control over page layouts, widget sizes, and shortcut arrangements. This update moves away from the rigid single-page design of previous versions, allowing you to create multi-page setups, resize controls freely, add third-party toggles, and place items anywhere on a flexible grid.

Multi-Page Navigation and Organization

The new Control Center organizes controls across multiple dedicated pages, which you can navigate by swiping vertically on the right side of the screen. By default, iOS 18 includes distinct groups:

  • Favorites: The primary page containing your most frequently used controls and toggles.
  • Now Playing: A dedicated full-page interface for media playback and output selection.
  • Home: Quick access to your HomeKit accessories, scenes, and smart home cameras.
  • Connectivity: A detailed view of network toggles, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular, AirDrop, and VPN.

You can also create completely new, blank pages to design specialized hubs for your specific workflows, such as gaming, productivity, or accessibility.

Fluid Grid Placement

Control layouts are no longer forced to snap sequentially to the top of the display. iOS 18 uses an open grid system that allows you to drag and drop controls anywhere on the screen. This allows you to position critical toggles near the bottom of the screen for easier one-handed reach on larger iPhone models.

Resizing Controls

You can change the physical dimensions of supported controls directly within the layout editor:

  1. Swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center.
  2. Tap the + (plus) icon in the top-left corner to enter edit mode.
  3. Tap and drag the curved handle in the bottom-right corner of any compatible control.

Controls can be expanded from a standard 1x1 icon into a 2x2 square, a wider horizontal bar, or larger interactive widgets, revealing additional contextual actions and status details.

iOS 18 replaces the old Settings-based menu with an in-place Controls Gallery. When in edit mode, tapping Add a Control at the bottom opens a searchable menu containing all native toggles alongside controls from supported third-party apps. This enables you to place direct shortcuts to non-Apple tasks—such as starting a workout tracker, unlocking a smart car, or launching a specific messaging action—directly on any Control Center page.

Deleting and Resetting Controls

While in edit mode, any control or full-page group can be removed by tapping the – (minus) icon on the corner of the widget. If a custom layout becomes cluttered, you can remove individual pages entirely to streamline navigation.