How to Disable the Control Center on the iPad Lock Screen

Turn off Control Center to safeguard your iPad when it is locked

By
Daniel Nations
Daniel Nations
Daniel Nations
Writer
  • University of Texas at Arlington
Daniel Nations has been a tech journalist since 1994. His work has appeared in Computer Currents, The Examiner, and other publications. He is a developer who has published apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play marketplace and Amazon Appstore; he also has worked as a data analyst and DB administrator.
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Updated on July 19, 2022

What to Know

  • From the Settings app, select Touch ID & Passcode. Enter your passcode.
  • In the Allow Access When Locked section, toggle off the Control Center.

This article explains how to disable the Control Center on the iPad lock screen. Instructions in this article apply to iPads running iOS 11 and later.

How to Disable the Control Center on the Lock Screen

By default, the Control Center can be accessed while the iPad is locked. Swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen to display it.

To set the Control Center so that it's not available from the Lock screen:

  1. Open the iPad Settings app.

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  2. Tap Touch ID & Passcode.

    Control Center on iPad

  3. Enter your passcode.

    Control Center on iPad

  4. In the Allow Access When Locked section, turn off the Control Center toggle switch.

    Control Center on iPad

  5. The Control Center cannot be viewed from the Lock screen. This does not affect its performance when the iPad is unlocked.

What Can You Do in the Control Center?

Before you turn off access to the Control Center, you may want to check out what it can do for you. The Control Center is a shortcut to a lot of features.

Opening the control panel on iPad

In addition to tweaking your music, controlling the volume, pausing music, or skipping to the next song, here are a few other things you can do from the Control Center:

  • Turn on or off Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Turning on Airplane Mode can extend the battery life when it is running low on power. 
  • Lock the orientation to stop the iPad from switching between landscape and portrait modes when the device is rotated.
  • Adjust the brightness of the iPad screen.
  • Set a timer or alarm.
  • Take a picture with the camera.
  • Reach accessibility shortcuts.
  • Use the Apple TV Remote app.
  • Take notes.
  • Record the screen.

These and other handy functions are available from the Control Panel. To customize them, go to Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls.

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