I recently updated to iOS 17 and discovered that my iPhone stopped sending notifications for almost any application.
This caused me to miss important reminders from my clients and colleagues.
So, I searched the Internet to find the most effective solutions on how to fix notifications if they stopped working after updating to iOS 17.
These are the solutions I’ve found to work best.
1. Turn Off Focus Mode
Focus mode is the primary culprit as to why you’re not receiving notifications. The recent iOS 17 might have enabled it by default, preventing apps from sending push notifications.
Follow the steps below to check if the feature is enabled:
- Access the Control Center by swiping down from the upper right corner of your display.
- Now, tap on the current active Focus preset to turn it off.
Observe if you’ll receive notifications from apps.
2. Add Focus Exceptions
If you prefer using Focus mode, there’s an option for you to set exceptions for contacts and apps that can disturb you.
To add Focus exceptions, you can do the following:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Now, tap on Focus.
- Choose the preset you want to edit.
- Under Allowed Notifications, tap on People or Apps.
People – add contacts you want to receive calls from even when Focus is enabled. You can also select Everyone if you want to keep receiving calls with Focus mode.
Apps – add applications that can send you push notifications with Focus mode activated.
3. Disable Focus Automation
I encountered an instance when I was confident that Focus was disabled.
My phone was not ringing, and I thought no one was messaging or calling me.
To my surprise, Focus was enabled automatically, and I missed a few calls from my friends.
To prevent this from happening, ensure that Focus Automation is disabled.
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Go to Focus.
- Select the preset you want to change.
- Under Turn On Automatically/Activate, disable all settings, or select the automation you want to disable.
4. Turn Off Shared Across Devices
Focus can be synced across the entire Apple ecosystem. However, if you only want Focus on your MacBook and not your iPhone, you must disable the sync feature.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Go to Settings on your iPhone.
- Now, tap on Focus.
- Find Share Across Devices and turn off the toggle switch.
Observe if Focus will still automatically activate on your iPhone.
5. Turn Off Notification Summary
Notification summary is another feature to check if notifications are not working on your iPhone after the iOS 17 update.
This feature only allows time-sensitive alerts, and all non-urgent notifications are silenced.
If you don’t need this feature, I recommend turning it off to avoid non-urgent notifications from getting filtered.
See the guide below to turn off the notification summary:
- Inside your iPhone’s settings, go to Notifications.
- Now, tap on Scheduled Summary.
- Tap the switch beside Scheduled Summary to turn it off.
Observe if you are receiving all notifications now on your iPhone.
6. Check Notifications for Apps
If notifications are not working from specific applications, there might be a problem with the preferences of your iPhone running iOS 17.
Follow the guide below to check your individual app settings:
- Access the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Now, scroll down and tap on the app you want to check.
- Tap on Notifications.
- Ensure that the Allow Notifications option is enabled.
See if you are now receiving alerts from the app.
7. Update Your App
If notifications for the app are enabled, I suggest checking for app updates.
The version you’re using might have compatibility issues with iOS 17, causing notifications to malfunction.
Here’s how you can update apps on your iPhone:
- First, open the App Store on your device.
- Tap your Profile icon in the upper right corner.
- Find the app you want to update.
- Tap the Update button beside the app.
8. Update Your iPhone
The version of iOS 17 you’re using might have an underlying problem related to notifications and alerts.
To rule this out, see if there are new versions available to patch potential bugs and errors.
Follow the steps below to update your iPhone:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Navigate to General > Software Update.
- If there’s a new iOS version available, tap Update Now.
Note
- Your device can restart several times while installing the update.
- Ensure your iPhone has at least 50% battery before installing updates. It’s best to keep your device plugged into the wall charger to avoid interruptions.
- Allow at least 15 minutes for the update to install, especially if it’s a major update (iOS 14 to iOS 15).
To avoid missing future updates, enable automatic updates on your iPhone:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Go to General > Software Update > Automatic Updates.
- Enable Download iOS Updates and Install iOS Updates.
9. Contact Apple Support
If none of the solutions above worked, it’s best to speak to an Apple representative for further diagnosing.
There might be a problem with your phone’s software or hardware that needs to be addressed by a technician or their team.
Visit Apple’s support page to report the problem you’re experiencing.
When reporting a problem, make sure to include the following:
- iPhone model and iOS version you’re using.
- Specific apps that you experience notification issues.
- Screenshot of your notification settings.
FAQs
Why am I not getting notifications even though they are turned on iOS?
The main reason you are not getting notifications on your iPhone is focus mode. This feature filters all notifications on your phone so you can focus on work or study. Bugs and software-related issues can also cause notifications to malfunction.
How do I enable push notifications for apps?
If you want to enable notifications for certain apps, you can do it by:
- Go to Settings and access the app you want to change notifications.
- Access the Notifications tab inside the app’s settings.
- Enable the Allow Notifications option.
You can also tweak how notifications are delivered here.
Are push notifications automatically on?
No. App notifications for iOS are disabled by default. However, users get a prompt after installing the app if they want it to send push notifications.
How do I see notifications on iOS 17?
You can see notifications on your iPhone through the notification center. There are two ways to access the notification center:
- From the lock screen: swipe up from the middle of the screen.
- On any other screen: swipe downwards from the upper left corner of your screen.
How do I force notifications on iOS?
iOS allows you to customize notifications. You can enable notifications for an app, allow it to play sound, and select how they are delivered.
To force an app to send notifications, you need to:
- Go to the Settings app.
- Now, tap on Notifications.
- Tap on the app you want to customize.
- Enable Allow Notifications and tweak how you want notifications to be delivered.
