Where to find push notifications and turn them on

Push notifications are messages that appear on your screen even when you are not using an app — a text alert, a news headline, a reminder from your calendar. To turn them on, you go into your device's settings, find the app you want notifications from, and flip the permission switch. The exact steps depend on whether you use an iPhone, Android phone, Windows computer, or Mac.

Most people turn notifications off by accident — they dismiss a prompt that says "Allow notifications?" without reading it carefully, or they silence them during a meeting and forget to turn them back on. If you want notifications from a specific app but stopped seeing them, that is usually why. The good news is that turning them back on takes less than a minute once you know where to look.

Key Takeaways

  • On iPhone, open Settings, tap Notifications, find the app name, and toggle Allow Notifications to the on position.
  • On Android, open Settings, go to Apps or Applications, select the app, tap Notifications, and turn them on.
  • On Windows, open Settings, select System, then Notifications, and toggle on the apps you want to hear from.
  • On Mac, open System Settings, click Notifications, select the app, and check the box next to Allow Notifications.
  • If you turned off notifications for all apps at once, you may need to turn them back on at the device level before individual apps will work.

Turning on notifications on iPhone

Open the Settings app — the gray icon with gears on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Notifications. You will see a list of every app on your phone. Find the app you want notifications from and tap its name.

Look for the toggle next to Allow Notifications. If it is gray or off, tap it to turn it on. The toggle will turn green. Once it is on, you can choose how you want to be notified: as a banner at the top of the screen, as a badge (a red number on the app icon), or as a sound. Most apps let you pick all three, or just the ones you want.

If you do not see the app in the Notifications list, scroll to the very bottom and tap Notifications again — some apps hide in a section called "Not Recently Used" or similar. If the app still does not appear, it may not support notifications at all.

Turning on notifications on Android

Open the Settings app — usually a gear icon. The exact next step depends on your phone's manufacturer. On most Android phones, tap Apps or Applications. On Samsung phones, it may say Apps or process Manager. On Google Pixel phones, it says Apps and Notifications.

Find the app you want notifications from and tap it. Look for a button or menu item that says Notifications or App Notifications. Tap it. You should see a toggle or switch for notifications — turn it on. The switch will change color, usually to blue or green.

If the toggle is already on but you are not seeing notifications, scroll down in that same menu. There may be a setting called Notification Channels or Advanced that lets you turn on specific types of notifications from that app. Some apps send different kinds of alerts — messages, updates, reminders — and you can control each one separately.

Turning on notifications on Windows

Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key and typing "Settings," then pressing Enter. Click System on the left side. Click Notifications.

You will see a section called Notifications at the top with a toggle for Notifications itself. Make sure that toggle is on — if it is off, nothing will notify you, no matter what you do in individual apps. Below that, scroll down to find the app you want notifications from. Each app has its own toggle. Turn it on.

Windows also lets you choose whether notifications show a banner, a sound, or both. In the same Notifications settings, you can adjust those choices for each app. If you turned off notifications for the whole system and now want them back, turn on the main Notifications toggle first, then turn on individual apps.

Turning on notifications on Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top left corner and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older Macs). Click Notifications in the sidebar.

You will see a list of apps on the left. Find the app you want notifications from and click it. On the right side, check the box next to Allow Notifications. You can also choose whether notifications appear as a banner, an alert, or a badge on the app icon. Most people leave all three on, but you can turn off any you do not want.

If the app is not in the list, it may not support notifications. Some older apps or web-based tools do not have this feature. If you are looking for notifications from a website — like a news site or email — you may need to turn on notifications in your web browser instead, not in System Settings.

What to do if notifications are on but you still do not see them

If you turned on notifications and they still are not showing up, check whether your device is in silent or do-not-disturb mode. On iPhone, look at the top of the screen — if you see a moon icon, do-not-disturb is on. On Android, swipe down from the top twice to open the full quick settings menu and look for Do Not Disturb. On Windows and Mac, check your notification settings for a focus mode or do-not-disturb option that might be blocking alerts.

Another common reason is that the app itself is not running. Some apps only send notifications when they are actively checking for new information — if you force-closed the app or your phone ran out of battery, notifications may not come through. Restart the app and check that it has permission to run in the background. On iPhone, this is in Settings under the app name, in a section called Background App Refresh. On Android, it is usually under Battery or App Battery Usage.

Finally, check whether the app is muted within its own settings. Many apps have their own notification controls separate from your device settings. Open the app, look for a settings or preferences menu, and search for notification options there. You may need to turn notifications on in both places — in your device settings and inside the app itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn on notifications for just one type of message from an app?

Yes. Most apps let you control different notification types separately. In your device settings, find the app and look for Notification Channels (Android) or Notification Settings (iPhone). You might see options like "Messages," "Updates," or "Reminders" — you can turn each one on or off independently.

What is the difference between a banner and an alert?

A banner appears at the top of your screen and disappears after a few seconds. An alert pops up in the middle of the screen and stays there until you dismiss it. Banners are less disruptive; alerts make sure you see the message. Most people use banners for less urgent apps and alerts for messages or calls.

If I turn on notifications, will my battery drain faster?

Notifications themselves use very little battery. What drains battery is if an app is constantly checking for new information in the background. If you are worried about battery life, turn on notifications but check your app's background refresh settings — you can limit how often it checks for updates without turning off notifications entirely.

Why do some apps not have a notifications option in my settings?

Some apps do not support notifications, or they only send notifications through your web browser instead of your device. If an app is not in your notification settings, it either does not have this feature or it sends alerts a different way. Check the app's help section or settings menu to see if notifications are controlled inside the app instead.