How to Unlock the Power BI Modern Slicer in 5 Seconds | Hidden Feature
- shifat monzur
- Aug 25, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 5, 2025
Recently, while working on the VR Game Analytics dashboard, I accidentally changed a slicer’s visual style. Later, when I tried to apply the same style to another slicer, the option was nowhere to be found in the Visual tab, which is normally the default place for customizing any visual in Power BI.
I spent almost an hour going through every setting, carefully inspecting each option. I became extremely frustrated and tried hard to find it without using Google or ChatGPT. That’s when I discovered something surprising: the way to unlock the slicer’s other style isn’t in the traditional way at all.
The Problem with the Default Slicer
By default, Power BI’s slicer is quite boring.
The rounded slider handle cannot be customized.
The color often doesn’t match your Power BI dashboard theme.
Styling options are limited.
This makes it difficult to create polished, professional dashboards that align with your brand or design system.
The Hidden Feature: Unlocking Modern Slicers
Here’s the trick I wish I knew earlier:
Select your slicer.
Go to the Format visual pane.
Expand the General section.
Use the search box to find Responsive.
Turn off the responsive option.
Once you switch off Responsive, your slicer instantly changes into the modern slicer style.
Now you can:
Customize the slider color.
Match your slicer’s look with your dashboard theme.
Create a much cleaner and more professional design.+
Wait… “Responsive”?
Although Microsoft labels this setting as Responsive, it doesn’t actually behave like a responsive feature at all. The slicer doesn’t dynamically respond to different screen sizes.
It seems that a UX designer at Microsoft thought this should be a responsive feature, or maybe forgot to work on it, but we will never know.
Final Thoughts
The default slicer may be functional, but it’s limited. With this hidden feature, you can unlock modern slicers and customize them to match your dashboard color theme.
Which slicer style do you prefer?
Default slicer (rounded handle)
Modern slicer (no responsiveness)
