Android System Features
layout: single title: ‘How to Customize Android Quick Settings Tiles’ date: 2026-08-25 14:00:00 +0000 categories: [tech] tags: [“guide”, “android”, “system”, “features”] excerpt: ‘The Quick Settings panel ships with a default layout that rarely matches how anyone actually uses their phone. Moving the tiles you use most to the front row takes about two minutes.’ header: image: https://images.frontbuffer.net/posts/android-system-features_guide/og.png overlay_filter: 0 author_profile: false read_time: true share: true —
The Quick Settings panel — the grid of toggles that appears when you swipe down twice from the top of your screen — ships with a default layout that rarely matches how anyone actually uses their phone. Moving the tiles you use most to the front row takes about two minutes and saves real time every day.
Opening the Editor
Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to expand the full Quick Settings panel. In the bottom-left corner, tap the pencil icon (Edit). On Samsung One UI, this may appear as “Edit” text instead.
The editor splits into two sections: your active tiles at the top and inactive tiles below.
Rearranging, Adding, and Removing Tiles
To move a tile: Long-press it and drag it to a new position. Tiles in the first row are visible without expanding the panel — put your most-used toggles there.
To add a tile: Scroll down to the inactive section, long-press the tile, and drag it into the active grid.
To remove a tile: Long-press it in the active section and drag it down to the inactive area.
Tap Done when finished.
What to Put in the First Row
The first two to four tiles show without swiping. High-value placements:
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth — toggled constantly when moving between locations
- Do Not Disturb — faster than navigating Settings during meetings
- Flashlight — the tile most people reach for in a hurry
- Screen record or Hotspot — if you use these regularly
Remove tiles you never tap. NFC, Nearby Share, and Auto-rotate are commonly present by default but rarely needed on demand.
Android 12 and Later: Brightness Slider
Starting with Android 12, Google moved the brightness slider above the tiles. On stock Android 12 through 16, the slider position is fixed. Samsung One UI gives more flexibility — the brightness slider can be moved under Settings → Display → Status bar on One UI 6 and later.
Samsung One UI: Additional Options
One UI adds several Quick Settings options not available on stock Android:
Reorder within rows. One UI lets you set the number of columns in the Quick Settings grid (Settings → Display → Status bar → Quick panel layout), giving more control over how many tiles appear per row.
Media output tile. One UI includes a dedicated media output tile that lets you switch audio between Bluetooth devices, the speaker, and connected displays without opening Settings.
SmartThings integration. Devices registered in SmartThings (lights, appliances, TV) can be controlled directly from a Quick Settings tile without opening the SmartThings app.
Third-Party Tiles
Apps can register their own Quick Settings tiles. Spotify, Shazam, and VPN apps add tiles that appear in the inactive section after installation. Add them the same way as system tiles — long-press and drag into the active grid.
To remove a third-party tile completely, revoke the permission under Settings → Apps → [App name] → Other permissions → Add Quick Settings tiles, or uninstall the app.
Pixel-Specific: Custom Tiles
On Pixel phones running Android 13 and later, apps like Tasker or Macrodroid can create custom Quick Settings tiles that trigger specific shortcuts. These appear in the inactive section once configured.
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