Not getting notifications on your lock screen can be frustrating. This issue prevents you from quickly glancing at your phone to see if you have any new messages, emails, or alerts. There are a few potential causes and solutions for missing lock screen notifications.
Your Notifications are Turned Off
The most obvious reason you aren’t getting notifications on your lock screen is because your notifications are completely turned off. Here’s how to check your notification settings on an iPhone and Android:
iPhone
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Notifications
- Make sure Allow Notifications is toggled on
- Tap an app name to change specific notification settings
Android
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Apps & notifications
- Tap Notifications
- Make sure Allow notifications is toggled on
- Tap an app name to customize its notifications
If Allow Notifications is off, your phone won’t display any notifications on the lock screen or in the notification center. Make sure this setting is enabled.
Do Not Disturb is Blocking Notifications
Another reason your lock screen may not show notifications is if Do Not Disturb mode is activated. Do Not Disturb mutes sounds and blocks visual notifications while it’s enabled.
On an iPhone, open the Control Center and make sure Do Not Disturb is not on. You can also open Settings > Do Not Disturb to change scheduled quiet hours or allow exceptions.
On Android, open Settings > Sound > Do Not Disturb. Make sure it’s disabled or set to only allow priority notifications to get through.
If Do Not Disturb is enabled 24/7, it will stop all notifications from appearing on your lock screen. Disable this to start seeing notifications again.
Hide Sensitive Content is On
The iPhone has a “Hide Sensitive Content” setting that prevents previews of notifications from appearing on the lock screen. This is useful for keeping messages and emails private.
To check if Hide Sensitive Content is enabled:
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Scroll down and make sure Hide Sensitive Content is disabled
With this setting on, you’ll see generic notifications like “New Message” instead of previews from messaging apps. Turn it off to see notification content on your lock screen again.
An App’s Notifications are Disabled
If you aren’t getting notifications from a specific app, its notifications may be disabled entirely. Here’s how to check:
iPhone
- Go to Settings > Notifications
- Select the app
- Make sure Allow Notifications is enabled
Android
- Open Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications
- Select the app
- Make sure Show notifications is enabled
If an app’s notifications are turned off, you won’t see alerts from that app on your lock screen. Go through and check that your important apps have notifications enabled.
Notifications are Disabled in Do Not Disturb
Even if an app’s notifications are enabled, they may be silenced by Do Not Disturb settings. Here’s how to check:
iPhone
- Go to Settings > Do Not Disturb
- Tap Silence
- Make sure the app is not listed
Android
- Open Settings > Sound > Do Not Disturb
- Tap Exceptions
- Make sure the app is toggled on
If an app is silenced in Do Not Disturb, you won’t see notifications from that app even when Do Not Disturb is disabled. Make sure important apps are allowed to notify you.
Priority App Settings Prevent Lock Screen Previews
Both iOS and Android allow you to set priority levels for app notifications. Setting an app as a lower priority may prevent previews from appearing on your lock screen.
To ensure an app’s notifications appear on your lock screen:
iPhone
- Go to Settings > Notifications > Select app
- Make sure the app alert style is set to Banners or Alerts
Android
- Open Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications > Select app
- Tap Importance and select a high level like Urgent or Sensitive
Setting an app to Low, Medium, or Min priority may result in notifications that don’t appear on the lock screen. Use a high importance level.
Lock Screen Notification Previews are Disabled
Both iOS and Android have settings to disable previews and show generic notifications on the lock screen instead.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Show Previews and select Always. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Notifications > On lock screen and select Show all notification content.
If Show Previews or On lock screen is disabled, you’ll only see basic notifications like “You have 3 new messages” instead of the sender and preview text.
Your Screen Saver is Activated
If your phone displays a screen saver like a clock, photos, or news, this may prevent notifications from appearing on your lock screen.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > Wallpaper and make sure Choose a New Wallpaper is set to Still. On Android, go to Settings > Display > Screen saver and select None.
As long as a screen saver is active, notifications won’t show up on your lock screen background. Change to a static wallpaper instead.
Your Launcher Doesn’t Support Lock Screen Notifications
Unlike iOS, Android allows you to install custom launcher apps that modify your home screen. Some launchers like Nova Launcher don’t fully support notifications appearing on the lock screen.
To test if your launcher is the issue, temporarily switch back to the standard launcher that came with your phone. If notifications start working, try updating to a newer version of your custom launcher or switch to a different app.
Your Phone is Stuck in Power Saving Mode
Battery saver or low power mode disables some background processes like notifications to conserve battery life. This may prevent notifications from popping up on your lock screen.
On an iPhone, disable Low Power Mode in Settings > Battery. On Android, turn off Battery Saver or Power Saving mode in Settings > Battery.
Power saving settings are useful when your battery is low. But they can also block notifications, so turn them off if you want to receive alerts consistently.
Conclusion
There are quite a few settings that can disrupt notifications from appearing on your lock screen. The most common issues are having notifications fully disabled for your whole phone or individual apps. Do Not Disturb and power saving modes can also silence notifications.
Go through your sound, app notification, and lock screen display settings to make sure alerts are enabled. Also check notification importance levels and preview options. With the right settings, you’ll be able to see notifications on your lock screen again.