Where are the control centre settings?
The swipe-down panel of toggles has three names, and the settings that customise it are usually one tap from the start. We read the settings tree of all 43 systems in the catalogue and recorded where each one keeps it.
What each system calls it
7 of the 43 operating systems in our catalogue have this setting, and between them they use three different labels for it:
| Name on screen | Systems |
|---|---|
| Control Center | 5 |
| Action Center | 1 |
| Quick Settings | 1 |
The most common is Control Center, on 5 of the 7. If that is not the word on your screen, the table above is the rest of the vocabulary to try.
Where it lives on each system
These are the shortest paths from the first settings screen on the newest release of each system. 6 of the 7 are within two taps; the rest sit deeper, and the table shows how much deeper.
| System | Path | Taps |
|---|---|---|
| iOS 27.0 | Control Center | 1 |
| iPadOS 27.0 | Control Center | 1 |
| macOS 27 Golden Gate | Control Center | 1 |
| visionOS 27 | Control Center | 1 |
| watchOS 27 | Control Center | 1 |
| Windows 7 SP1 | System and Security › Action Center | 2 |
| Android 17 | Accessibility › Magnification › Magnification shortcut › Quick Settings | 4 |
Each system name above opens the real menu in the simulator, so you can walk the path before you touch your own device.
Why the names came out this way
This panel is where most people actually change settings — the full settings app is the fallback. Vendors know it, which is why the screen that lets you choose which toggles appear is unusually shallow.
Action Center is the Microsoft lineage, where the panel began as a notification tray. Quick Settings is the most literal. Control Center is the one that treats it as a remote control for the device.
Find it on your own device
If your system is not in the table, or the label on your screen is different again, there are three ways through it:
- Search every system at once for a setting by name — it looks inside all 43 trees, not just the one you are holding.
- Open your own system in the settings simulator and click to the screen without changing anything real.
- Follow the step-by-step guide to switching to dark mode, or see where that setting lives on every system.
Related settings in the same part of the menu:
All of it comes from the same catalogue: 43 systems, 135 versions, published as an open dataset.
Try it yourself, on the real menusOpen any of 43 operating systems in your browser and walk the Settings tree exactly as it appears on the device. No download, no account.Frequently asked questions
Where are the control centre settings on most systems?
On 6 of the 7 systems that have it, within two taps of the first settings screen. The most common label is “Control Center”, used by 5 of them. The table above gives the exact path for each system.
Why can I not find it by searching my settings?
Because settings search matches the label your system uses, and there are three different labels in use for this one setting. Searching for the word your previous device used is the single most common reason a setting appears to be missing.
How many systems have this setting at all?
7 of the 43 operating systems we catalogue. The rest either have no hardware for it or fold the behaviour into something else, which is why a feature that feels universal often is not.