Getting annoyed with the Control Center not working on your iPhone?
Control Center lets you quickly access essential settings like Wi-Fi, Cellular Data, and more. You can also customize it to include your preferred system controls.
However, it can be frustrating when the Control Center doesn’t show up or work as expected.
This forces you to open settings, go through several tabs and manually turn certain features on/off.
In this guide, we’ll show you what to do if the Control Center is not working on your iPhone.
Let’s jump right in!
1. Restart Your iPhone.
Restarting your iPhone is one of the most basic things you can do when you encounter issues.
This forces your device to reload system resources, which resolves temporary errors in the process.
It also clears corrupted and unused app data from the system memory.
If you are using an iPhone X, 11, 12, 13, 14, or later, here’s what you need to do:
- Hold down the Volume Down button and Side button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt appears.
- Now, drag the slider to the right and wait for 30 seconds.
- Press the Side button afterward to turn on your device.
For older models, follow the steps below:
- Locate the Power button on your device.
- Now, hold the button until the ‘Slide to Power Off’ prompt shows up.
- Drag the slider to the right and wait 30 seconds before turning on your device.
Try reaccessing the Control Center to check if the problem is solved.
2. Allow Control Center on Lockscreen.
By default, the Control Center is disabled when your iPhone is locked.
This prevents other users from turning off features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and more. However, you can enable the Control Center from the lockscreen if you want to.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Now, go to Face ID & Passcode.
- Enter your passcode when prompted.
- Scroll down to the ‘Allow Access When Locked’ section.
- Enable Control Center.
Lock your device and see if you can now access the Control Center from the lockscreen.
3. Enable Control Center Within Apps.
Another reason why the Control Center is not working is that it’s not allowed to draw over applications.
If you can only open the Control Center from your home screen, it is likely that access within apps is disabled.
Follow the steps below to enable Control Center within apps:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Next, scroll down and tap on the Control Center.
- Ensure that Access Within Apps is enabled.
- Restart your iPhone.
Open random applications on your iPhone and see if the Control Center works.
4. Disable VoiceOver.
VoiceOver is a feature on your iPhone that helps a visually impaired person navigate the interface.
This also modifies on-screen gestures, and you won’t be able to access the Control Center by swiping down.
If you don’t need VoiceOver, follow the steps below to disable it:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Now, go to Accessibility.
- Tap on VoiceOver and disable the feature.
Try accessing the Control Center again to check if the problem is solved.
5. Re-Add Items.
If certain items in the Control Center are not working, you can try removing and adding them back.
This should refresh your controls and resolve temporary issues.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Go to Settings > Control Center.
- Now, tap the ‘-’ icon beside the item you want to remove.
- Tap Delete to confirm your action.
- Repeat the process until you’ve removed all faulty Control Center items.
Once done, re-add the items to the Control Center and check if the problem is solved.
6. Update Your iPhone.
There might be an issue with the version of iOS you’re using that causes the Control Center to malfunction.
To rule this out, see if there are available updates for your iPhone and install them.
See the steps below to update your device:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Navigate to General > Software Update.
- If there’s a new iOS version available, tap Download and Install.
- Once the new software is ready, follow the prompts to install the update.
Note
- Your device can restart several times while installing the update.
- Make sure that your iPhone has at least 50% battery before installing updates. It’s best to keep your device plugged into the wall charger to avoid interruptions.
- Allow at least 15 minutes for the update to install, especially if it’s a major update (iOS 14 to iOS 15).
Access the Control Center again to check if the problem is solved.
7. Reset Your Settings.
Some settings on your iPhone may have been changed and caused conflict.
Instead of finding what settings changed, we suggest resetting your settings to ensure that everything’s in order.
Check out the steps below to reset your settings:
- On your iPhone, go to the main menu and open Settings.
- Now, tap on General.
- Look for Transfer or Reset iPhone and tap on it.
- Tap the Reset option and select Reset All Settings.
- Follow the prompts to continue.
Note
- Your iPhone will immediately restart upon resetting your configurations.
- It may appear to be stuck in the Apple logo. Wait for the process to complete, which usually takes 5 to 10 minutes.
Wait for your phone to initialize and see if the Control Center works.
8. Contact Apple.
If none of the solutions above worked, we recommend that you leave the matter to the experts.
Head to Apple’s support page and look up the problem you’re experiencing. You should see suggested solutions with related articles about the Control Center.
On the other hand, you can also get in touch with Apple’s team through chat or phone for further assistance.
That wraps up our guide for fixing the Control Center if it’s not working on your iPhone. If you have clarifications, leave a comment below, and we’ll be glad to help.
