Control Center
Control Center is a one-stop screen for common features and settings, such as connecting to a network, increasing screen brightness or volume, and even turning the built-in flashlight on or off. Here's how to use it:
1 To display Control Center with iPhones that have Home buttons, swipe up from the very bottom of the screen. For iPhones without Home buttons, access Control Center by swiping from the upper-right corner of the screen to the center. The Control Center screen appears.
2 In the Control Center screen, tap a button or tap and drag a slider to access or adjust a setting (see Figure 3-5).FIGURE 3-5
3 After you make a change, swipe the top of Control Center down to hide the screen.
Some options in Control Center are hidden from initial view, but may be accessed by pressing-and-holding (using slightly more force than a typical tap) a button in Control Center. For example, use press-and-hold on any of the Communications buttons (Airplane Mode, Cellular Data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth) to reveal two more options: AirDrop and Personal Hotspot (as shown in Figure 3-6).
Other press-and-hold options in Control Center include
Adjust the Flashlight brightness level.
Select a device for Airplay.
Set a quick timer.
Instantly start recording video or take a selfie.
Did you notice the large amount of empty space in Control Center when you opened it? That’s because iOS 14 allows you to customize Control Center (a feature I love). All that extra space is waiting to be filled by you:
1 Tap Settings.
2 Tap Control Center to open the Control Center screen (shown in Figure 3-7).FIGURE 3-7
3 Add or remove items from Control Center:To remove an item, tap the red circle with the “-” to the left, and then tap the Remove button that appears to the right.To add an item, tap the green circle with the “+” to the left. You’ll see the item in Control Center the next time you visit it. Remember to use press-and-hold to find any extras for the item. If the item just bounces when you press-and-hold, there are no further options.
Lock Screen Rotation
You may have noticed that when you hold your iPhone in portrait (narrow and tall) or landscape (wide and low) mode, the items on the screen usually flip to match that orientation. However, sometimes you may not want your screen orientation to flip when you move your phone around. Use these steps to lock the iPhone in portrait orientation (narrow and tall, not wide and low):
1 Open Control Center.
2 Tap the Lock Screen button. (It’s the button that looks like a padlock with a circular arrow around it.) When locked, the button appears white.
3 Swipe down from the top of Control Center to hide it.
Explore the Status Bar
Across the top of the iPhone screen is the Status bar (see Figure 3-8). Tiny icons in this area can provide useful information, such as the time, battery level, and wireless-connection status. Table 3-1 lists some of the most common items you find on the Status bar.
TABLE 3-1 Common Status Bar Icons
| Icon | Name | What It Indicates |
|---|---|---|
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Wi-Fi | You’re connected to a Wi-Fi network. |
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Activity | A task is in progress — a web page is loading, for example. |
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Time | You guessed it: You see the time. |
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Screen Rotation Lock | The screen is locked in portrait orientation and doesn’t rotate when you turn the iPhone. |
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Battery Life | This shows the charge percentage remaining in the battery. The indicator changes to a lightning bolt when the battery is charging. |
Apple supplies a full list of Status bar icons at https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207354. Keep in mind that icons may not be in the same location on the Status bar, depending on whether your iPhone has a Home button or not.
