Android’s Quick Settings panel is that magical little command center you reach when your phone is being needy. Need Wi-Fi? Swipe. Need flashlight? Swipe. Need to silence a group chat that has somehow become a live sports broadcast? Swipe, tap, breathe. But here is the part many Android users miss: you are not stuck with the default buttons. You can add custom tiles to Quick Settings in Android, rearrange them, remove the clutter, and even use third-party apps or automation tools to create shortcuts that match the way you actually use your phone.
Custom Quick Settings tiles can open apps, trigger smart home actions, start routines, launch shortcuts, toggle developer tools, run automations, scan QR codes, activate a VPN, or control connected devices. In other words, they turn the notification shade from “a place where Bluetooth lives” into a tiny productivity dashboard. Once you set it up well, you may wonder why your phone did not ship this way in the first place.
This guide explains how to add custom tiles to Android Quick Settings, how the process differs on Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, Motorola, and other Android phones, which tile types are worth adding, what to do when a tile does not appear, and how to build a practical layout that saves time instead of creating a digital junk drawer with icons.
What Are Quick Settings Tiles In Android?
Quick Settings tiles are the square, rectangular, or pill-shaped buttons you see when you swipe down from the top of an Android screen. Depending on your phone, they may include Wi-Fi or Internet, Bluetooth, Flashlight, Airplane Mode, Auto-rotate, Battery Saver, Do Not Disturb, Screen Record, QR Code Scanner, Location, Hotspot, Wallet, Dark Theme, and more.
A regular tile usually controls a system setting. A custom tile is added by an app, Android feature, automation service, developer option, smart home platform, or shortcut utility. For example, a VPN app might offer a tile to connect or disconnect. A smart home app might offer a tile to turn on your living room lights. A shortcut app might let you create a tile that opens your favorite website, starts navigation home, launches a specific app activity, or runs a task.
The beauty of Android is flexibility. The danger of Android is also flexibility. Add too many tiles and your panel becomes the phone equivalent of a garage where “useful things” go to disappear. The goal is not to add every tile under the sun. The goal is to add the tiles you will actually tap.
Before You Start: Check Your Android Version And Phone Brand
The basic process is similar across Android devices: open Quick Settings, enter edit mode, drag or add tiles, and save the layout. However, the details vary by manufacturer and Android version. A Google Pixel phone usually follows the stock Android approach. Samsung Galaxy phones use One UI, and newer versions separate notifications and Quick Settings more clearly. Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and other brands may place the edit button in slightly different spots or rename certain menu items.
Most modern Android phones support third-party Quick Settings tiles. Android 7.0 and newer broadly enabled apps to provide Quick Settings tiles, while newer Android versions improved how apps can prompt users to add tiles. Android 13 introduced a more direct tile placement experience, allowing supported apps to ask whether you want to add a tile without forcing you to dig through the Quick Settings editor manually.
For everyday users, the important point is simple: if an app supports a custom tile, it should appear somewhere in the Quick Settings edit screen after the app is installed and configured. If it does not appear, the app may not support tiles, the phone maker may have limited the feature, or the tile may require permissions first.
How To Add Custom Tiles To Quick Settings In Android
Use these steps on most Android phones. The wording may differ slightly, but the path is usually close enough that your thumb will figure it out before your brain finishes complaining.
Step 1: Swipe Down To Open Quick Settings
Swipe down from the top of the screen once to see the compact Quick Settings panel. Swipe down again to expand the full panel. On some phones, you can swipe down with two fingers to jump directly to the expanded view.
On newer Samsung Galaxy phones running recent One UI versions, swiping down from the top right may open the Quick panel, while swiping from the top left may show notifications. If your phone behaves differently from a Pixel, do not panic. It is not broken; it is just Android wearing a different jacket.
Step 2: Tap The Edit Button
Look for a pencil icon, an Edit button, or a menu option labeled something like “Edit buttons.” On stock Android and Pixel-style devices, the pencil icon is usually visible after expanding Quick Settings. On Samsung Galaxy phones, you may need to tap the pencil icon and then choose an edit option for the buttons or panel layout.
This opens the editing area, where Android shows your active tiles and the available tiles you can add. Active tiles are the ones currently shown in Quick Settings. Available tiles are waiting offstage, hoping someone notices them.
Step 3: Find The Custom Tile You Want
Scroll through the available tiles. You may see built-in tiles first, followed by tiles from apps you installed. Some phones organize tiles into categories such as Connectivity, Privacy, Utilities, System apps, Accessibility, or Developer options. Custom app tiles may display the app name, a generic tile number, or a label you set inside the app.
If you installed a shortcut app such as Tile Shortcuts, you may need to create the tile inside that app first. After creating it, return to the Quick Settings editor and look for the matching tile. The tile may appear as “Tile Shortcuts #1,” “Tile Shortcuts #2,” or another numbered label until you drag it into the active area and save it.
Step 4: Drag Or Add The Tile To The Active Area
On many Android phones, you add a custom tile by touching and holding it, then dragging it into the active Quick Settings area. On some newer Android interfaces, you may tap an Add button beside the tile. Either method does the same thing: it tells Android, “Yes, I want this shortcut where I can actually use it.”
Place the tile near the top if you expect to use it often. The first few tiles are the most valuable because they appear in the compact panel after one swipe. If a tile requires two swipes, three scrolls, and a treasure map, it is not really quick anymore.
Step 5: Rearrange Your Tiles By Priority
Once the custom tile is active, drag it into the order you prefer. Put daily-use tiles first: Wi-Fi or Internet, Bluetooth, Flashlight, Do Not Disturb, Battery Saver, Hotspot, Wallet, QR Scanner, or your most important custom app tile. Less urgent tiles can live on the second page.
Some Android versions also let you resize tiles. A larger tile may show both icon and label, while a smaller tile may show only the icon. Use larger tiles for actions that could be confusing at a glance, such as a work VPN, smart home scene, or automation. Use smaller tiles for obvious icons like Flashlight or Bluetooth.
Step 6: Tap Done Or Exit Edit Mode
After arranging the tile, tap Done, the back arrow, or the pencil icon again depending on your phone. Open Quick Settings normally to confirm that the tile appears where you placed it.
Now test the tile. Tap it once. Long-press it. See what happens. Many Quick Settings tiles support two behaviors: a normal tap toggles or launches the quick action, while a long press opens the deeper settings page. This is especially useful for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Location, Do Not Disturb, and app-based tiles like VPN controls.
Step 7: Grant Permissions If Needed
Some custom tiles need permissions before they work. A smart home tile may require you to sign in. A location-related tile may need location access. An automation tile may require accessibility permission, notification access, battery optimization exemption, or device admin privileges. A developer tile may require Developer options to be enabled first.
Do not grant permissions blindly. A flashlight tile probably does not need your contacts. A shortcut that opens a website does not need microphone access. Android gives you power, but with power comes the responsibility to side-eye suspicious permission requests like a cat judging a new couch.
Step 8: Remove Tiles You Do Not Use
Adding custom tiles is fun. Removing unnecessary tiles is what makes the panel useful. Go back into edit mode and drag unused tiles out of the active area or tap Remove if your phone shows a remove button.
A clean Quick Settings layout should feel like a tool belt, not a junk drawer. If you have not used a tile in two weeks, consider moving it off the first page. If you forgot what a tile does, remove it. If a tile opens an app you already keep on the home screen, ask whether it deserves premium swipe-down real estate.
How To Add Custom Tiles On Samsung Galaxy Phones
Samsung Galaxy phones use the Quick panel instead of the plain stock Android Quick Settings layout. On many newer Galaxy devices, swipe down from the top right of the screen to open Quick Settings. Tap the pencil-shaped Edit icon, choose the option to edit quick settings buttons, then touch and hold a button to move it.
Samsung also lets you adjust panel layout options, including controls such as brightness, media output, and device controls. This is helpful if you want Quick Settings to feel less crowded. On older One UI versions, you may open the full panel by swiping down twice or swiping down with two fingers.
If you installed an app with Samsung-compatible Quick Settings tiles, check the available buttons section. Swipe sideways if there are multiple pages of available buttons. Drag the custom tile into the active area, tap Done, and test it.
How To Add Developer Quick Settings Tiles
Android includes a hidden set of Quick Settings tiles for developers. These are not meant for casual use, but they can be extremely handy if you test apps, debug devices, record bugs, or frequently toggle advanced settings.
To access them, first enable Developer options. Go to Settings, open About phone, and tap Build number several times until Android confirms developer mode is enabled. Then go to Settings, open System, choose Developer options, and look for Quick settings developer tiles. Select the tiles you want, then open the Quick Settings editor and drag those developer tiles into the active panel.
Possible developer tiles may include options related to layout bounds, GPU rendering, sensors, debugging, or other testing tools. Use these carefully. They are useful, but they are not decorations. Turning on random developer settings can make your phone look like it is preparing for a science fair.
Best Custom Quick Settings Tile Ideas
The best custom Quick Settings tiles are fast, repeatable, and useful from anywhere. A good tile saves you from opening an app, hunting through menus, or performing the same tiny ritual every day. Here are practical ideas worth considering.
App Shortcut Tiles
An app shortcut tile can launch a specific app, activity, or screen. For example, you might create a tile that opens Google Maps navigation, your authenticator app, a notes app, your camera scanner, or your favorite music playlist. This is especially useful for apps you need quickly but do not want cluttering your home screen.
Smart Home Tiles
If you use Home Assistant or another smart home platform, Quick Settings tiles can trigger scenes, scripts, buttons, or supported smart devices. Imagine pulling down Quick Settings and tapping “Movie Mode” to dim lights, close shades, and make your living room feel expensive. Your couch will not become leather, but emotionally, it helps.
Automation Tiles
Automation apps such as Tasker can use Quick Settings tiles to trigger tasks. You can build tiles for work mode, driving mode, bedtime routines, quick text actions, location-based profiles, audio routing, or custom toggles. Some automation tiles can change appearance based on state, though Android controls much of how tile status is displayed.
Privacy And Security Tiles
Useful privacy tiles include VPN, Location, Camera access, Microphone access, Sensors Off, Lockdown, or app-specific security actions. These tiles are ideal for users who want fast control over what the phone is sharing. Place privacy tiles on the first page if you toggle them often.
Productivity Tiles
Productivity-focused tiles might start a timer, open a calendar view, create a new note, scan a document, start screen recording, launch split-screen mode, or open a specific project app. If your phone is part office, part notebook, and part panic button, productivity tiles can make it feel less chaotic.
Why Your Custom Tile Is Not Showing Up
If you installed an app but cannot find its custom Quick Settings tile, start with the obvious: open the app at least once. Some apps do not register tiles until initial setup is complete. Sign in, grant necessary permissions, create the tile inside the app, then return to the Quick Settings editor.
Next, check whether the tile is buried in the available tiles list. Scroll all the way down, swipe across pages if your phone uses multiple pages, and look for generic names. Shortcut apps often create numbered tiles that do not look meaningful until activated.
If the tile still does not appear, update the app, update Android, and restart the phone. Some manufacturer skins handle Quick Settings tiles differently, and certain older or heavily customized Android versions may not support every TileService-based app correctly. Xiaomi, some regional ROMs, and highly modified Android builds may behave differently from Pixel-style Android.
Finally, confirm that the app actually supports Quick Settings tiles. Not every app does. A feature can be useful and still not exist, which is rude but common in software.
Tips For Organizing Android Quick Settings Like A Pro
Think of your first row or first page as prime real estate. Put the tiles you use several times a week near the front. Good candidates include Internet, Bluetooth, Flashlight, Do Not Disturb, Battery Saver, Hotspot, QR Scanner, Wallet, VPN, Location, and your most important custom tile.
Group related actions together. Keep connectivity tiles near each other, privacy tiles near each other, and smart home tiles together if you use more than one. This reduces the small but annoying mental search you do every time you open the panel.
Avoid duplicating shortcuts. If you already have a home screen icon for an app, a gesture for the camera, and a lock screen shortcut for Wallet, you may not need those same actions in Quick Settings. The panel works best when it contains actions that are useful from inside any app.
Review your layout monthly. Android updates, app updates, and new habits can change what belongs in Quick Settings. A tile you loved last year may now be taking up space like a treadmill being used as a laundry rack.
Custom Tiles For App Developers
If you are an Android app developer, custom Quick Settings tiles are built through Android’s TileService API. A tile should represent a focused, frequently used action, not an entire app. Good examples include toggling a VPN, starting a workout, enabling a focus mode, opening a scanner, or activating a smart device routine.
Developers should avoid creating too many tiles. Android’s design guidance recommends keeping tiles purposeful and limited. A tile should be interactive, clearly labeled, visually recognizable, and useful without forcing the user to understand your entire app. If the action is rare, informational only, or better suited to a notification, widget, or launcher shortcut, it may not belong in Quick Settings.
Tile icons should be simple and readable at small sizes. The label should be short enough to make sense in the panel. The tile state should accurately reflect whether the feature is active, inactive, or unavailable. If your app targets newer Android versions, consider using the tile placement API so users can add the tile through a system prompt instead of manually searching for it.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
The first mistake is adding too many tiles. Quick Settings is supposed to be quick. If the user must scroll through five pages of buttons, congratulations, you have invented Settings again.
The second mistake is placing rarely used tiles at the top. Your first few tiles should be the ones you need most often, not the ones that looked exciting during setup. Flashlight beats “open banana bread recipe folder” unless you live a very specific lifestyle.
The third mistake is ignoring permissions. Custom tiles can be powerful because they connect directly to apps and services. That power is useful, but only if you trust the app. Install shortcut utilities and automation apps from reputable developers, check their reviews, and review the data safety information before handing over sensitive permissions.
The fourth mistake is not testing long-press actions. Long-pressing a tile often opens deeper controls, which can save even more time than the tile itself. This is especially useful for Bluetooth device selection, Wi-Fi networks, hotspot settings, Do Not Disturb schedules, and app-specific configuration screens.
Extra Experience: What It Feels Like To Use Custom Quick Settings Tiles Every Day
After using custom Quick Settings tiles for a while, the biggest change is not that your phone looks different. It is that your phone starts feeling less like a maze. Small actions that used to require opening an app, waiting for it to load, tapping a tab, and finding a switch become one swipe and one tap. That may sound tiny, but tiny friction adds up. Phones are full of tiny friction. Custom tiles remove some of it.
For example, a VPN tile is a classic quality-of-life upgrade. Instead of opening the VPN app every time you join public Wi-Fi, you swipe down and tap. A smart home tile can be even better. If you frequently turn off lights, unlock a door, run a “leaving home” scene, or toggle a fan, a Quick Settings tile feels faster than opening a smart home app and waiting for its dashboard to remember it has a job.
Automation tiles can be addictive in the best way. A “Work Mode” tile might turn on Do Not Disturb, lower media volume, open your task app, and disable distracting notifications. A “Driving” tile might start navigation, turn up brightness, and open a music app. A “Bedtime” tile might dim the screen, set an alarm, turn on grayscale, and tell your phone to stop acting like a tiny casino in your hand.
The trick is to start small. Add one or two custom tiles that solve a real annoyance. Do not begin by creating a 19-tile masterpiece called “Operation Productivity Eagle.” You will forget what half the buttons do by Friday. Begin with a VPN tile, QR scanner, Hotspot, Battery Saver, smart home scene, or a shortcut to your most-used app action. Use it for a week. If it saves time, keep it. If you ignore it, remove it without guilt.
Another lesson is that placement matters more than people expect. A custom tile on the first page becomes part of your muscle memory. A custom tile on the third page becomes a rumor. If you truly need a tile often, put it near the top. If it is useful but occasional, place it lower. If it is only there because you thought it was cool, it can probably leave.
Custom tiles are also great for people who help family members with phones. You can place the most important actions directly in Quick Settings: flashlight, QR scanner, hotspot, screen record, font size, color inversion, magnification, or a trusted calling app. For less technical users, fewer visible choices can be better. A clean panel with six useful tiles beats a crowded panel with twenty mysterious icons.
My favorite approach is to treat Quick Settings as a “top tasks” panel, not a settings museum. Ask yourself: what do I change often, what do I need quickly, and what do I hate digging through menus to find? Those answers should decide your layout. The best Quick Settings panel is not the fanciest one. It is the one that makes your phone feel like it finally got the memo.
Conclusion
Learning how to add custom tiles to Quick Settings in Android is one of the easiest ways to make your phone faster, smarter, and more personal. Whether you use a Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, Motorola, OnePlus, or another Android device, the basic idea is the same: open the Quick Settings editor, add the tiles you need, arrange them by priority, and remove anything that wastes space.
Custom tiles are most useful when they perform quick, repeatable actions. Use them for app shortcuts, VPN controls, QR scanning, smart home scenes, automation routines, developer tools, privacy toggles, and productivity shortcuts. Keep the layout clean, review it occasionally, and remember that the best tile is the one you actually use.
Android gives you the tools to build a control panel that fits your habits. With a few thoughtful custom tiles, your phone can stop feeling like a crowded menu system and start feeling like a shortcut machine with excellent pocket manners.
