Control Center is a new iOS 7 feature that allows users to quickly access a flashlight, general settings and apps from any screen on iPhone or iPad, even when the device is locked.
The Control Center feature is new to iOS 7 in response to complaints that it takes too long to turn on Do Not Disturb, Bluetooth and WiFi, and control settings and music on iPhone and iPad.
With the Control Center, Apple takes these settings toggles into Settings in three or four taps and places them in a slide-up control panel that users can always access when the iPhone’s screen is on.
Control Center in iOS 7 provides quick access to common settings. Here’s how to use Control Center.
What is Control Center?
Control Center is a scroll-up menu that provides access to a range of iPhone or iPad controls or settings. It covers most of the basic iPhone controls users will want to change throughout the day. It also provides access to what’s currently playing and four common iPhone and iPad apps.
In Control Center in iOS 7, you can:
Turn the following settings on and off;
Here’s what you can change in the iOS 7 Control Center.
You can also control the brightness using the slider just below these transitions. There is no option to set the brightness back to Automatic from this screen.
Upstream users can control the currently playing music, including pausing, skipping tracks, and interacting with iRadio in iOS 7. Below these controls is a volume slider to control how loud your music is.
Control Center in iOS 7 also works in Landscape.
Users can also change AirDrop settings with a tap and select AIrPlay devices such as Apple TV, Bluetooth or iPhone as the audio source.
The final set of controls packed in Control Center is a set of four application shortcuts.
This is iOS 7’s Control Center on iPad.
All of these options fit in a Control Center screen that takes up three-quarters of the screen in portrait mode and the entire screen in landscape mode on the iPhone. The iPad version is smaller and wider.
How to Use Control Center
Control Center should be open by default in iOS 7, including the lock screen. To use it, simply swipe up from the bottom of any screen with one finger. The only time we ran into the issue was when swiping up on a keyboard. Users can also do this from the lock screen and apps.
Tap any item to toggle status, skip tracks, adjust brightness, or choose a Bluetooth headset. Except for the bottom row of apps, none of them will close the Control Center.
To close the Control Center, swipe down from the top of the menu or just press the home button.
How to Customize Control Center?
Apple will let you customize the Control Center, but only when and where you can access it. Currently there is no way to choose different settings or Control Center apps.
Apple only offers limited iOS 7 Control Center Customization Options.
To change Control Center options go to Settings -> Control Center and access toggle buttons. Users may want to turn off Access on Lock Screen if they are worried about someone turning on Airplane Mode when their iPhone is stolen. Another option is to turn off Control Center access in apps. It’s a good idea if the Control Center opens while you’re playing a game.
