How to Fix Facebook Notifications Not Working on Android and iPhone

Facebook notifications make it easy to stay updated without constantly opening the app. You can instantly know when someone sends you a friend request, comments on your post, tags you, reacts to a photo, or sends you a message.

However, Facebook notifications can sometimes stop appearing on your phone. You may still receive messages or activity inside Facebook, but no push notification appears on your Android phone or iPhone.

This problem can happen for several reasons, including disabled notification permissions, restricted background data, battery-saving features, a poor internet connection, incorrect Facebook notification settings, or a temporary app issue.

Fortunately, you can usually fix the problem with a few simple troubleshooting steps. Here are the best ways to fix Facebook notifications not working on Android and iPhone.

Why Are Facebook Notifications Not Working?

Before trying the fixes, it’s useful to understand what can prevent Facebook notifications from appearing.

Common causes include:

• Facebook notifications are disabled on your phone.
• Notifications are turned off inside the Facebook app.
• Your internet connection is unstable.
• Facebook is restricted from running in the background.
• Battery Saver or Low Power Mode is limiting Facebook.
• Background data is disabled.
• Facebook’s cached data has become corrupted.
• The Facebook app is outdated.
• Your phone is using Do Not Disturb or another Focus mode.
• A temporary Facebook app or server problem is preventing notifications.

Try the following solutions in order.

1. Check Your Internet Connection

Facebook needs an active internet connection to communicate with its servers and deliver push notifications.

If your Wi-Fi or mobile data connection is slow or unstable, notifications may arrive late or fail to appear altogether.

Try these quick fixes:

1. Open a website or another app that uses the internet.
2. Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data, or vice versa.
3. Turn Airplane Mode on for a few seconds and then turn it off.
4. Restart your router if you’re using Wi-Fi.
5. Run an internet speed test to check whether your connection is unusually slow.

If Facebook works normally but notifications are delayed, continue with the next solutions.

2. Make Sure Facebook Notifications Are Enabled on Your Phone

The first setting to check is your phone’s notification permission for Facebook.

On Android

The exact menu names can vary depending on your phone manufacturer and Android version, but the process is generally:

1- Open Settings.

2- Go to Apps or Apps & Notifications.

3- Select Facebook.

4-Tap Notifications.

5- Make sure Allow Notifications is enabled.

6- Check the individual notification categories and enable the ones you want to receive.

On some Android phones, you may also need to make sure notifications are allowed to appear on the lock screen and as pop-up notifications.

On iPhone

On an iPhone:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Notifications.
3. Select Facebook.
4. Turn on Allow Notifications.
5. Enable Lock Screen, Notification Center, and Banners if you want Facebook notifications to appear in those locations.
6. Make sure notification sounds are enabled if you want an alert sound.

After changing these settings, open Facebook and check whether new notifications appear.

3. Check Facebook’s In-App Notification Settings

Your phone can allow notifications while Facebook itself can still have individual notification categories disabled.

To check Facebook’s notification settings:

1- Open the Facebook app.

2- Tap your profile picture or the Menu icon.

3- Open Settings & privacy.

4- Tap Settings.

5- Find Notifications.

5- Review the different notification categories.

6- Enable the types of notifications you want to receive.

Depending on your version of Facebook, you may see categories for things such as:

• Comments
• Tags
• Friend requests
• Friend activity
• Groups
• Pages
• Marketplace
• Birthdays
• Messages
• Other Facebook activity

Make sure the notifications that matter to you are enabled.

Facebook’s menus can change between app versions, so the exact names and locations may differ slightly.

4. Turn Off Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode

Your phone may be receiving Facebook notifications but preventing them from appearing because Do Not Disturb, Focus, or another notification-filtering feature is enabled.

Android

Open Settings and look for:

Notifications → Do Not Disturb

Make sure Do Not Disturb is disabled, or configure it to allow Facebook notifications.

Also check whether your phone has additional modes such as Bedtime Mode, Gaming Mode, or other notification filters.

iPhone

Open:

Settings → Focus

Check modes such as:

• Do Not Disturb
• Personal
• Work
• Sleep

If one of these Focus modes is active, make sure Facebook is allowed to send notifications or disable the mode temporarily.

5. Allow Facebook to Use Background Data

Android can restrict an app’s background data usage. When this happens, Facebook may have difficulty synchronizing new activity while you’re not actively using the app.

To check this setting:

1- Open Settings.

2- Go to Apps.

3- Select Facebook.

4- Tap Mobile data & Wi-Fi or a similarly named option.

5- Make sure Background data is enabled.

If your phone has a Data Saver feature, check that Facebook is allowed to use background data while Data Saver is active.

This is particularly important if Facebook notifications work when the app is open but stop arriving when the app is running in the background.

6. Disable Battery Restrictions for Facebook

Aggressive battery-saving settings can prevent Facebook from running normally in the background.

This can delay notifications or stop them until you manually open the app.

Android

Go to:

Settings → Apps → Facebook → Battery

Depending on your phone, look for options such as:

• Unrestricted
• Allow background usage
• Don’t optimize
• No restrictions

Select the option that allows Facebook to run in the background.

The exact terminology varies between Samsung, Google Pixel, Xiaomi, OnePlus, and other Android devices.

iPhone

On iPhone, check:

Settings → General → Background App Refresh

Make sure Background App Refresh is enabled if available for Facebook.

Also check whether Low Power Mode is enabled under:

Settings → Battery

Temporarily disabling Low Power Mode can help determine whether battery restrictions are affecting Facebook.

7. Clear Facebook’s Cache on Android

A corrupted cache can sometimes cause Facebook to behave incorrectly.

If you’re using Android, clearing the cache is a safe troubleshooting step and doesn’t normally remove your Facebook account.

1- Press and hold the Facebook app icon.

2- Tap App info.

3- Select Storage & cache.

4- Tap Clear cache.

5- Reopen Facebook.

6- Check whether notifications start working again.

What About Clear Storage?

You may also see Clear storage or Clear data.

Unlike clearing the cache, clearing storage removes locally stored app data and may sign you out of Facebook. Your Facebook account, posts, photos, and other data stored online are not deleted, but you’ll need to sign in again.

Try Clear cache first.

8. Update the Facebook App

An outdated version of Facebook can sometimes contain bugs that affect notifications.

Open the Google Play Store on Android or the App Store on iPhone and search for Facebook.

If an Update button is available, install the latest version.

After updating, restart your phone and check Facebook notifications again.

9. Restart Your Phone

It sounds simple, but restarting your smartphone can fix temporary problems with notification services, network connections, and background processes.

Restart your Android phone or iPhone and then open Facebook.

Ask someone to send you a Facebook message or interact with one of your posts to test whether notifications are working.

10. Reinstall Facebook

If none of the previous methods work, reinstalling Facebook can resolve problems caused by corrupted app files or a faulty installation.

Android and iPhone

1. Uninstall the Facebook app.
2. Restart your phone.
3. Reinstall Facebook from the official app store.
4. Sign in to your account.
5. Allow Facebook to send notifications when prompted.
6. Test notifications again.

This gives Facebook a fresh installation and can resolve persistent app-related problems.

11. Check Whether Facebook Is Experiencing an Outage

Sometimes the problem isn’t your phone at all.

Facebook can experience temporary server problems that affect notifications, messaging, feeds, and other features.

If notifications suddenly stopped working on multiple devices, check whether other Facebook users are reporting similar problems.

If Facebook is experiencing a widespread outage, there’s usually nothing you need to change on your phone. You may simply need to wait until the service is restored.

12. Check Notification Settings for Facebook Messenger

If your problem specifically involves Facebook Messenger, check Messenger’s notification settings separately.

Open Messenger and review its notification preferences. Also make sure Messenger is allowed to send notifications in your phone’s system settings.

On Android, check:

Settings → Apps → Messenger → Notifications

On iPhone:

Settings → Notifications → Messenger

Make sure notifications, sounds, banners, and other options are configured according to your preferences.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why am I not getting Facebook notifications but I see them when I open the app?

This usually indicates that Facebook is being restricted from running or syncing in the background. Check notification permissions, background data, battery restrictions, Data Saver, and Focus or Do Not Disturb settings.

Why do Facebook notifications work only when I open Facebook?

If notifications appear only after opening the app, Android may be restricting Facebook’s background activity or data usage. Check the app’s battery and background-data settings first.

Why are Facebook notifications delayed?

Delayed notifications can be caused by a poor internet connection, battery-saving features, background data restrictions, or temporary Facebook server problems.

Will clearing Facebook’s cache delete my account?

No. Clearing the cache removes temporary files stored on your phone. It does not delete your Facebook account or your posts, photos, messages, or other data stored on Facebook’s servers.

Why does Facebook Messenger not show notifications?

Check Messenger’s notification permissions, in-app notification settings, battery restrictions, background data, Do Not Disturb or Focus mode, and your internet connection.

Final Thoughts

Facebook notifications are important because they let you know about messages, friend requests, comments, tags, reactions, and other activity without constantly opening the app.

If Facebook notifications aren’t working, start by checking your phone’s notification permissions and Facebook’s in-app notification settings. Then check your internet connection, background data, battery restrictions, and Do Not Disturb or Focus mode.

For Android users, clearing Facebook’s cache can also help. If the problem continues, update or reinstall the app and check whether Facebook is experiencing a temporary service outage.

In most cases, one of these troubleshooting methods should restore Facebook notifications on your Android phone or iPhone.