Not getting notified about new emails, texts, or app alerts can be frustrating. There are a few key reasons why your notifications may be delivering quietly without making a sound or vibration:
Do Not Disturb mode is enabled
The most common reason for silent notifications is having Do Not Disturb mode turned on. This mutes all sounds and vibrations so you aren’t interrupted.
On an iPhone, you can enable Do Not Disturb by swiping up from the bottom of the screen to open Control Center, then tapping the crescent moon icon. On Android, open the Quick Settings panel and toggle on Do Not Disturb.
You may have scheduled Do Not Disturb to automatically turn on during certain times, like at night. Check your Do Not Disturb settings to see if you have any schedules enabled.
Notification sounds are turned off
Another possibility is that notification sounds and vibrations are disabled for certain apps. Even with Do Not Disturb off, your phone won’t make noise if sound effects are muted.
On an iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications and check each app. Make sure sounds and vibrations are enabled. On Android, go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Notifications and do the same.
You can also set notification behaviors per app – some may be set to deliver quietly. Toggle the sounds and vibrations on for each app you want to get notified by.
Phone is in silent mode
Flipping the physical silent switch on an iPhone to silent (or enabling vibrate mode on Android) will mute all notification sounds. You’ll still see notification banners/pop-ups, but they will be silent.
Double check that the ring/silent switch on your iPhone is not set to silent. On Android, go to Settings > Sound and make sure your phone is not set to vibrate only.
Notification volume is turned down
Go to the Sounds settings on iPhone or Sound settings on Android and check that the notification volume slider hasn’t been turned down. This controls the volume level of notification sounds.
Slowly raise the volume back up and test with a new notification to see if sounds are audible.
Focus mode is blocking notifications
On iPhones running iOS 15 or later, Focus mode allows you to filter which notifications can come through at certain times. For example, you may have set Work Focus to only allow notifications from work-related apps.
Check if you have any Focus modes enabled under Settings > Focus. The apps you’ve allowed notifications from will have override toggles next to them when Focus is on.
On Android, similar functionality exists under Digital Wellbeing settings. You can enable Focus mode or set App Timers to limit notifications from specific apps.
Notifications are paused in Notification Settings
Diving deeper into the Notification Settings on iPhone, you have the option to temporarily pause notifications from apps for 1 day or until evening. Toggled apps will have their notifications muted until the designated time.
Look under Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Summary to see if any apps have active notification pauses enabled.
Older iPhone models have alerts issues
There seems to be a persistent issue with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models (running iOS 12.1 or later) where notifications randomly become silent. It’s likely a software bug Apple has not officially addressed.
Workarounds include hard resetting your phone, turning Do Not Disturb on and then off, and toggling notification sounds off and back on under Settings. But issues may persist if it’s a true bug in the OS.
Outdated software on Android devices
On older Android phones and tablets, being several software versions behind can also cause notifications to not work properly. Issues seem most common on devices running Android Lollipop 5.0 or older.
Check Settings > About device to see your current Android version. If it’s quite outdated, try updating to the latest security patch or major OS update available for your device model. Keeping system software updated may help resolve bugs.
App notifications are disabled
Diving into Settings for each individual app, you may find the option to disable notifications. This prevents that app from ever sending notifications quietly or otherwise.
Open up Settings > Apps & notifications (Android) or Settings > Notifications (iPhone) and make sure notifications are enabled for apps you want alerts from. Toggle notification access on for any apps that have it disabled.
Outdated app version
Apps that aren’t kept updated may end up with notification bugs on newer OS versions. The coding behind the scenes may not play nicely with updates to iOS or Android.
Browse through your installed apps in the Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS) and check for any available updates. Keeping all apps updated may help resolve issues.
Connection issues
For notifications that rely on an internet connection to deliver, like email or chat apps, connection problems can prevent them from coming through.
Make sure you have a stable WiFi or mobile data connection. Try disabling WiFi and switching to mobile data, or vice versa, to test if notifications come through over a different connection.
Restarting your phone can also fix temporary connection glitches that may be blocking notifications.
Background app refresh is disabled
On iPhones, background app refresh allows apps to fetch new data in the background, even when you aren’t using them directly. This is what enables them to deliver notifications.
If background refresh is disabled globally or for individual apps, notifications may not come through reliably. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and make sure it’s enabled for apps you want notifications from.
Restricted notifications in Screen Time
On iOS devices with Screen Time enabled, you can restrict notifications for specific apps when time limits are exceeded or during downtime. This prevents notification sounds/banners outside of allowed times.
Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions to check if any apps have notifications restricted. Tweak as needed.
Notifications are bugging in 3rd party launchers
If using a third-party launcher on Android instead of the stock launcher, issues can arise with notification delivery and badging.
Try switching back to the standard launcher that came with your Android version to see if behavior improves. Notifications may function more reliably.
Battery optimization interfering
On Android devices, having battery optimization enabled for apps can sometimes interfere with their background notification delivery.
Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > Special app access > Battery optimization and switch battery optimization off for apps where you want reliable notifications.
Notifications disabled by profile
In your user profile settings on Android, you can disable notifications for your profile. This could explain why notifications across multiple apps are silent.
Open Settings > Users & accounts > Your profile name, and make sure notifications are not disabled. Re-enable them if needed.
Your device is in Power Saving mode
Battery Saver or Power Saving modes on both iOS and Android often disable non-essential functions, like background data, in order to extend battery life. This can inadvertently mute notifications.
Check if Power Saving or a similar mode is enabled either in your Quick Settings panel or under Settings > Battery. Turn it off and see if notifications now come through.
Notifications troubleshooting on iPhone
Here are some additional steps to troubleshoot silent notifications specifically on iPhone models:
- Force restart your iPhone – Press and quickly release the Volume Up button, press and quickly release the Volume Down button, then press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears.
- Reset network settings – Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will reset WiFi networks and other connections but may resolve bugs.
- Update to the latest version of iOS – Installing the newest iOS updates can fix notification bugs and issues.
- Reset all settings – As a last resort, reset all settings under Settings > General > Reset. You’ll have to reconfigure your device but it can clear out underlying bugs.
Notifications troubleshooting on Android
For Android devices, these steps may help pinpoint notification issues:
- Clear app cache and data – In Settings > Apps & notifications, select each app and choose Clear Cache and Clear Data to wipe old app files.
- Restart in safe mode – Power off your device, then power it back on and hold the Vol Down button to boot into safe mode. See if notifications work here before restarting.
- Factory reset – Backup data and then reset your device to factory default settings. Go to Settings > System > Advanced > Reset options.
Contact mobile provider support
Getting help from your mobile provider’s tech support may uncover device-specific factors impacting notifications. They can check your account settings, connection quality, and troubleshoot phone-related issues.
Third-party notification manager apps
Apps like Wear OS or Pushbullet can help manage notifications across multiple platforms and devices. Install them and see if routing notifications through these apps makes them more reliable.
Rule out hardware issues
Defective hardware like a faulty speaker, broken vibration motor or bad motherboard components can prevent notifications from sounding or feeling tactile even if they are visually delivered.
If you’ve exhausted all troubleshooting without success, it may be an underlying hardware problem. Schedule a repair or replacement through the device manufacturer.
Get your phone checked for other software issues
Persistent notification issues that aren’t resolved by troubleshooting may indicate bugs, glitches or software corruption at the system level.
Take your phone to a repair shop and ask them to reinstall the OS, upgrade software and check for system-wide problems that may be affecting notifications behind the scenes.
Conclusion
Notifications falling silent can stem from toggled settings, restrictions, outdated software or connection problems. Run through notification and app settings, system troubleshooting steps, and upgrade software to resolve general issues.
For ongoing notification problems that persist after troubleshooting, hardware defects or corrupted software may require professional phone repair or a system reset to fix.
With consistent checks to notification settings, app notifications enabled, connections stable and software updated, you can stay on top of alerts and prevent missing important pings to your phone.