WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the key features of WhatsApp is the ability to get notifications when you receive new messages, so you don’t miss any important conversations. In this article, we’ll walk through the steps to set up and customize notifications for new WhatsApp messages on both iPhone and Android devices.
Enabling Notifications on iPhone
Enabling notifications for WhatsApp on iPhone is simple:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Tap on Notifications.
- Scroll down and tap on WhatsApp.
- Make sure the Allow Notifications toggle is turned on (green).
This will enable notifications for all new WhatsApp messages. You can further customize the notification settings:
- To change the notification style, tap on the section labeled Notification Style. Choose Banner or Alerts.
- To enable or disable sound, toggle the Sound switch on or off.
- To enable or disable vibration, toggle the Vibration switch on or off.
- To set a notification preview, tap on the section labeled Show Preview. Choose when to show message text previews.
You can also set notifications differently for specific WhatsApp contacts:
- In WhatsApp, tap on the chat with the contact.
- Tap on the contact’s name at the top of the chat screen.
- Tap Custom Notifications.
- Toggle custom notifications on and customize as desired.
This allows you to enable or disable notifications, sounds, and vibration for messages from specific people.
Enabling Notifications on Android
The process is very similar on Android devices:
- Open the Settings app on your Android phone.
- Tap Apps & Notifications.
- Tap Notifications.
- Tap WhatsApp.
- Toggle Allow Notifications on.
You can customize Android WhatsApp notifications further:
- Tap Importance for notification priority.
- Tap Advanced to customize sounds, vibrate, popup notification style etc.
- Tap Conversations to configure notifications for specific chats.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you’ve enabled WhatsApp notifications but aren’t receiving them reliably, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Check that notifications for WhatsApp are turned on in your phone’s main Settings app.
- Make sure WhatsApp has permission to display notifications. In Android Settings, this is under Apps & Notifications > Notifications > WhatsApp.
- Check that Do Not Disturb is not blocking notifications during certain times or when your phone screen is locked.
- Force close and restart the WhatsApp app.
- Uninstall and reinstall the latest version of WhatsApp.
- Restart your phone.
- Check for any phone OS or WhatsApp updates and install them.
Using Do Not Disturb Selectively
If you don’t want to be disturbed by WhatsApp notifications at certain times, you can use Do Not Disturb settings:
- On iPhone, enable Do Not Disturb and allow calls or messages from specific contacts like family.
- On Android, go to Settings > Sound > Do Not Disturb. Choose priorities and set rules to allow exceptions.
This blocks unnecessary notifications while still allowing important chats to notify you.
You can also mute specific WhatsApp chats instead of disabling all notifications. Long press a chat and tap Mute to mute notifications.
Third-Party Notification Managers
Consider using third-party notification manager apps to better organize notifications:
- Android: NotiStar, BuzzKill, Notification Log, etc.
- iPhone: Settings Widget, Notification Summary, Filterbox, etc.
These provide more control over notifications. For example, you can:
- Customize and schedule Do Not Disturb
- Set notification priorities for different apps/chats
- Organize notifications by topic or source
- Quickly mute or snooze notifications
WhatsApp Notification Settings
Within WhatsApp itself, you can configure some notification settings:
- Open WhatsApp Settings > Notifications.
- Toggle Show Previews to on or off.
- Enable or disable Notification Tone and Vibration.
- Set notification and vibration duration.
However, your phone’s system settings generally give you more options for customizing notifications.
Conclusion
Staying on top of WhatsApp messages is easy if you enable notifications. Both iPhones and Android phones provide ways to customize notification settings for all apps or specific chats. Make sure to allow WhatsApp notifications in your main Settings. If needed, use Do Not Disturb selectively or try notification manager apps for even finer control. With the proper notifications enabled, you’ll never miss an important WhatsApp message again.
| OS | Steps to Enable Notifications |
|---|---|
| iPhone |
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| Android |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I not getting WhatsApp notifications on my iPhone?
If you’ve enabled notifications for WhatsApp but still aren’t getting them on your iPhone, try these steps:
- Open Settings > Notifications and make sure WhatsApp is enabled
- Check Do Not Disturb settings are not blocking WhatsApp
- Force quit and relaunch WhatsApp
- Check for any iOS updates and install them
- Toggle WhatsApp notifications off and on again
How do I customize WhatsApp notifications on Android?
On Android devices, you can customize WhatsApp notifications by:
- Going to Settings > Apps & Notifications > WhatsApp
- Tapping Importance to set priority level
- Tapping Advanced for custom sounds, vibration, popup style etc
- Tapping Conversations to configure each chat
Can I mute WhatsApp groups?
Yes, you can mute WhatsApp groups to hide notifications:
- Open the group chat
- Tap the group name to open info
- Tap Mute
- Choose mute duration e.g. 8 hours, 1 week
You won’t get any notifications from that group until the mute expires.
How do I disable WhatsApp notification dots?
On Android, to disable the notification dots:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Notifications
- Toggle off Show Message Previews
On iPhone, disable the badge icon:
- Open Settings > Notifications > WhatsApp
- Toggle off Badge App Icon
Conclusion
WhatsApp notifications keep you connected by alerting you about new messages. Configure them properly on your iPhone or Android phone to receive timely alerts without getting annoyed. Customize notifications at the system level as well as within WhatsApp settings. With notifications properly enabled, you can stay on top of your WhatsApp chats and conversations.