Customizable Control Center and Lock Screen Buttons in iOS 18
In iOS 18, when you invoke Control Center with a swipe down from the top-right of your iPhone’s screen, you can continuously swipe to get to more control center screens. There’s a new controls gallery that lets you customize the controls you see, and you can change the size of buttons to emphasize priority. Additionally, developers can include controls from their own apps, enabling quick access to controls like remotely starting a car, for example.
In the current Face ID era, which dates back to the 2017 introduction of the iPhone X, turning off an iPhone or iPad entails a high-tech game of Twister. One must hit the volume buttons in quick succession while simultaneously holding the side button. Depending on the level of one’s fine-motor skills, performing these movements can be infuriating if not impossible.
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In a broad scope, it’s worth reiterating the notion that this new Power button in iOS 18’s Control Center is hugely beneficial as a de-facto accessibility feature.
iOS 18 includes a new LockedCameraCapture framework for developers, which will bring some useful new functionality to third-party apps with camera features. The update will let a third-party camera app be opened directly from the Lock Screen.
This is great. It does not, however, let you customize which app opens when you swipe.
Thanks for making the Control Center more configurable, Apple, so I can move the controls to an area I can reach with my thumb. Now, please make it so the Control Center is opened from a reachable area on the screen.
Previously:
- Dark Mode iOS 18 App Icons
- iOS 18 Announced
- Black Camera.app Screen and Broken Shutter Button
- DMA Compliance: Default App Controls
- Launching Apps From iOS 16’s Lock Screen
- iOS Default Apps and Competing With Built-in Apps
As someone that worked on the Android lock screen to camera transition in a previous life, I don’t see Apple ever letting you do this.
Tight integration is needed to ensure that the transition looks great, and the app launches quickly.
The Camera app is probably the last app you’d pick to launch at a moment’s notice - needs gobs of working memory and fires up multiple hardware sensors.
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“…turning off an iPhone or iPad entails a high-tech game of Twister. One must hit the volume buttons in quick succession while simultaneously holding the side button.”
I’m not sure what Steven is doing, but all you need to do is hold down a volume button (either volume button) and the side button at the same time. Essentially, squeeze the phone for a couple seconds.
It’s great to have more accessible options, but calling holding two buttons “a game of twister” is a bit much.
@worf I think he’s referring to this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnhE7LkK_Gw which is a pain in the ass to do.
Settings > General > Shut Down
“Hey Siri, shut down” (or equivalent)
Or use the various manual gestures
I don’t get the accessibility win? Another convenient place is good, but it doesn’t strike me as significantly more discoverable or usable.
But I guess they were able to bill an article off of nothing, so good for them!
Thanks. That does look like a pain in the ass, but it seems to be for resetting a frozen phone (something I guess I’ve never experienced), not for turning off a phone. Nothing in control center is going to help with a frozen phone (nor would any other software UI feature, obviously) so it seems Steven is a bit confused here.
@Worf I assumed Steven meant that holding the two buttons at the same time is difficult for some people. I know that some have trouble with the similar screenshot buttons combo and so use the on-screen accessibility control instead. I don’t think this is about resetting the phone.
While locked, pressing Volume Up, then Volume Down, then briefly holding the Lock Button will bring up the "Slide to power off" switch.
If you worked in an Apple Store before this was implemented, you'd understand why Apple made powering off the iPhone a more deliberate action.
Most people shouldn't be turning off their iPhones frequently, yet many did, and yet still expected to be able to receive calls, texts, or alarms. More than you'd think. This is also why disabling Wifi/Bluetooth from Control Center works as it does.
> Most people shouldn't be turning off their iPhones frequently
Doesn’t the NSA recommend turning off your phone once a week?
Shutting down an iPad is a three-point grasp situation. Top button + volume button AND have to hold the entire iPad in place. It’s not unlike Twister.
The on/off button in control center is much nicer.
