How to Customize Quick Settings on an Android Tablet

Quick Settings is the panel of toggles and shortcuts that appears when you swipe down from the top of your Android tablet screen. Customizing this panel puts your most-used controls within one swipe, saving time on actions you perform repeatedly throughout the day.

Accessing Quick Settings

Swipe down once from the top of the screen to see a condensed row of tiles along with notifications. Swipe down again or use two fingers for a single swipe to expand the full panel. On tablets, the expanded panel shows more tiles per row than on phones due to the wider display.

Rearranging Tiles

Tap the pencil or edit icon in the panel. In edit mode, drag tiles to rearrange their order. Tiles at the top appear in the condensed view, so place your most frequently used toggles there. Move Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and brightness to the first row if you adjust these frequently.

Adding and Removing Tiles

In edit mode, scroll down to see available tiles not currently active. Drag tiles up to add them or down to remove them. Worth adding: Dark Mode toggle, Screen Recorder, Nearby Share, and Focus Mode. Remove tiles you never use to reduce clutter.

Useful Tiles

Auto-rotate — Toggle rotation on and off, especially useful since tablets switch between portrait and landscape frequently.

Screen Cast — Mirror your tablet to a TV without navigating through settings.

Eye Comfort Shield or Night Light — Reduce blue light for evening reading.

Do Not Disturb — Silence notifications during meetings or focus sessions.

Battery Saver — Extend battery life when charge is low.

Hotspot — Turn your tablet into a Wi-Fi hotspot for other devices.

Samsung One UI Extras

Samsung tablets offer additional customization. Long-press any tile to jump to detailed settings. The brightness slider stays visible at the top. You can adjust the column count to show more tiles on larger tablets like the Tab S9 Ultra.

Third-Party App Tiles

Some apps add their own Quick Settings tiles. VPN apps, music players, and task managers often provide tiles after installation. Tasker lets you create custom tiles that trigger user-defined automation actions.

Android Version Differences

Android 12 redesigned tiles with larger rounded shapes and dynamic theming. Android 13 added separate Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles on the first row. Android 14 refined the layout further. Older versions differ in appearance but the core customization process remains the same.

Quick Settings for Specific Workflows

Organize your Quick Settings tiles around your daily activities. If you frequently switch between Wi-Fi networks at home, work, and public locations, keep Wi-Fi prominent. If you regularly cast content to different TVs, keep the Cast tile accessible. Create a mental map of your tile positions so you can access them from muscle memory.

Internet Tile (Android 12+)

Android 12 combined Wi-Fi and mobile data into a single Internet tile. Tap it to see available Wi-Fi networks and toggle mobile data. Long-press for full network settings. On tablets with Wi-Fi only, this tile functions as a quick Wi-Fi network switcher.

Device Control Tiles

Android 11 added device control integration to Quick Settings. Add smart home controls for lights, thermostats, and other connected devices directly in the Quick Settings panel. Long-press the power button or swipe down to access device controls alongside your regular tiles. This eliminates the need to open the Google Home or SmartThings app for routine smart home adjustments.

Accessibility Tiles

Add accessibility tiles for features you use occasionally. Color inversion, magnification, and TalkBack can all be added to Quick Settings for quick toggling without navigating through the Settings app.

Final Thoughts

A well-organized Quick Settings panel eliminates unnecessary navigation for common tablet actions. Spend five minutes arranging tiles to match your patterns, and the time savings accumulate with every use.