That headline is a bit misleading. On most modern dual-flush toilets, the two buttons are indeed primarily for flushing—but each button is designed to use a different amount of water.
Here’s what they typically do:
- Small button (or button with one droplet): Uses a smaller amount of water for liquid waste.
- Large button (or button with two droplets): Uses a larger amount of water for solid waste.
Some dual-flush toilets also allow you to:
- Press both buttons together to release a full-volume flush on certain models (this is not universal and depends on the manufacturer).
- Stop a flush early on some designs by pressing a button again, though many toilets do not have this feature.
The main purpose of the two buttons is water conservation. Using the smaller flush when appropriate can save thousands of liters (or gallons) of water over the course of a year in a household.
So, despite clickbait claims, those buttons aren’t hiding a secret function—they’re there to let you choose how much water to use, helping reduce water consumption while still flushing effectively.
