The Control Center on Apple Watch gives you quick access to important controls and settings, making the smartwatch easy to navigate and manage.
Once you open the quick-access menu, you get frequently used functions and settings, including Bluetooth, Battery, DND mode, Wi-Fi, Airplane mode, Flashlight, and Water Lock.
Apple added the Control Center to its smartwatches to streamline user experience, and now you can adjust different settings without navigating multiple menus.
How Do I Open the Control Center on Apple Watch?
Press the side button to open the Control Center, and then press the Digital Crown to close it and go back to the watch face.
Note that you can’t swipe up on Apple Watch to access the Control Center if you’ve already updated your watch to watchOS 10 or watchOS 11.
Apple moved the accessibility option to the side button to improve usability for every user, including those who have wet hands, wear gloves, or engage in outdoor activities.
Apple Watch Control Center Icons and What They Mean
There are 18 icons in the Control Center on your Apple Watch. Each icon is a standalone feature or setting for a specific function. The table below is a list of all the icons and a brief explanation of what they mean:
| Button | Name | Description | Learn More |
 | Airplane Mode | Disable all wireless connections on the watch, including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular. | See Airplane mode on Apple Watch. |
 | Do Not Disturb (DND) | Disables all notifications and helps you stay focused. | See DND on Apple Watch. |
 | Silent Mode | Silence sound alerts and haptic feedback, but don’t disable notifications. | See how to silence Apple Watch. |
 | Theater Mode | Turn off raise to wake to keep the watch from distracting you when watching a movie. | See using theater mode on Apple Watch. |
 | Water Lock | Disables the screen to prevent taps and touches when the watch gets into contact with water. | See water lock mode on Apple Watch. |
 | Battery | See the current battery level on your Apple Watch and charging indicator when connected to power. | See battery life on Apple Watch. |
 | Wi-Fi | Scans for Wi-Fi networks and connects automatically to a previously used network. | See how to connect Apple Watch to Wi-Fi. |
| Bluetooth | Turn on to connect to external devices such as iPhone and wireless headsets or turn off to disable connection. | See Bluetooth on Apple Watch. | |
 | Cellular | See the signal strength of your cellular plan and even turn cellular connection on or off by tapping this icon. | See everything about cellular on Apple Watch. |
| AirPlay | Use it to stream content (video or audio) from Apple Watch to compatible AirPlay devices such as TVs and speakers. | See how to use AirPlay on Apple Watch. | |
| Screen Mirroring | Tap the screen-mirroring button if you want to mirror your Apple Watch onto your iPhone or Apple TV screen. | See how to mirror an Apple Watch. | |
| Alarm | Use the alarm icon to access the alarm settings on your Apple Watch. | See how to manage alarms on Apple Watch. | |
| Sleep Mode | Enable sleep mode to dim screen display and silences notifications so that you can sleep well throughout the night. | See how to use Apple Watch to track sleep. | |
| Find My | Use Find My on your Apple Watch to find your iPhone if you can’t remember where you placed it or if it’s lost. | See how to find my Apple Watch. | |
 | Flash Light | Tap the icon to turn the display of your watch into a flash light. | See how to use Apple Watch flash light. |
| Music Control | Get faster access to audio playback on the watch, so you can pause, play, skip, and adjust volume accordingly. | See how to play music on Apple Watch. |
Can I Customize the Apple Watch Control Center Icons?
Yes, you can customize the icons in the control center via the Watch app on your iPhone. You have the option to rearrange, remove, or add the icons accordingly, so they appear based on your preference.
Open Watch app on your iPhone. Then, tap the Control Center option under My Watch tab to see the controls and settings you can add, rearrange, and remove from the Control Center on your smartwatch.
- Tap the Edit button to rearrange how you want the icons to appear in the Control Center on your Apple Watch.
- Tap the green plus button next to an available item to add to the Control Center.
- Tap the red minus icon to delete or reduce the number of icons that appear in the Control Center.
Why Did Apple Watch Control Center Disappear After Update?
Did you update your Apple Watch only for the Control Center to disappear thereafter? It’s because you installed watchOS 10 or 11, which doesn’t support swiping up to open the Control Center.
Apple made significant changes to how users navigate Apple Watches with the release of the latest watchOS. One of the noticeable changes is the removal of the swipe up function to open the Control Center.
The reason for removing the swipe up gesture was to improve navigation and prevent triggering the Control Center with unintended swipe. Therefore, you no longer open the Control Center if you’ve updated your Apple Watch to watchOS 10 or 11. You have to press the side button instead.
Swiping up on Apple Watch now opens the Smart Stack, which is a customizable list of widgets that lets you view important information at a glance.
