OnePlus 6 is most probably the first Android phone to have a physical hardware button to switch quickly between Silent, Vibrate and Ring profiles and we know it as the Alert Slider button. Having been used to a simpler experience on my iPhones for years, the Alert Slider button on the OnePlus 6 (6T) didn’t excite me much because switching between the profiles using the button doesn’t feel good because I have to push it with the point of my nail to slide it. Also, one has to be very careful while using the button because, unlike the iPhone, it has 3 steps. Anyway, today we’ll see how we can fix OnePlus 6 Ring volume disabled or locked at zero issue and customize Alert Slider button on it. I think OnePlus should either remove this button in its upcoming phones or make it better.
One of my friends who also owns a OnePlus 6 called me yesterday telling that his phone has gone permanently silent because it stopped ringing for incoming calls and even pressing the volume up button did not help. He told that the alarm and media volume worked perfectly. I suggested him to go to Settings> Sound & vibration and check if everything was fine there. He did so and told the ringtone volume slider is weirdly locked to zero position and does not let him slide it set the ring volume at all.
He also told that there appeared a vibrate mode icon in the status bar. Out of desperation, he tried updating his OnePlus 6 to OxygenOS 5.1.6 and after that even performed a factory reset thinking it was some software side issue and doing so will fix the ring volume locked to zero issue. When nothing worked, he decided to return his phone to OnePlus.
Anyway, I called him to my place so that I could take a closer look at the issue and suddenly something clicked in my mind. I slid the alert slider button and noticed the vibrate icon in the status bar being replaced with the silent mode icon. Honestly, I used to think that the alert slider button was only for switching between the ring and silent modes but the OnePlus also has the vibrate mode option and the alert slider button has 3 steps in total.
So, the thing was he ignorantly or mistakenly set his OnePlus 6 to the Vibrate only mode and as a result, he was unable to slide the ring volume slider.
Fixing OnePlus 6/6T Ring Volume Disabled or Locked at Zero
As I already told above that the zero ring volume issue (it’s more of ignorance than issue actually) can easily be fixed by simply sliding the alert slider button to down. For your convenience, I have displayed the location of the slider button and the alert profile mode it is associated to. By following the easy tip given above, you can fix OnePlus 6 ring volume disabled or it has been locked at zero. In case you have a rooted OnePlus 6, you can also enable the Always On Display by following this tutorial.
Moreover, when you slide the Alert slider button you’ll see a toast box on the screen telling you about the mode you have switched to. See below:
Customize Alert Slider on One Plus 6/6T
In case you want to customize the Alert Slider profiles on your OnePlus 6, you can do so easily by going to Settings> Alert slider. Here, you will have different sections for the Silent, Vibrate and Ring alert modes. Tapping on each one will give you different options to change according to your preference.
Related post: Customize Alert Slider on OnePlus Devices Using Xposed Module
So, now you know how to fix your OnePlus 6 if the ring volume is locked to zero and you aren’t able to set the volume for the ringtone from sound settings or pressing the volume up button.
You may also like: Download and Install Android P Beta on OnePlus 6
You’re a savior! I was about to return my phone after 2 weeks! Now it’s fixed. Thanks a lot!
Really appreciate the post! I was struggling to fix this problem in my new 6T and wondering if I spoilt it in just 2 months. The revelation was helpful and I liked how you said it’s an ” ignorance issue and not a technical one ” Thanks so much for writing and sharing! Helped a lot. Best wishes.
Hi Apsara,
I am glad to know the article helped you. Since I encountered the problem myself, I can remember how irritating at the time. Anyway, thanks for the appreciation! Keep visiting! 🙂
I loved this post! Thank you so much for for sharing. I was struggling with my new 6T and wondering if I had spoilt it in just 2 months. But this bit helped. Liked how you said ” it’s an ignorance issue, not technical issue” thank you!