How to make Android 12 device control panel easier to access

One of the first things you might notice when you get Android 12 on your phone is that great Android functionality isn’t where you expect it to be.

I’m talking about the device control panel that Google added to the operating system with the Android 11 version last year. The panel offers a set of convenient controls that allow you to access and adjust smart lights and other connected gadgets installed in your home.

On Pixel phones, at least, this panel would appear when you held down the power button on your phone. With Android 12, however, this is no longer part of the power button menu. But don’t despair: it’s not quite gone. It just takes one extra step and a little preparation to reach it.

Reposition your Android 12 device’s control panel

First, locate this sign. In Android 12, the panel moved from the power button menu to the operating system’s Quick Settings area (this is where some device makers, including Samsung, had it hidden in Android 11, from anyway).

By default, you’ll probably have to swipe down twice from the top of your screen, and then maybe even swipe left once or twice to find it. But with about 60 seconds of setup, you can move it to a much more optimal position:

• Swipe down twice from the top of your screen to open the full Quick Settings area. If you already see a “Device Controls” command in any of the first four places on this menu, you’re good to go. Otherwise, you’ll want to do a bit of fine tuning.
• Tap the pencil icon in the lower left corner of the Quick Settings area. If you’re using a phone other than a Pixel, you might need to tap a three-line menu icon and then search for an “Edit” command instead.
• Find the “Device Controls” tile, then hold it down and drag it to one of the first four positions in the Quick Settings area.
• Tap the arrow in the upper left corner of the screen to save and exit.

Now that the option is in a more visible position, you can still access it with just a swipe down from the top of your screen instead of two.

Granted, it’s still not as convenient as the old power button location, but it’s a step in the right direction – and at this point, it’s about the best you can do.