There are a few common reasons why you may have suddenly stopped receiving notifications on your device:
App Notifications Are Turned Off
The most likely culprit is that notifications have been disabled either for specific apps or system-wide. Here are some things to check:
- Go to Settings > Notifications and check if notifications are enabled for the app(s) you expect to get notifications from. Toggle the switches on for any apps that show notifications are disabled.
- While in Settings, confirm that notifications are enabled system-wide by going to Settings > Notifications & Sounds (on Android) or Settings > Notifications (on iPhone) and checking if the Allow Notifications switch is toggled on.
- Open the app itself and check if notification permissions are enabled. Many apps have settings within the app to control push notifications.
If notifications are enabled both system-wide and for specific apps, then notifications are being blocked or suppressed in some other way.
Do Not Disturb Is Enabled
Do Not Disturb is a feature on smartphones that blocks notifications from making sounds or lighting up the screen when enabled. Check if Do Not Disturb has been turned on, either manually or through an automatic setting:
- On iPhones, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to open Control Center and check if the moon icon is highlighted or says “Do Not Disturb”.
- On Android phones, open the notification shade and look for the Do Not Disturb icon.
- You may have enabled Do Not Disturb for a specific time range like overnight. Check Settings > Do Not Disturb to see if any schedules are enabled.
Disabling Do Not Disturb will allow notifications to come through again unless they are being blocked in some other way.
Notification Privacy Settings
Both iOS and Android have notification privacy settings that allow you to hide sensitive notifications when your phone is locked or when other people are looking at your screen:
- On iPhones, this feature is called Lock Screen Notifications. Go to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews and select an option like “When Unlocked” if you have notifications concealed on the lock screen.
- On Android, this feature is called Lock Screen Notifications. Go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications > On the lock screen and toggle “Show all notification content” on if notifications are hidden on your lock screen.
Tweaking these notification privacy settings may bring your notifications back if they were being suppressed in certain contexts.
Out of Storage Space
If your phone is critically low on storage space, it may prevent apps from pushing notifications temporarily. Notifications require a small amount of storage to queue up before they are displayed to you.
Try freeing up storage space on your device – delete large files, unused apps, clear application cache, remove media like photos and videos you no longer need. Restart your device and check if notifications come through after reclaiming storage capacity.
Connection Issues
For notifications to reach you, your phone needs to maintain a stable internet or mobile data connection. Anything that interferes with your device’s ability to connect to the internet can prevent notifications from coming through.
A few connection-related issues that could block notifications include:
- Airplane mode enabled – This suspends all wireless connections.
- WiFi connection problems – Weak signal, disconnections, or network authentication issues can disrupt connectivity.
- Cellular data is disabled – Check that mobile data is enabled if you’re not on WiFi.
- Out of mobile data – You may have used up your monthly allotted data.
- Physical obstructions – Your phone may be in a location with poor reception such as a basement, elevator, or far from a WiFi router.
Diagnosing network and connection problems that prevent notifications can be tricky. Try toggling airplane mode on and off, reconnecting to WiFi, moving to a location with better reception, disabling WiFi so cellular data is used, or purchasing more mobile data to determine if any connectivity issues are disrupting your notifications.
Notification Issues with a Specific App
It’s possible notifications have stopped working properly from just one app rather than system-wide. Here are some app-specific issues that could be preventing notifications:
- The app has been force quit or swiped away – Fully close and reopen the misbehaving app.
- The app has been updated – An update may have changed notification settings or introduced a bug.
- Server or service issues – A problem on the app developer’s end could disrupt notifications being pushed out.
- Cache clearing – Wiping the app’s cache/data may help if incorrect settings are cached.
- App permissions changed – The app may need permissions to access notifications re-enabled.
If notifications are working from some apps but not one specific app, focus troubleshooting efforts on that particular app by reinstalling it, checking for updates, contacting the developer and trying the solutions above.
Phone Update Issues
Performing a major operating system update on your smartphone could potentially disrupt notifications in some cases. For example, after updating to iOS 16 or Android 13:
- Some notification settings may have been reset or changed after the update.
- There may be bugs related to notifications in the new OS version.
- New privacy options may block notifications from appearing on your lock screen.
If you started having notification issues right after updating your phone’s OS, try reviewing notification settings, toggling privacy options, reporting bugs to the manufacturer, downgrading software if possible and other update-related troubleshooting steps.
Outdated App or OS
Using outdated app versions or an unsupported version of the mobile operating system can also lead to notification problems in some cases. Apps may stop supporting notification features properly in outdated versions. And notifications may stop working reliably if you are several versions behind the latest OS.
Try updating any apps that are having notification issues. Also upgrade your phone’s operating system if it is more than 1-2 major versions behind the current release.
Phone in Power Saving Mode
To extend battery life, power saving modes will restrict background app activity including the syncing needed for push notifications. This can suppress notifications from coming through.
Check if your phone has enabled a low power or battery saver mode. Disable it and determine if notifications return to normal when your phone is not restricting power.
Account Logging Issues
For notifications to reach your phone, your account has to remain continuously logged into the app’s servers. Any account authentication issues can prevent this sync from happening in the background.
Some account-related issues that could disrupt notifications include:
- Getting logged out of an app due to inactivity or a forced logout.
- Having two-factor authentication enabled but not approving logins.
- Entering an incorrect password and getting locked out of an account.
- Having account suspension or ban issues that block background syncing.
Logging fully out of apps and logging back in, double checking account credentials and checking account standing may help resolve any account issues stopping notifications.
Carrier Blocking Notifications
In some cases, your cellular carrier may intentionally block notifications from certain apps, especially messaging apps. This is rare but can happen.
If you are missing notifications from particular apps and have ruled out other causes, check with your carrier to see if they have blocked notifications and request to have them enabled.
Third-Party App Interference
Some third party apps request notification access specifically to monitor other app’s notifications or modify notification behavior. For example, antivirus apps, security tools, battery savers, launchers, automation apps and others.
If notifications stopped after installing a new app, that app may be interfering. Try disabling or uninstalling new apps that request notification access to see if your notifications return to normal.
Factory Reset as Last Resort
If you have tried all other troubleshooting steps and notifications are still not working on your device, performing a factory reset can wipe out any problematic settings as a last resort. Note that this will erase your data, so backup anything important first.
Resetting your phone to factory default settings can get notifications working again in cases where something went wrong at the system level. Just be prepared to restore your apps and settings after the reset.
Contact Your Device Manufacturer
If you are still unable to receive notifications after trying all of the applicable suggestions above, it’s a good idea to contact your phone’s manufacturer support for further troubleshooting assistance.
Call or chat with customer support teams at Apple, Samsung, Google, LG, Motorola or whoever made your phone. They may be able to diagnose the specific issue stopping your notifications and suggest customized solutions.
Conclusion
Notifications suddenly stopping on your smartphone can be frustrating, but the issue typically has one of a few common causes like disabled app notifications, Do Not Disturb turned on, connection problems or software bugs. Methodically checking each notification setting and troubleshooting connectivity along with any recent changes to your device should reveal why your notifications have disappeared. With consistent testing of each factor, you should be able to get your notifications reliably delivering again.