When your OnePlus Open stops vibrating for notifications or calls, it's easy to miss important alerts. This can be especially frustrating on a foldable where you might not always have the screen open to see visual cues. The good news is, it's usually a software setting that's gotten out of sync.
Start With a Force Restart
Before digging into settings, give your phone a fresh start. Press and hold the Power button for about 10 seconds until you feel a vibration and see the OnePlus logo appear. This clears out any temporary glitches in the system that might be preventing the vibration motor from responding correctly.
Check Your Sound and Vibration Profile
OxygenOS has a few different sound profiles that control vibration. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings panel. Look for the ring icon, it might say Ring, Vibrate, or Silent.
Make sure it's set to either Ring or Vibrate. If it's on Silent, your phone won't vibrate at all. You can also long-press this icon to jump straight into the full sound settings menu.
Verify the Main Vibration Switch
Sometimes the main toggle gets turned off. Open the Settings app and go to Sounds & vibration. Right at the top, you should see an option for "Vibrate on ring".
Make sure this slider is turned on. If it's already on, try turning it off and back on again. This simple reset can often jog the system back to normal operation.
Adjust Vibration Strength
If the vibration feels weak or nonexistent, the intensity might have been lowered. In the same Sounds & vibration menu, look for "Vibration intensity". Tap on it, and you'll see separate sliders for Ringtone, Notification, and Touch feedback.
Drag each slider to the right to increase the strength. I'd recommend testing the vibration after each adjustment to see if it makes a difference.
Inspect App-Specific Notification Settings
If the problem is only with one app, like Messages or Gmail, the issue is likely in that app's notification settings. Go to Settings > Apps > See all apps. Find the app that's not vibrating and tap on it.
Tap Notifications and look for the specific notification category (like "New messages"). Tap into it and ensure the "Vibrate" option is enabled. Some apps have this buried under "Advanced" settings within the notification channel.
Update Your Software
Outdated system software can sometimes cause hardware features like the vibration motor to act up. OnePlus regularly releases updates that fix these kinds of bugs.
Go to Settings > About device > OxygenOS version and tap on the icon at the top to check for updates. If an update is available, install it. Make sure your phone is connected to Wi-Fi and has at least a 30% charge, or better yet, plug in the included 67W SUPERVOOC charger.
Test in Safe Mode
This will tell you if a third-party app you installed is causing a conflict. To boot into Safe Mode, press and hold the Power button until the power menu appears. Then, long-press the "Power off" option on your screen.
A prompt will appear asking if you want to reboot to Safe Mode. Tap OK. Once booted, you'll see "Safe Mode" in the bottom corner. Test if vibration works now. If it does, an app you installed is the culprit. Restart normally to exit Safe Mode and try uninstalling recent apps one by one.
Reset App Preferences or System Settings
This is a more thorough step that won't delete your personal data. Go to Settings > Additional settings > Back up and reset. Tap on "Reset phone" at the bottom.
Here, you have two good options. "Reset all app preferences" will reset permissions and notification settings for all apps but keep them installed. "Reset settings" will revert all system settings (like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) back to default. Either one can resolve a deeper software conflict.
Consider the Physical Hinge
While less common, it's worth noting the unique design of the Open. The vibration motor is located in one half of the phone. If you've recently dropped the device or notice any new issues with the hinge mechanism, it's possible a physical connection has been disrupted.
Dust accumulation in the hinge over time is a known consideration for this model. While it's unlikely to directly affect the motor, keeping the hinge clean is good general practice for the phone's overall health.
