Your Android notification shade is packed with tiles you never asked for and missing the ones you reach for ten times a day. I got tired of swiping past a Google Pay tile I never use just to find Flashlight, so I sat down and rebuilt the whole panel around my actual habits.
Learning to customize Android quick settings takes about two minutes once you know where the edit screen hides. The real trick isn’t finding the edit menu — it’s deciding which five or six tiles deserve the prime top row, since that’s the only row visible with a single swipe.
Quick Answer
To customize Android quick settings, swipe down twice to open the full panel, tap the pencil icon, then drag tiles between the active grid and the “hold and drag to add tiles” tray. Reorder by dragging, remove by dragging out, then tap back to save. Steps are nearly identical on stock Android, Samsung, and OnePlus.
What Are Android Quick Settings, and Why Customize Them?
Quick settings are the toggle tiles you see when you swipe down from the top of your screen — Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Flashlight, and similar shortcuts. Android ships with a default set that rarely matches how you actually use your phone.
I tested this on a Pixel 8, a Galaxy S23, and a OnePlus 11, and each shipped with at least two tiles I’d never tapped (Cast and NFC on the Pixel). Customizing the panel means the toggle you need — Hotspot before a meeting, Do Not Disturb before bed — is one swipe away instead of buried three rows down. For the official rundown of every stock tile, see Google’s Android Help documentation.
Quick settings exist to save you trips into the full Settings app, but only if the tiles on top actually match your daily routine.
How Do I Reorder and Add Tiles to Quick Settings?
Step 1: Open the full panel
Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to expand the full grid of tiles.
Step 2: Enter edit mode
Tap the pencil icon, bottom-left on stock Android and Pixel. On Samsung, tap the three-dot menu, then “Button order.” On OnePlus, tap the edit icon at the bottom of the panel.
Step 3: Drag tiles into position
Press and hold a tile, then drag it toward the top rows for priority placement, or into the “hold and drag to add tiles” tray to remove it. Drop unused tiles like Cast or NFC there if you rarely touch them.
Step 4: Save your layout
Tap the back arrow to confirm — the new order applies immediately.
Pro tip: put your five most-used tiles in the first row. Android only shows that row on a single swipe, so anything past row two barely gets used.
Reordering is drag-and-drop, but first-row placement is what actually saves you time day to day.
How Do I Remove Tiles I Never Use?
In the same edit screen, drag any unwanted tile into the lower “hold and drag to add tiles” section. It isn’t deleted — it’s parked there so you can bring it back without hunting for it again.
I removed Screen Record and Cast from my Pixel’s panel the day I set this up and haven’t missed either; I use the Google Home app directly for casting anyway.
Troubleshooting tip: if a tile won’t budge when dragged, lift your finger, wait a second, and long-press again — Android sometimes needs the edit screen to fully load before registering drag gestures, especially on older devices.
Removing tiles is reversible, so experiment with a leaner panel for a few days.
How Does Quick Settings Customization Differ by Android Skin?
The core drag-and-drop mechanic is the same everywhere, but the entry point varies by manufacturer.
| Android Skin | How to Enter Edit Mode | Extra Options |
|---|---|---|
| Stock Android / Pixel | Pencil icon, bottom-left of full panel | Simple grid, no row-count setting |
| Samsung One UI | Three-dot menu > Button order | Choose 4, 5, or 6 tiles per row |
| OnePlus OxygenOS | Edit icon at bottom of panel | Separate layout for lock-screen quick settings |
| Xiaomi HyperOS/MIUI | Edit icon, bottom of shade | Adjustable icon size and row spacing |
Every major Android skin lets you drag tiles freely, but Samsung and Xiaomi give you extra control over how many tiles fit per row.
What Are the Best Tiles to Add for Power Users?
Do Not Disturb and Focus Mode
Put these near the top if you silence notifications during work blocks — they pair well with the built-in tools in my Android digital wellbeing guide.
Hotspot
Useful when your laptop’s Wi-Fi drops mid-task. If you juggle a hotspot alongside two open apps, my Android split screen guide covers that workflow.
Battery Saver
Handy for afternoons your charge dips faster than expected — pair it with the settings in my guide to Android battery drain.
Screen Recorder or QR Code Scanner
Add whichever niche tool you reach for weekly. If you’re also tightening what apps can see, my Android privacy settings walkthrough pairs well with a leaner panel.
The best tiles aren’t the flashy ones — they’re whatever you’d otherwise dig through two menus to find.
How Do I Reset Quick Settings to Default?
On Pixel, go to Settings > Apps > System UI > Storage & cache > Clear storage to wipe the layout back to factory order. Samsung has no dedicated reset button, so screenshot your layout first, then drag tiles back manually.
A one-tap reset exists mainly on Pixel; other skins mean rebuilding the default layout by hand.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overloading the top row. Cramming eight tiles into row one defeats the purpose — keep it to five essentials.
Removing Wi-Fi or Bluetooth by accident. Drag carefully; re-add it from the tray if it happens.
Forgetting the lock screen uses a separate layout on some brands. Check both shades if toggles seem “reset.”
Skipping the save step. Closing the app mid-edit can revert your changes on some skins.
Never revisiting the layout. I recheck mine every few months and swap out stale tiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I customize quick settings without root access?
Yes — this is a built-in feature, no root or third-party app needed. I’ve done it on stock, Samsung, and OnePlus phones using only the settings shade.
Why can’t I drag a tile in edit mode?
Usually a loading delay. On my OnePlus, the first drag attempt after opening edit mode often does nothing until I wait a beat and try again.
Will a system update reset my layout?
Occasionally, on major Android upgrades. After updating my Pixel 8, two tiles I’d removed reappeared, so I redid the edit in under a minute.
Can I customize the lock screen’s quick settings separately?
On some skins, like OxygenOS, yes — check the lock screen settings menu if toggles there don’t match your main panel.
Conclusion
A customized quick settings panel turns a cluttered swipe-down menu into a shortcut bar built around how you use your phone. Open the edit screen today, drag your five most-used tiles to the top row, and revisit it in a month.