How To Find the Settings App on Your Phone: Step-by-Step

The settings app is one of the most important apps on your phone. It’s where you can control how your phone looks and functions, as well as how all your apps work. Whether you want to turn on notifications for an app, prevent your location from being shared, or change your ringtone, the phone settings app is the hub for controlling all these options. 

It’s important to know how to quickly and easily access settings at all times. So, if you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I find the settings app on my phone?” this is the guide for you. 

How To Find the Settings App on an iPhone

On all Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac), the settings app icon is gray with gears on it. So, if you’re lost, look for gray. Usually, when trying to find the settings app, you’ll go through the home screen and click on the icon. 

But this guide includes shortcuts and other ways to access settings, so you’re sure to easily find the app no matter where you are on your phone. And don’t forget, settings can be opened and used at any time; you don’t need Wi-Fi. 

Finding Settings on the Home Screen

This is how you will find the settings app on an iPhone home screen: 

1. Turn on your device using the power button or by touching the screen. If you’ve previously powered off your device, hold the power button down to turn it back on.
   
2. Swipe down from the bottom of the screen to close out an app you have currently open if needed.
   
3. Swipe left or right on the home screen until you find the gray gear settings icon. On iPhone, you can put multiple phone apps into a folder of sorts on your home screen, so you don’t have as many icons crowding the space. It looks like a bubble with a bunch of small apps inside. If you can’t find the settings app at first, check these bubbles.
   
4. Tap the icon and open settings. 

Finding Setting With Siri

Siri is a digital assistant that’s part of Apple’s operating system. Perhaps the quickest way to open settings regardless of where you are on your phone is with Siri. Once you’ve set up voice-activated Siri, follow these steps: 

1. Turn on your phone. 
2. Say, “Hey Siri.” 
3. Say “Open settings.” 

Siri is best used once your phone is already unlocked, but you can give the command while on your lock screen to open settings. You’ll just be prompted to unlock your phone after so it has the proper permission to open your device settings. 

Finding Settings When it’s Already Opened

If you’ve previously opened the settings app and haven’t officially closed it, you can use these steps instead: 

1. Drag up on the bottom of your device to midway up the screen.
2. You should see a collection of pages that each lead to an app you have open. 
3. Scroll left through the pages until you find the settings page. 
4. Tap the page and enter settings. 

Finding Settings By Searching the App Library

If you’re having a hard time finding the settings app on your home screen or have a bunch of app folders and forgot which one settings is in, you can always use the app library to search for it. 

Follow these steps:

1. Turn on your device and navigate to the home screen (swipe up from the bottom of the screen to close an open app if needed).
   
2. Swipe right past your pages of apps until you see a page with preset categories of apps and a search bar titled App Library at the top.
   
3. If you see the settings app right away, click it. If not, click the search bar.
   
4. Type settings.
   
5. Click the search result that says settings and has a gray gear icon. 

Unlike most other apps, the settings app can’t be deleted from your phone. But it can be removed from your home screen. This is done by pressing and holding on the app and clicking Remove App. 

Since settings are pretty essential to your phone’s ability to function, they won’t be deleted completely. But it will disappear from your home screen, which means the only way to find it is through the app library. This is also how you find all other offloaded apps. 

Finding Settings by Using Search in the Home Screen

Similarly to using the app library to search for settings, you can also search for settings straight from the home screen. 

1. Turn on your device and navigate to the home screen. 
2. Swipe down or click the bottom bubble with either dots or the word Search in it. 
3. Type settings. 
4. Click on the search result that says settings and has a gray gear icon. 

How To Find the Settings App on an Android

Android devices include Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy phones. Every Android phone looks a little different, but you should be able to find settings in pretty much the same way. 

Finding Settings on the Home Screen

Android phones also have home pages where all of your apps live. The settings app will have a gear as its icon image. 

1. Turn on your phone.
   
2. Navigate to the home page by exiting any open apps (swipe up from the bottom and hold, then swipe up to clear each app).
   
3. Swipe across your app pages to find the settings icon.
   
4. Click on it to open settings. 

Finding Settings With the Apps Screen

Specifically on Google phones, you can use the app screen to search up and open any apps you want. This is a quick way to find settings without searching for it on your home screen where all other apps clutter the interface. 

1. Turn on your phone and navigate to the home screen.
   
2. Swipe up to open the Apps Screen.
   
3. Scroll down until you find the settings app. Or you can type settings into the search bar at the top.
   
4. Click on the settings app icon to open it. 

Finding Settings With the App Button

On Samsung Galaxy phones, there is a handy dandy app button that allows you to see a comprehensive apps list, including settings. 

1. Turn on your phone and navigate to the home screen.
   
2. Click on the apps button in the bottom right corner (it should have nine dots in a square shape on it).
   
3. Click on the settings app with the gear icon.
   
4. You’ll be taken to the settings menu within the app where you can adjust your phone settings as needed. 

Finding Settings With Google Assistant

Much like Siri, Google Assistant is a digital assistant designed to assist you with your phone. You can use it to open settings easily once it’s been set up. 

1. Turn on your phone. 
2. Say, “Hey Google.” 
3. Say “Open Settings.” 

The Beauty of Settings

The settings app is a wonderful place. You can turn on and off Bluetooth, adjust settings for your apps, including second phone number apps like Burner, connect to Wi-Fi, check on your storage, and cry because it’s never enough. 

However you choose to get there, the wonderful land of settings will be waiting for you at the end of the yellow brick road. The beauty lies in the journey, not the destination. 

Sources: 

Find settings on iPhone | Apple Support

Find, open & close apps on Android

How to open Settings on Android devices (including Samsung Galaxy)