You may very well want to add more shortcuts to your mobile, and to have everything accessible with a touch or two This is essential for many users, both to save time and to avoid getting lost in menus. Notification panels, expandable quick settings, and apps that create shortcuts are a fantastic way to personalize your Android experience and get to what you really need faster.
On Android there are Specific applications to improve and expand quick settingsThese apps give you easy access not only to system shortcuts (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, brightness, etc.), but also to applications, advanced features, and even performance tools. We've discussed some of these over time, so we've decided to compile several and add more useful information to help you choose the one that best suits your needs.
We're going to suggest several apps: they all serve a similar purpose, but each one implements it in a very different way. You'll see options to add Shortcutsto customize the notification panel, to create new buttons using Android APIs, and to access deep system adjustments without having to navigate through endless menus.
Quick Settings - Toggle
This app has many Interesting options without having to paywhich is appreciated if you want to improve your shortcuts without spending money. Alterna It proposes an idea of quick settings that you can access at any time, no matter what app you're in on your Android device, without needing to open the traditional top panel.
You can access your favorite apps with a simple swipe. From the bottom corner (any corner you like) towards the center of the screen. This gesture creates a kind of floating panel with shortcuts to your most frequently used apps and tools. For those who use their phone with one hand, this type of access from the bottom is especially convenient.
In addition, Alterna adds even more adjustments to the navigation bar These options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, screen brightness, flashlight, and mobile data, all displayed as persistent notifications for easy access. This saves you from having to go to the system's Settings app and navigate through multiple screens.
The shortcuts to the apps from the bottom corner are fully customizableYou can choose which apps appear, change their order, and decide which corner you want to use to trigger the gesture. This transforms the bottom of the screen into a quick control zone tailored to your daily use.
Another important advantage, inspired by common user feedback on this type of app, is that Alterna It doesn't need an excessive number of permissions To function: it focuses on offering quick access without excessively invading privacy or overloading the phone with unnecessary processes, something that should always be monitored in this type of tool.
Bottom Quick Settings
This app called Bottom Quick Settings It's designed so you can open your quick settings with easier and more accessibleSince it's accessed by swiping up from the bottom, it works very well for phones with large screens, where reaching the top with your finger can be awkward.
It works simply: swiping from the bottom edge reveals a panel inspired by Android's quick settings, but moved to the bottomThis is especially useful if you use your phone with one hand or if you want to replicate the experience of some manufacturers who have already moved the controls downwards.
Shortcuts are quite limited in the free version, although they may be sufficient for many users: you can access the most basic ones such as Wi-Fi, mobile data, screen orientation, Bluetooth, flashlight or do not disturb modeYou can also add volume or brightness sliders to control sound and lighting without having to use the physical buttons.
If you would like to To add or customize more options, you'll have to pay.The paid version costs €2,29 and includes the ability to change colors, icons, tile order, add more shortcuts, and other customization options. Unlike other apps plagued with full-screen ads, this clear payment model helps avoid annoying delays when you need something quickly.
In any case, the free version is highly recommended, and if you don't need extensive customization, this app is very practical. One of its most useful features is that you can activate it and deactivate it whenever you wantThis is in case you use system navigation gestures and don't want conflicts between the two. This way you can test if it adapts well to your mobile usage style.
Quick Settings
We already talked about Quick Settings a while agoBut we thought it would be interesting to add it again because it focuses on leveraging the Android Extensible Quick Settings API. Quick Settings is one of the least intrusive apps on the list, since It is applied directly to the shortcuts we already have. in our system, by adding new tiles to the native panel.
We simply selected the mosaics we want and we add them to our quick settings. You can find shortcuts to features like airplane mode, data, Wi-Fi, brightness, auto-rotate, flashlight, or sound, but also others geared towards advanced users, such as developers or those who frequently test new features.
Yes, Some tiles are only for root.So, if you're a superuser, you'll have many more options: shortcuts to deep settings, debugging tools, advanced network changes, or actions that would normally require several steps within the Settings app. The integration with the original panel makes it seem like all these features come standard with the system.
One very clear advantage is that you don't need to learn a new interface: you continue using the familiar notification panel and quick settingsBut with more buttons, much like how other apps (such as music services, productivity apps, or smart brightness apps) leverage this API to add their own features. This reduces the learning curve and keeps your phone tidy.
If you want to know more about this, take a look at our guide, where we delve into how these tiles are configured, what advantages they offer over floating solutions, and how to combine Quick Settings with other services that also add custom buttons.
powershade
Adding options is great, but to customize it to your liking, it's also important to be able to Customize the design of the notification bar and quick settingsThat is precisely what allows us powershade, an easy-to-understand and fast app, that Change the appearance of your notification bar and the quick settings panel to give them a more complete touch or one more similar to that of other customization layers.
Power Shade focuses on visuals and organization: it lets you change colors, icons, tile shape, quick access layout and other aesthetic details. If your phone has an interface you don't like, or you want something cleaner and more organized, this app lets you give it a much more polished look without needing to install a custom ROM.
The app is free, but some options require payment. However, to modify basic colors, toolbar style, and icon organization The free options are sufficient, so you can have a more pleasant quick settings panel without having to spend any money if you don't want to.
One of Power Shade's strengths is its attempt to seamlessly integrate notifications and quick access features, helping to avoid the feeling of bloatware with too many functions and background processes. The goal here is to give you more visual and organizational control, without hindering access to your notifications or system buttons.
If you combine Power Shade with any of the apps above, you can achieve a Accessible lower panel, additional tiles, and a fully customized design to your liking. This reduces the steps required to change frequent settings such as Wi-Fi, data, brightness, or airplane mode, something that on many phones still requires three or four taps from the traditional Settings app.
What did you think? Will you be using any?
All these shortcuts and custom panels exist so you don't have to waste time navigating through deep menus every time you want to activate airplane mode, change the brightness, check data usage, or adjust the sound. Take advantage of the quick settings apps, custom tiles, and panel customization tools It allows you to adapt Android to the way you use your mobile phone, speeding up tasks you do several times a day and making everything truly just one or two taps away.
