Skip to Content

watchOS 5 Beta Adds 'Edit' Button to Control Center for Adjusting Icon Layout

watchOS 5 control center edit iconsTesters of the new watchOS 5 Beta that Apple released yesterday have discovered a new function that allows Apple Watch users to change the arrangement of icons in the Control Center menu, which is accessed by swiping up on a watch face.

As shown in this image shared by Reddit user brooksdbrewer, the option appears as an Edit button when you scroll down to the bottom of the Control Center menu. Tapping the button then allows you to drag the icons around into a new arrangement – placing the icons you most often use up to the top of the menu, for instance.

So for example, if you use Theater Mode frequently, you could locate the associated icon next to the battery percentage icon at the top, and move the Ping iPhone icon to the bottom of the menu to prevent accidental taps. Likewise, you could drop the Expel Water icon right to the bottom of the screen if you never use it.

Whether or not the Control Center's new Edit function makes it to the final public release of watchOS 5, due in the fall, remains to be seen. However, there are plenty of other features to look forward to, including Activity Competitions so you can compete on workouts with friends, Automatic Workout Detection and new Workout types, a new Walkie-Talkie app, and more.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Released Seven New Products Today

Wednesday March 11, 2026 7:05 am PDT by
Starting today, the seven new Apple products that were announced last week are available at Apple Stores and beginning to arrive to customers. The colorful MacBook Neo and all of the other new products are on display at most Apple Store locations around the world starting today. Apple Stores have inventory of the new products for both walk-in customers and Apple Store pickup, but...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

10+ New Features Coming in iOS 27

Friday March 13, 2026 2:13 pm PDT by
We're only three months away from Apple's WWDC 2026 event, which will see the company unveil iOS 27. With the fully revamped version of Siri possibly delayed until September, iOS 27 is shaping up to be the update we wanted iOS 26 to be. There will be new Apple Intelligence features, updates for the iPhone Fold, and more, with the latest rumors summarized below. Foldable iPhone Features...
iOS 27 Mock Quick

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Be Like Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Sunday March 15, 2026 9:42 am PDT by
In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that iOS 27 will be similar to 2009's Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that one of Apple's biggest priorities is bug fixes for improved performance and stability. At WWDC 2008, Apple showed a presentation that said Mac OS X Snow Leopard had "0 new features," as it opted to focus on performance and stability...

Top Rated Comments

macduke Avatar
102 months ago
Hopefully this feature makes it to the final public release, it'd be nice to be able to rearrange those icons.
Why wouldn't it? I'm pretty sure they mentioned this on stage as well either in passing or on one of those screens that lists a bunch of new features.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsGrant Avatar
102 months ago
Hopefully this feature makes it to the final public release, it'd be nice to be able to rearrange those icons.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
102 months ago
Yes! It's the little things in life...
Agreed. As much as it’s not an inconvenience to scroll down, it’s nice to have whatever I use the most at the top.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
102 months ago
I was totally underwhelmed by the update. Walkie Talkie for gods sake.

Apple Watch has stagnated. It’s a shame.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
102 months ago
That would be great. I always hated that (once theatre mode pushed it down) when you were putting your watch into water mode, sometimes your hands were already wet and adding the need to scroll through the control center with wet hands was frustrating.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
102 months ago
This alone will make watchOS worth the upgrade lol
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)