How to Add Custom Shortcuts to Your Android Quick Settings Menu
Android’s Quick Settings menu is one of the easiest ways to access a feature or perform a task on an Android smartphone. Swipe down from the top of your screen, tap on a quick setting shortcut, and you’re done.
Unfortunately, only a limited number of features can be accessed from the Quick Settings menu. Depending on the brand of your Android smartphone, you may get more features or fewer. But what if you could perform an unlimited number of tasks from your Quick Settings menu? Interested? Here’s how to go about it.
Add or Remove Built-In Quick Settings Shortcuts
If you just need a quick way to add a shortcut to your Quick Settings menu, Android has a hassle-free way to achieve this by default. To do this:
Using this route can only get you as far as your smartphone manufacturer allows. We’ve previously detailedhow to add an app shortcut to your Quick Settings menu, but that as well can only give you an easy way to launch an app and maybe perform a few app-related functions.
If you want the freedom of adding just about any action or shortcut to your Quick Settings menu, there’s a workaround. One of the most effective ways is to use an automation app like MacroDroid.
Create Your Own Custom Quick Settings Shortcuts Using MacroDroid
In case you’re not familiar with MacroDroid, it is one of the most useful andversatile Android automation appsyou can get. It lets youautomate just about any task on your Android phone.
How can you use it to add custom actions to your Quick Settings tiles? To begin, head to the Play Store and installMacroDroid. It might ask you to grant a slew of permissions. It needs all those to function properly, so ensure to grant them.
We’ll split the whole process into two primary steps:
Step 1: Create an Action Block to Set Up the Task
There are an endless number of tasks or actions it’s possible to create shortcuts for, but for this demonstration, we’ll keep things simple. We’ll be creating an action that records a 30-second voice note of any active conversation. It could be useful for those times you want to quickly record a conversation without letting anyone notice.
The Add Action screen is where you get to select which action you want to create a shortcut to. There are dozens of possible actions, and you can combine as many as you want to create just about any task. But we’ll just stick to an action that uses the mic to record for 30 seconds.
On theAdd Actionscreen, locate and tap onMedia > Record Microphone > 30 Seconds > OK.
SelectStandard Microphoneand tapOK. Up next, you’ll be prompted to select your preferred audio file format for recording. You can opt for3GPP,MPEG4, orAAC. Choose3GPP.
On the next screen, tap on the edit icon and navigate to the folder you want to save your audio recording. Tap onUse this folderat the bottom of your screen and then tapOK. You’ll be returned to the action editing screen. Tap on the checkmark icon in the bottom right corner of your screen to save the action.
Then you’ll be returned to theAction Blockscreen; hit the Back button to return to the MacroDroid home screen.
Step 2: Adding a Task Shortcut to the Quick Settings Menu
You’ve created an action or task, now is the time to make it easily accessible through the Quick Settings menu. To do this:
Once you’ve reached this point, you’re almost done.
From your MacroDroid home screen, tap onAdd Macro, and enter any macro name you prefer on the input area labeledEnter Macro Name. Tap the+button on the top of theTriggerspanel and then locate and tap onMacroDroid Specific. Tap onQuick Settings Tile, selectSecret Voice(or whatever you named your Quick Settings shortcut earlier), and then tapOK > OK.
Next, tap the+icon on the top of the panel labeledAction, navigate toMacroDroid Specific > Action Block > Secret Recorder(the action block we created earlier), and then tapOK.
With that done, your Quick Settings tile is ready for use. Simply swipe down from the top of your screen to reveal your Quick Settings menu, tap theediticon and add the shortcut tile labeledMacroDroid tile 1to your active Quick Settings tiles to start using it.
If you use a Samsung device and are having difficulties with adding the MacroDroid tile 1, here’show to add tiles to your Samsung Quick Settings menu.
What Else Can You Add to the Quick Settings Menu?
It might seem like a lot of work to add a voice recorder to your Quick Settings menu, but it’s only an example of what you could do. There’s a long list of tasks you can add to the menu and access with just a few swipes.
If you change your font size regularly, you can create a tile that scales up your font with a single tap. Do you open a certain URL frequently? You can add it to your Quick Settings menu and have it open with your preferred browser instantly. You could even add a button that posts a random tweet to your Twitter account every time you tap it. The possibilities are endless.
Take Advantage of Android Customization
One of the reasons Android is incredibly popular is the huge room for customization it offers. Don’t let it go to waste, take full advantage of all the ways you can customize your phone. Explore more and try out new things. MacroDroid and other Android automation and customization apps can help you achieve this.
Tasker is the best automation app for Android. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll show you what you can use it for and how to get started.
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