How to Customise and Rearrange Quick Settings Tiles on Android

The Quick Settings shade on Android is one of the operating system’s most frequently accessed features. Swiping down from the top of your screen reveals toggles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, Flashlight, and Do Not Disturb. However, as you install productivity apps, utilities, and VPN clients, the default tile configuration often becomes cluttered with toggles you rarely touch, burying your most essential shortcuts beneath multiple swipe screens. Customising and rearranging your Quick Settings tiles ensures instant access to the controls you use most frequently.

Understanding Quick Settings Architecture on Android

Android divides Quick Settings into two distinct tiers:

• Compact Quick Access Bar (First Swipe): Swiping down once from the top edge reveals the notification shade and the top row of primary tiles (typically 4 large pill-shaped tiles on modern Material You interfaces).
• Expanded Quick Settings Grid (Second Swipe): Swiping down a second time expands the full two-column grid across multiple paginated pages, revealing additional toggles, brightness sliders, and user profile management buttons.
• Third-Party Tile Extensions: Developers can build custom Quick Settings tiles for their applications—enabling one-tap actions such as connecting a specific VPN tunnel, toggling Shazam audio recognition, launching password autofill, or activating hotspot tethering.

Step 1: Accessing the Quick Settings Edit Mode

Entering edit mode allows you to reorder, add, or remove tiles:

1. Unlock your Android smartphone or tablet.
2. Swipe down twice from the very top edge of your display to fully expand the Quick Settings shade. (On devices with two-finger swipe gestures enabled, swiping down with two fingers opens the expanded shade directly).
3. Locate the Edit icon (represented by a pencil icon ✏️) at the bottom or top-right corner of the panel.
4. Tap the pencil icon to open the tile customisation interface.

Step 2: Rearranging Existing Quick Settings Tiles

The top section of the screen displays your currently active tiles in their exact display sequence:

1. Press and hold any tile you wish to reposition (e.g., Flashlight or Internet).
2. While holding, drag the tile to its new position within the grid.
3. Notice that the first four tiles occupy the top row of the compact shade. Place your four most critical daily toggles (e.g., Internet, Bluetooth, Flashlight, and Do Not Disturb) in these leading positions so they are accessible with a single downward swipe.
4. Drag less frequent controls (such as Nearby Share / Quick Share, Screen Record, or Battery Saver) to subsequent positions or secondary pages.

Step 3: Adding New and Third-Party Tiles

Below the active tiles section is a divider labelled Hold and drag to add tiles:

1. Scroll down to inspect the catalog of available dormant tiles.
2. Browse through native operating system tools (such as Live Caption, Extra Dim, One-Handed Mode, Bedtime Mode, or QR Code Scanner).
3. Explore third-party app tiles provided by installed apps (e.g., Spotify, NordVPN, Tasker, or Shazam).
4. Press and hold any tile from this lower section and drag it upward into the active tiles area.
5. Release the tile at your desired spot in the grid.

Step 4: Removing Unused Tiles to Reduce Clutter

To eliminate visual noise and remove toggles you never use:

1. Press and hold the tile you wish to remove from the top active section.
2. Drag it downward across the divider line into the lower inactive section.
3. Release your finger. The tile will disappear from your daily shade while remaining safely archived in the library for future use.

Step 5: Saving Changes and Resetting Default Layouts

Once you finish arranging your preferred grid:

1. Tap the Back arrow in the top-left corner of the screen to save and exit edit mode.
2. Test your new layout by swiping down from the home screen to verify the updated tile order.
3. Resetting to Factory Defaults: If you ever wish to restore the out-of-the-box tile configuration, re-enter the edit screen (pencil icon), tap the three dots … in the top-right corner, and select Reset.

Troubleshooting Missing or Greyed-Out Tiles

• Third-Party Tile Not Appearing in List: Launch the corresponding third-party application at least once after installation to register its background Service Intent with Android’s system UI manager.
• Tile Stays Grey and Inactive: Certain tiles (like Hotspot or Airplane mode) may be temporarily disabled if your mobile device is managed under corporate MDM device policies or if battery saver is active.

Streamlining Daily Mobile Navigation

Customising your Android Quick Settings shade transforms a cluttered utility menu into a tailored control panel. By positioning your four most essential tools at the very top and incorporating specialised third-party toggles, you save time and navigate your phone with effortless efficiency.