Make life easier with these 9 essential Android Quick Settings

May 26, 2022

By Kim Komando

With so many helpful Android features, there are probably at least a few that have bypassed your radar. Tap or click here for hidden Android features you should be using.

There’s another cool Android trick that you probably use daily. We’re talking about Quick Settings. So, what are they? They let you quickly adjust Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Do Not Disturb and more.

Do you know that you can edit the Quick Settings on your Android phone? You can, and we’ll show you how.

Finding Android Quick Settings

To see the Quick Settings already set up on your device, swipe down from the top of your screen. To find all your Quick Settings, swipe down again. Now you need to know how to add, move and remove Quick Settings. Here’s how:

• From the top of your screen, swipe down twice.
• At the bottom left, tap Edit.
• Touch and hold the setting. Then drag the setting to where you want it.
  • To add a setting, drag it up from “Hold and drag to add tiles.”
  • To remove a setting, drag it down to “Drag here to remove.”

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Available Quick Settings

There are a ton of Quick Settings to choose from. You can pick Quick Settings from three categories: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth & mobile data is one category. The other two are Location & account, and Device, display & sound. Here is the complete list of options:

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth & mobile data

•  Airplane mode
•  Bluetooth
•  Data saver
•  Hotspot
•  Internet: Cellular connection
•  Internet: Wi-Fi

Location & account

•  Location
•  Nearby
•  Nearby share
•  Settings
•  Users & guests

Device, display & sound

•  Auto-rotate
•  Battery saver
•  Bedtime mode
•  Brightness
•  Camera access
•  Dark theme
•  Do not disturb
•  Flashlight
•  Focus mode
•  Grayscale
•  Invert colors
•  Live caption
•  Microphone access
•  Mute
•  Night light
•  Screen cast
•  Screen record
•  Storage
•  TV remote
•  Vibrate

Now that you know all the available options, here are nine of our favorites.

1. Screen cast

Casting your Android screen lets you mirror your Android device to the TV so you can enjoy your content exactly as you see it on your mobile device — only bigger.

2. Nearby share

This is sort of like the Android version of an Apple AirDrop. You can share files, images, and links wirelessly to any other Android device nearby. 

3. Live Caption

Live Caption automatically captions speech on your device. You can use it on media like videos, podcasts, phone calls, video calls, and audio messages.

4. Data Saver

To help use less mobile data on a limited data plan, you can turn on Data Saver. This mode lets most apps and services get background data only via Wi-Fi. Currently, active apps and services can use mobile data.

5. Screen record

Screen record lets you take a picture (screenshot) or record a video of your phone’s screen. After capturing your screen, you can view, edit, and share the image or video.

6. Focus Mode

Focus Mode lets you select apps to pause temporarily. Use it to turn off a distracting app to get something important done. You can also set a schedule to turn on Focus Mode automatically.

7. Bedtime mode

When it’s time for bed, Bedtime mode helps you switch off. Schedule it for your bedtime, so it runs automatically. Or when you charge your phone.

8. Battery Share

Battery Share transforms your Android device into a reverse wireless charging solution. Use it to charge other smartphones from any major manufacturers in the game or even peripheral devices like earbuds.

NOTE: It’s extremely taxing on your phone’s battery supply. But, if you only have access to one charger, it can be used to share the love efficiently.

9. Alarm

Finally, an all-time classic. The Alarm tile was introduced with Android 12 and gives you another way to check up on any current alarms you have going. Easy access, all without the cluttered, difficult-to-discern display of yesteryear.

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