If you’re one of those who just bought a new iMac, you might find something new and familiar on the menu bar. Apple borrowed the “ Control Center ” from iOS and developed a version suitable for Macs which it introduced in macOS 11 Big Sur.
Its icon appears on the right side of the menu bar (it’s the pair of on / off switches stacked next to Siri), and you get quick access to commands like network, screen brightness. and volume.
If your menu bar is filling up, you can use the “Control Center” to remove certain items from the bar. For example, you can use the “Control Center” for sound volume and then remove the menu bar item above the volume control.
The ‘Control Center’ is automatically activated during installation macOS Big Sur. You won’t be able to turn it off, so at the time of writing, the customization settings are somewhat limited.
In this article, we intend to cover the settings accessible from the “ Control Center ” and how you can adjust and customize them to your liking and needs, always within the limits of what is currently. authorized by Apple.
Default Modules
The following commands are available by default in the “Control Center”:
- Wifi: click on the icon to activate (blue) or deactivate it. In the name label will appear the Wi-Fi controls where it is possible to select an access point and open the preferences related to the network connection.
- Bluetooth: by clicking on the icon, you can turn it on (blue) or turn it off. With the name tag, you get the usual Bluetooth commands to be able to select different devices and open Bluetooth preferences.
- AirDrop: click on the icon to activate (blue) or deactivate it. In the name tag, you will get a menu from which you can select the recipients.
- Do not disturb: click the icon to activate (blue) or deactivate it. On the name tag, you will see a “Do Not Disturb” menu, where you can select the period and open the “Notifications” preferences.
- Keyboard Brightness – Click to open the cursor mode controls to manage keyboard brightness and open keyboard preferences.
- Screen mirroring: clicking on it will bring you a menu where you can select a screen to mirror. You can also access screen preferences.
- Display – Provides access to a brightness slider. Click the expand arrow in the upper right corner and the buttons to turn dark mode on / off. You will also find display preferences.
- Sound: you have access to a volume slider. Click the expand arrow in the upper right corner to choose your audio source and access display preferences.
- Music: everything related to multimedia orders and their status.
If you prefer a certain setting to appear in the menu bar in addition to the “ Control Center ” (you cannot remove it from the Control Center), click and drag the “ Control Center ” item ‘and drop it in the bar menu.
For example, you can click on wifi and drag it to the menu bar. Then you will see the Wi-Fi bars in the menu and you can click on them to access the control. The Wi-Fi option will always stay in the “Control Center”.
Other controls you can add
There is another set of controls available that you can add to your team’s “ Control Center ” with macOS Big Sur, because it is extensible to all:
- Accessibility Shortcuts: This add-on allows you to enable accessibility UI features such as VoiceOver, Invert Colors, Primary Pointer, etc.
- Battery: Displays a percentage of your MacBook’s remaining battery life. Click on it and you’ll get information about the power source, which apps are using “significant power” and an option to open your battery’s system preferences.
- Switch User – Allows you to quickly change the user logged in to the Mac.
If you’re using the “ Control Center ” on an iPhone or iPad, you’ll notice that macOS’s “ Control Center ” has far fewer controls than you find in iPadOS. Hopefully Apple will expand macOS’s “ Control Center ” in future updates.
Here’s how to add these three controls:
- Open the Dock and the menu bar in “System Preferences”.
- In the left column “Dock and menu bar”, scroll to the “Other modules” section.
- Click on the module you want to add, then check the “Show in Control Center” box. As simple as that.
To remove one of these three modules, repeat the steps and uncheck the box. You will not be able to delete any of the seven default modules, nor move the location of each in the “Control Center”.
Configuration of the ‘Control Center’
The “Control Center” settings can be found in the “Dock and Menu Bar” system preferences. However, unlike the iOS version, the Mac ‘Control Center’ has very limited customization options.
All you can really do right now is configure a mod to appear in the menu bar or not. Some modules allow you to configure it to appear in the menu bar only when they are active.
Take a look at the article where we tell you where to buy the new 24 inch iMac with M1 chip.
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