You’re in a meeting, your phone starts buzzing like a rogue hornet, and you fumble to silence it. If you’ve ever owned a OnePlus phone, you know the Alert Slider—that satisfying little switch on the side—has been a lifesaver in moments like these. For nearly a decade, it’s been a hallmark of OnePlus devices, letting you flick between normal, vibrate, and silent modes without even glancing at your screen. But change is coming. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau dropped a bombshell recently on the OnePlus Community forums, announcing that the beloved Alert Slider is on its way out. In its place? A shiny new customizable button.

According to a report from 9to5Google, Lau’s post frames this shift as an evolution—a move to keep up with the times. “The Alert Slider has always been one of my favorite OnePlus features,” he wrote, acknowledging its cult status among OnePlus fans. But he didn’t mince words about its limitations: “it is a huge piece of hardware just to switch sound profiles.” His pitch? Replace it with something “smarter” and more versatile—a button that can do more than just toggle your ringer.

So, what’s the deal with this new button? Lau’s keeping the specifics under wraps for now—no word on which phones will debut it or when we’ll see it roll out. But he’s dropping hints that have tech enthusiasts buzzing. The button, he says, will still let you switch sound profiles without waking your phone—a non-negotiable for anyone who’s come to rely on the slider’s simplicity. Beyond that, it’s poised to be a chameleon of sorts, adaptable for both power users who love tinkering and casual folks who just want their phone to work. “This change allows us to better,” Lau promised, though some fans might need convincing.

If you’re new to the OnePlus scene, here’s a quick history lesson. The Alert Slider debuted back in 2015 with the OnePlus 2, a phone that cemented the company’s rep as a scrappy underdog taking on the likes of Samsung and Apple. It was a simple idea borrowed from the iPhone’s mute switch but executed with a tactile charm that made it feel distinctly OnePlus. Slide it up for normal mode, down for silent, or leave it in the middle for vibrate. No menus, no fuss—just a physical control that got the job done.

Over the years, it became a point of pride for OnePlus loyalists. While other Android makers leaned harder into software solutions, OnePlus stuck with the slider, tweaking its design but keeping its core purpose intact. That is, until the OnePlus 10T in 2022, when the slider mysteriously vanished to make room for beefier internals. Fans weren’t thrilled, and OnePlus quickly brought it back for later models like the OnePlus 11. Now, it seems the company’s ready to move on for good.

Lau’s tease about a “smarter, customizable button” has sparked speculation about what OnePlus has up its sleeve. If you’re looking for a blueprint, Apple’s Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max offers a solid hint. Introduced in 2023, the Action Button replaced the iPhone’s classic mute switch with a programmable key. Out of the box, it can toggle silent mode, turn on the flashlight, launch the camera, or even start a voice memo. Dig deeper, and it integrates with iOS Shortcuts, letting you chain together complex tasks—like texting your ETA to a friend while firing up your favorite playlist—with a single press.

Could OnePlus pull off something similar? The company’s OxygenOS software has long been praised for its flexibility, so a button that ties into custom shortcuts feels plausible. Imagine long-pressing to launch Google Assistant, double-tapping to snap a photo, or holding it to toggle between gaming and battery-saver modes. For a brand that’s built its identity on “Never Settle,” the possibilities could be a game-changer—or at least a worthy successor to the slider’s legacy.

But here’s the catch: OnePlus has to nail the execution. The Alert Slider’s beauty was its simplicity—no settings to tweak, no learning curve. A button with too many options risks alienating the folks who loved the slider for its straightforwardness. Lau seems aware of this, emphasizing that the button will cater to both those who “prefer simplicity” and “power users.” How they’ll strike that balance remains to be seen.

The timing of this shift isn’t random. OnePlus has been on a tear lately, clawing its way up from budget darling to a legit contender in the premium smartphone race. The OnePlus 12, launched in early 2024, and the company’s tighter integration with Oppo (its parent company since a 2021 merger) has fueled speculation about bolder design moves. Swapping the Alert Slider for a button could be a bid to streamline hardware, cut costs, or just stand out in a crowded market.

Lau’s point about the slider being “a huge piece of hardware” also nods to the brutal reality of modern phone design. Every millimeter counts when you’re cramming in bigger batteries, better cameras, and 5G radios. A button—smaller, simpler, and potentially multifunctional—might free up precious real estate inside the chassis. It’s a practical move dressed up as a user-focused upgrade.

OnePlus has a knack for winning over skeptics. When it ditched the headphone jack with the OnePlus 6T in 2018, the outcry was deafening—until users got their hands on the phone and realized the trade-off wasn’t so bad. If the new button delivers on Lau’s promises, it might just convert the doubters. Still, don’t be surprised if the forums light up with “bring back the slider” threads the minute this change goes live.

For now, the Alert Slider lives on in current models like the OnePlus 13 and the budget-friendly Nord series. Whatever’s coming, this feels like a turning point for OnePlus. The Alert Slider wasn’t just a feature; it was a symbol of the brand’s quirky, user-first ethos. A button might be smarter, flashier, and more future-proof, but it’ll have to work hard to earn the same affection. As Lau put it, “we’re evolving it, keeping the best parts while unlocking new possibilities that weren’t possible before.” Here’s hoping it’s a switch worth flipping.