Android notification issues? Try these simple 16 fixes

If your smartphone fails to receive various notifications, be prepared for confusion and frustration. You may miss important messages, meeting details in an email, potluck invitations, the latest news, and calendar events when real-time alerts don’t work on your Android phone or tablet. Manually opening every app to check messages is time-consuming and inconvenient.

There are several reasons behind the notifications not working issue on Android. You can’t pinpoint the problem to a specific factor. Let’s start with the basics and move to advanced tricks to begin receiving instant notifications.

Disable Do Not Disturb (DND)

If you enabled Do Not Disturb (DND) on your Android phone, the system blocks all notifications and calls to deliver a distraction-free environment. Sometimes, you may forget to disable DND after a meeting and stop getting notifications. Let’s disable DND.

Swipe down from the top and turn off Do Not Disturb mode from the quick toggles menu. If you want to exclude specific apps from an active DND mode, follow the steps below.

1. Open
   Settings
   on your Android phone.
2. Select
   Notifications
   .
3. Tap
   Do Not Disturb
   under the General menu.

4. Select
   Apps
   .
5. Tap
   Add apps
   .

6. Select relevant apps.

From now on, you will continue to receive notifications from essential apps even in active DND mode.

Check app notification settings

Do you face notification issues from a specific app only? Check the notification settings for troubling apps.

1. Head to
   Settings
   on Android.
2. Scroll to
   Notifications
   .
3. Select
   App settings
   .

4. Check the list of installed apps and enable notification permission for them.

Check notification channels

Most apps support notification channels on Android. When you disable notification channels for installed apps, you don’t get alerts. Let’s take Slack as an example. You can tweak notification permission for different organizations in Slack and tweak them to your preferences.

1. Long tap the troubling app and open the
   info
   menu.
2. Select
   Notifications
   .

3. Check notification channels and enable permission.

Check app settings

Did you mute selected chat threads and groups in WhatsApp or Telegram? You won’t get notifications unless you unmute such conversations. We use WhatsApp as an example here.

1. Open
   WhatsApp
   on your Android phone.
2. Look for the
   mute
   icon
   beside a chat thread.
3. Long tap on such conversations and select the
   unmute icon
   (the speaker) at the top.

4. Repeat the same for all such conversations and start getting real-time notifications.

Notification settings on the lock screen

If notifications don’t appear on your Android phone’s lock screen, follow the steps below to make changes.

1. Open the
   Notifications
   menu in Android settings (refer to the steps above).
2. Select
   Notifications on the lock screen
   .
3. Tap the radio button beside
   Show conversations, default, and silent
   .

You’ll now receive notifications on your Android phone’s lock screen.

Disable Battery Saver mode

An active Battery Saver mode on your Android phone delays notifications, disables location services, and turns off background activities. Your phone doesn’t listen to the “Ok Google” command either. You should either put your phone on charge or disable the Battery Saver mode.

1. Launch
   Settings
   on Android and scroll to
   Battery
   .
2. Select
   Battery Saver
   .

3. Disable the
   Battery Saver
   toggle from the following menu.

Disable Adaptive Battery mode

Adaptive Battery mode reduces performance and background activity to extend your Android phone’s battery life. It may interfere with app notifications too. The option is enabled by default on most Android phones. Follow the steps below to disable it.

1. Open the
   Battery
   menu in Android settings.
2. Select
   Adaptive preferences
   .
3. Disable the
   Adaptive Battery
   toggle.

Disable pause app activity

The system pauses all app activities if you don’t use a specific app for a long time. Android removes permissions, deletes temporary files, and stops notifications. You can stop the behavior using the steps below.

1. Long-tap an affected app icon and select
   i
   button.
2. Disable the
   Pause app activity if unused
   toggle.

Lock essential apps in the background

Android OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) like Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, OnePlus, and Vivo implement an aggressive battery-saving mode to kill inactive apps in the background. You can lock essential apps in the multitasking menu to continue receiving notifications without any issues.

1. Swipe up and hold from the bottom to open the
   recent apps
   menu.
2. Long tap an app icon and select
   Lock this app
   .

The system makes an exception for locked apps and won’t completely prevent them from running in the background.

Check background data settings for affected apps

If you disabled background data permission for an app, notifications won’t work until you open the app.

1. Long tap an affected app icon and tap
   i
   to open the
   app info
   menu.
2. Select
   Mobile data & Wi-Fi
   .
3. Enable the
   Background data
   toggle.

Enable apps in Focus mode

An active focus mode hides notifications from all apps. You need to make an exception for important apps to continue receiving notifications.

1. Open
   Settings
   and scroll to
   Digital Wellbeing and parental controls
   .
2. Select
   Focus mode
   .

3. Disable the checkmark beside relevant apps.

Disable Flip to Shhh

Flip to Shhh is a neat add-on to enable Do Not Disturb when you place your phone face down on a flat surface. While Flip to Shhh is helpful during meetings and lunch, you may accidentally trigger DND and miss notifications due to it.

1. Open
   Digital Wellbeing and parental controls
   in Settings (refer to the steps above).
2. Select
   Flip to Shhh
   .
3. Disable the option.

Turn off DND during Bedtime mode

Bedtime automatically enables DND sleep hours. You can turn off Do Not Disturb during Bedtime mode and receive push notifications in real time.

1. Head to
   Digital Wellbeing and parental controls
   in Settings (check the steps above).
2. Select
   Bedtime mode
   .
3. Expand the
   Customize
   menu.
4. Disable
   Do Not Disturb for Bedtime mode
   toggle.

Reset app preferences

The option resets all preferences for disabled apps, app notifications, background data restrictions for apps, permission restrictions, and battery usage settings. You won’t lose any app data.

1. Open Android settings and scroll to
   System
   .
2. Select
   Reset options
   .

3. Tap
   Reset app preferences
   and confirm your decision.

Update apps

Android developers frequently release app updates to add new features and fix bugs. Notifications may not work on your Android phone due to an outdated app build. Head to the Google Play Store and install pending app updates.

1. Open the
   Google Play Store
   on your Android phone.
2. Select your account picture in the upper-right corner.
3. Select
   Manage apps & devices
   .
4. Tap
   Update all
   .

Update Android OS

Most flagship Android phones get regular updates and monthly patches to ensure a secure and smooth user experience. Some apps may develop incompatibilities with outdated Android software and fail at basics like real-time notifications.

1. Open
   System
   in Android Settings.
2. Select
   System update
   .

3. Download and install the latest Android build on your phone.

Get instant messages on Android

If you accidentally dismiss an important notification, head to Settings and check the notification history. You also have the option to snooze notifications to receive them at a convenient time.