Phones was sufficiently small that my thumb might simply attain each nook of the display. But today even the smallest telephones have screens greater than 6 inches, whereas units just like the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra are pushing 7 inches. Phones are getting too massive to make use of one-handed, and that is not prone to change anytime quickly. For me, probably the most annoying quirks about upgrading from a 5.4-inch iPhone 12 Mini to a 6.1-inch iPhone 16 was how tough it’s to entry the Control Center. This is the iOS function that lets me change my display brightness, toggle Airplane Mode, use the Flashlight and lock my display rotation, amongst numerous different features. If your iPhone nonetheless has the Home Button, you may open the Control Center just by swiping up from the underside of the display. But on newer iPhones with a notch or Dynamic Island, you need to swipe down from the highest proper nook. In idea, it needs to be simple. In apply, it may require some elaborate finger gymnastics, particularly on a display that is pushing 7 inches. AppleIf I transfer my finger too far to the left, I’ll get the Notification Center as a substitute of the Control Center. And if I solely have one hand free to make use of my cellphone, it may be nearly unattainable to stretch out my thumb and attain for that nook (oh, how I want Apple would carry again the iPhone Mini).However, I’ve realized just a few tips that allow me entry the Control Center extra simply. Use the Reachability functionThe easiest option to attain the highest of your iPhone’s display with one hand is by utilizing the Reachability function. It permits you to pull down all the high half of the display. All you need to do to allow Reachability is swipe down on the underside fringe of your display: This will carry the highest proper nook of your display inside thumb’s attain, letting you open the Control Center with out adjusting your grip in your cellphone. Once you’ve got arrange Reachability, you need to use the function by swiping down on the underside fringe of your display. Screenshots by Jason Chun/CNETIf you are not in a position to make use of Reachability in your iPhone, this is how one can activate the function. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch. Then toggle on Reachability.While Reachability is useful, it is not at all times essentially the most intuitive to make use of. It may also restrict your entry to the decrease half of your display quickly. If your purpose is to simply open the Control Center, you do have another choices. Turn on Back TapDo you know that the again of your iPhone is technically a button? Back Tap is likely one of the gadget’s most helpful hidden options, permitting you to entry a variety of features with out touching the display. It works even if you happen to use your iPhone with a case. And it simply permits you to open the Control Center whereas utilizing your gadget with one hand. You can use Double Tap or Triple Tap to entry the Control Center. Screenshots by Jason Chun/CNETTo allow Back Tap to open Control Center, go to Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Back Tap. From there, choose Double Tap or Triple Tap, then choose Control Center. Once you’ve got arrange Back Tap, you may carry up the Control Center with one finger, just by tapping two or 3 times on the again of your cellphone. You might need to apply doing it on the proper velocity, in order that your cellphone appropriately registers your faucets. But as soon as you’ve got mastered Back Tap, you will not should even take into consideration reaching for the highest proper nook of your display once more.Create a Shortcut bookmarkYou may also entry the Control Center in your iPhone by making a customized Shortcut bookmark. The bookmark is actually an app that you would be able to transfer to any spot on your property display (particularly in case you have iOS 18, which provides you extra freedom to rearrange your apps). You can create a customized Shortcut bookmark so as to add to your Home Screen. Screenshots by Jason Chun/CNETTo create the Control Center bookmark, open the Shortcuts app and hit the plus (+) signal within the high proper nook. Then, within the Search Actions finder, kind Control Center and choose the choice Show Control Center. In the next drop-down menu, choose Add to Home Screen. You’ll see choices to customise the icon, or you may merely choose Add to skip. You can transfer this bookmark round such as you would with any app. Screenshots by Jason Chun/CNETNow you’ve one other option to open the Control Center with out doing thumb stretches. One disadvantage to this technique is that you would be able to solely entry the Shortcut if you happen to’re in your iPhone’s Home Screen, or whichever app web page you’ve got positioned the bookmark. If you are in the course of watching a Netflix present, shopping on Safari or doing something in one other app, you may must exit the app to get to this bookmark.There’s nonetheless yet one more option to open your Control Center, and this technique works regardless of which app you are utilizing. Use the Action ButtonOn the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 sequence, you may customise the Action Button to carry out nearly any operate you may think about. You can use it to run any Shortcut — together with opening the Control Center.To set your Action Button to set off the Control Center, comply with the identical steps for making a Shortcut bookmark. Then make one modification: Go to your Shortcut for the Control Center and alter the motion from Show to Toggle. Change your Shortcut for the Control Center from “Show” to “Toggle”, earlier than setting it as your Action Button operate. Screenshots by Jason Chun/CNETNext, go to Settings > Action Button and swipe to pick the Shortcut possibility. In the menu, you may see a listing of your accessible Shortcuts. Choose Control Center. Now you can open and shut your Control Center at any time with a fast press of the Action Button.By default, the Action Button is your Silent/Ring change, and also you may miss having that operate by altering it to this Shortcut. However, the Control Center is a way more versatile possibility for the Action Button. And you may nonetheless have easy accessibility to the Silent/Ring change by going to — the place else? — the Control Center.For extra iPhone ideas, study concerning the iOS settings that may drain your battery, and take a look at 10 hidden options in iOS 18.2.
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