How to Use Control Center in macOS Big Sur

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How to Use Control Center on Mac

macOS Big Sur has added a Control Center to the Mac. It is a handy way to have several controls like display brightness, keyboard backlight, AirDrop visibility, and more in one place. The idea behind it is the same as that on the iPhone and iPad. But it has been slightly modified to adapt better for desktop. Without further ado, let us get straight in and see how to use and customize the Control Center on Mac running macOS Big Sur.

How to Access More Controls in macOS Big Sur Control Center

The icon for Control Center sits in the top-right of the Menu Bar. To access it, simply click once on it.

click on control center from menubar on mac

From here, you can pause or skip a playing song. You can also drag the slider for display or sound to change its values. If you click on the display icon, it expands the menu, and you see more in-depth options like Dark Mode, Night Shift, True Tone.

change display adjustment of mac from control center

To enable or disable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirDrop, and Do Not Disturb, click on their small icons. If you click on their names, it enlarges and gives you deeper controls.

For example, except for the icon, if you click anywhere on Wi-Fi, it opens in a card and lets you switch networks or even open Network Preferences. The same goes for Bluetooth. To go back to the Control Center, click on the top row with option name (like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.)

change wi-fi network from control center in macos big sur

Now, you may think I already could do these with icons on the Menu Bar in earlier macOS versions. And you would be correct. However, one fine addition is the ability to enable, disable, and change AirDrop settings.

If you own several Apple devices and rely a lot on wireless transfer, this is a handy option. Also, having everything neatly in one place is appreciable.

Now, let us see how to change the Mac Control Center according to our needs.

How to Customize Control Center in macOS Big Sur

  1. Open System Preferences. You can use the Dock or click on the Apple logo and select it.open system preferences from dock in macos big sur
  2. Click on Dock & Menu Bar.click on dock and menu bar in system preferences on mac
  3. On the left side, there is a sidebar. Everything listed under the heading Control Center can not be removed from the Control Center. But you can choose to show or hide these from the Menu Bar. To do this, click on an option, like Wi-Fi and check or uncheck the box for Show in Menu Bar.hide controls in macos big sur control center
  4. Once you scroll down the left sidebar, there is a heading called Other Control Center Mod… Here you have the customization power. You can click on one, like Accessibility Shortcuts or Battery, and choose to Show in Control Center or not. For battery, you may also have it display the percentage in the Menu Bar.go to other control center mod select option to enable it in control center on mac
  5. At last, the left sidebar has a heading called Menu Bar Only. It has Spotlight and Siri. True to its name, these options can not be added to the Control Center. You can, however, choose to enable or disable them from the Menu Bar.click on menu bar only option to view it on mac

Now that we are done with customizing let us see how to drag and pin options from the Control Center to the top Menu Bar.

How to Pin to Menu Bar from macOS Big Sur Control Center

  1. Launch the Control Center by clicking on its icon.click on control center from menubar on mac
  2. Now, simply drag and drop an option like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Keyboard Brightness, etc. on to the Menu Bar.move icons from control center to menu bar in macos big sur
  3. If you have trouble, hold the Command key and then try to drag and drop. If you still have difficulty, expand an option like Wi-Fi. Then place your mouse pointer on an empty area (like between the word Wi-Fi and its toggle). Next, it would be easy to drag it to the Menu Bar
  4. To change icon positions on the Menu Bar, hold the Command key and drag them left or right
  5. To remove an option from the top Menu Bar, hold the Command key and drag it down to the desktop. You will hear a woosh sound (if Mac is unmuted). You can repeat this for other icons. This lets you have a super clean top bar. All your frequently used utility options are there in the Control Center.remove items from menu bar in macos big sur

Signing off…

This is how you can use and customize the Control Center in macOS Big Sur. Chances are faint, but it would be interesting to see if Apple allows third-party apps to make use of the Mac Control Center.

Next, you may like to know how to add space between icons on Mac’s Dock. Also, one super interesting article that we recently wrote covers how to change the color of folder icons on Mac. Another one tells you how to have a website shortcut on Dock. Make sure you do not miss checking them.

I have been an Apple user for over seven years now. At iGeeksBlog, I love creating how-tos and troubleshooting guides that help people do more with their iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, and Apple Watch. In my free time, I like to watch stand up comedy videos, tech documentaries, news debates, and political speeches.