Your device has a setting that silences notifications, and it's usually turned on by accident
Notifications stop appearing for three main reasons: a Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode is active, the app itself has notifications turned off in your settings, or your device's overall notification volume is muted. The fastest way to find out which one is happening is to check your device's quick settings menu — the panel you pull down from the top of your screen on phones or click in the bottom corner on computers.
On most phones, Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode shows as an icon in that quick settings panel. On computers, the notification center usually displays a "Do Not Disturb" toggle. If either is on, turning it off will restore notifications immediately. If that's not the problem, the issue is usually in the app's own settings or your device's sound settings.
Key Takeaways
- Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode silences all notifications across your device, and you can turn it off in your quick settings menu in seconds.
- Individual apps can have notifications turned off in your device settings even if notifications are on everywhere else.
- On phones, check Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Notifications; on computers, check System Settings > Notifications.
- Some apps let you silence notifications only during certain hours or for certain types of alerts, which can feel like notifications disappeared entirely.
- Restarting your device fixes notification problems about half the time, especially if an app crashed or got stuck.
How to turn off Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode
On iPhone, swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center. Look for the "Focus" icon — it looks like a circle with a line through it. If it's highlighted in color, tap it to turn it off. On older iPhones without Face ID, swipe up from the bottom instead.
On Android, swipe down twice from the top to open the full quick settings panel. Look for "Do Not Disturb" or "Focus Mode" — the name varies by phone maker. If it's on, tap it to turn it off. Some Android phones also have a "Notifications" toggle; make sure that's on as well.
On Windows, click the notification icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen (it looks like a speech bubble). If "Do Not Disturb" is on, you'll see it at the top of the panel. Click it to turn it off.
On Mac, click the notification icon in the top-right corner (it looks like three horizontal lines). If "Do Not Disturb" is on, toggle it off.
Turning notifications back on for a specific app
If Do Not Disturb is off but you're still not seeing notifications from one app, that app's notifications are turned off in your device settings. The steps differ by device.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications. Scroll down and tap the app name. Make sure "Allow Notifications" is toggled on. Check that the notification style is set to "Banners" or "Alerts" rather than "None."
On Android, go to Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Notifications. Toggle "Show Notifications" on. Some Android phones call this "Allow Notifications" instead.
On Windows, go to Settings > System > Notifications. Scroll down to "Notifications from apps and other senders" and find the app in the list. Toggle it on.
On Mac, go to System Settings > Notifications. Find the app in the list on the left. Make sure "Allow Notifications" is checked.
Checking your device's overall sound and notification volume
On phones, the physical volume buttons control both sound and notifications. If your phone's volume is all the way down, notifications won't make a sound — but they may still appear on your screen as silent alerts. Check your volume by pressing the volume-up button and looking at the slider that appears.
On iPhone, if the physical mute switch on the side of the phone is in the "off" position (toward the back), notifications will be silent. Flip it toward the front to unmute.
On Android, go to Settings > Sound and Vibration. Make sure the volume slider is not all the way down. Some Android phones have a separate "Notification Volume" setting; check that too.
On computers, notification volume is usually tied to your system volume. On Windows, click the speaker icon in the bottom-right corner and make sure the volume slider is not muted. On Mac, click the speaker icon in the top-right corner and do the same.
Apps with scheduled quiet hours or custom notification rules
Some apps let you set times when notifications are silenced — for example, no work emails between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. If you set this rule and forgot about it, notifications will appear to stop at that time every day. Check the app's settings for options like "Quiet Hours," "Do Not Disturb," "Mute Notifications," or "Notification Schedule."
Other apps silence notifications only for certain types of alerts. For example, a messaging app might let you turn off notifications for group chats but keep them for direct messages. If you're not seeing notifications from one type of alert, look in the app's notification settings for category-specific controls.
What to do if notifications still aren't working
Restart your device. Close the app completely and reopen it. On phones, swipe up from the bottom (iPhone) or swipe up and hold (Android) to see all open apps, then swipe the app away. On computers, close the app from the taskbar or dock and open it again.
Check whether the app has permission to send notifications. On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Notifications and make sure the app is listed. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Permissions and check "Notifications." On Windows and Mac, the permission is usually granted automatically when you first open an app, but you can check in System Settings > Notifications if you're unsure.
Update the app. Notification bugs are often fixed in updates. Open your app store (App Store on iPhone, Google Play on Android, Microsoft Store on Windows, or App Store on Mac) and check for updates to the app that isn't notifying you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I see a notification on my lock screen but don't hear a sound?
Your device volume is turned down or your phone is in silent mode. On iPhone, check the mute switch on the side. On Android, press the volume-up button to see the current volume level. Notifications can appear silently on your screen even when sound is off — this is normal behavior.
My notifications work sometimes but not other times. What's happening?
You likely have a schedule set. Check the app's settings for "Quiet Hours," "Do Not Disturb," or "Notification Schedule." You may also have Focus Mode or Do Not Disturb set to turn on at certain times of day. Look in your device's settings under Focus or Do Not Disturb to see if a schedule is active.
I turned notifications back on but they're still not showing. What else can I try?
Restart your device and the app. Uninstall and reinstall the app — this clears out corrupted settings that sometimes prevent notifications from working. If the problem persists only with one app, the issue is with that app, not your device. Check the app's support page or contact the developer.
Do I have to turn off Do Not Disturb every time, or can I set it to turn off automatically?
Most devices let you set a schedule for Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode. On iPhone, go to Settings > Focus > [Your Focus] and tap "Schedule." On Android, go to Settings > Do Not Disturb > Schedule. On Windows and Mac, you can set a schedule in Notifications settings. You can also set it to turn off when you leave a location or at a specific time.