6 Quick Settings tiles I can't live without on Android

Quick Settings may have become one of those forgotten good old Android features, but over the past couple of updates, especially Android 16 and Android 17, the panel has sort of had a resurgence. Android 16 introduced resizable tiles, while Android 17 added things like separate Wi-Fi and mobile data controls, alongside a more customizable layout.

And with Quick Settings becoming more customizable than ever, I’ve recently started setting up my Android phones in a way that lets me access more features directly from the panel, as I find the default selection of Quick Settings tiles on both Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones still pretty bare-bones.

There are plenty of features I use almost every day that aren’t available in the default setup. So, apart from the usual Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and flashlight controls, there are six Quick Settings tiles I always add as soon as I set up a new Android phone.

Google TV Remote

One of the first Quick Settings tiles I add to my Android phone is the Google TV Remote. I have Google TVs across my home, and as convenient as physical remotes are, I somehow manage to lose them all the time. So having quick access to a remote directly from my phone comes in handy more often than I’d like to admit.

The Google TV Remote tile lets me quickly connect to the TV and brings up the remote interface directly from the Quick Settings panel. With this Quick Setting tile, I don’t need to open the Google TV app, find the remote section, and then connect to the TV every single time.

Instead, just tap the tile and control the Google TV directly from there. If you have a Google TV in your home, this is one underrated Quick Setting tile that I recommend adding.

Calculator

A calculator is something that you don’t need all the time, but somehow always when you need it, it isn’t right in front of you. Sure, opening the app drawer and finding the Calculator app only takes a few seconds, but I prefer having it directly in my Quick Settings menu.

This way, whenever I need to quickly calculate something, the Calculator is just a swipe and tap away. It still opens the same Calculator app you’d normally use, but having the shortcut in Quick Settings makes it much easier to access.

Wi-Fi hotspot

Another Quick Settings tile I always keep around is Wi-Fi hotspot. I’m constantly on the move and often find myself writing on the go, so having quick access to my phone’s hotspot is something I use quite frequently.

Instead of opening Settings, finding the hotspot menu, and turning it on every time, the Wi-Fi hotspot tile lets me do the same thing with a single tap.

Recorder

One of the best features on Google Pixel phones is the Recorder app. I recently wrote about how Recorder has replaced my AI note-taking subscription. The app generates transcripts on the go, works offline, and even syncs to an online dashboard where I can access my recordings and meeting notes from both my phone and laptop.

One way I keep the Recorder easily accessible on my Pixel is by adding its Quick Settings tile. Similar to the Calculator tile, it doesn’t add any new functionality, but it lets you immediately start a recording session without first opening the Recorder app. It’s particularly useful if you attend a lot of meetings or, like me, you’re a journalist who constantly needs to record briefings and take notes.

QR code scanner

It’s 2026, and I still can’t believe that the main Camera app on many Android phones doesn’t have a QR code scanner built in. Sure, Google requires Android phones to offer easy access to the Search bar on the home screen, which means Google Lens and its QR scanner are usually only a few taps away, but it’s still baffling that something this basic isn’t directly available in the Camera app on every Android phone.

That’s why I like keeping the QR Code Scanner tile in my Quick Settings menu. Tapping it immediately launches a camera overlay with the QR scanner ready to go, so I don’t have to open the Camera app or return to the home screen to find Google Lens.

You can even use it to scan QR codes from images already saved in your gallery, which makes the shortcut even more useful.

Focus mode

I have around a hundred apps installed on my Android phone, with notifications coming in left, right, and center. And especially during working hours, it gets pretty annoying when I get notifications from friends’ group chats, X (Twitter) when I’m following a topic, or from someone sending me Instagram Reels.

One way I’ve recently started dealing with this is by keeping the Focus mode tile in my Quick Settings menu. Focus mode isn’t particularly new. It’s been part of Digital Wellbeing for quite a while. But if you haven’t used it before, it basically lets you select distracting apps and temporarily pause them, including their notifications.

You can schedule Focus Mode to automatically turn on during certain hours, but that’s not really how I work. I usually turn it on whenever I’m properly in the zone and need to get something done, which is why having the Quick Settings tile is much more useful for me.

Once you’ve selected your distracting apps in Focus Mode, you can simply tap the Quick Settings tile to pause all of them at once. When you’re done working, tap it again, and everything goes back to normal.

These are some of the Quick Settings tiles I usually add whenever I’m setting up a new Android phone. Of course, there are plenty of other useful ones as well. If you regularly use a VPN, you might want a shortcut for that, while Screen Record and Screen Cast are also worth keeping around.

But these are the six I find myself using the most. What are some of your most-used Quick Settings tiles? Let us know in the comments below.