Where to find the notification settings
Notifications on Android live in two places: the system-wide settings that control which apps can send them, and the individual app settings where you fine-tune what each app actually sends. Most of the time you'll start in system settings, but some apps keep their notification controls inside the app itself.
Open Settings on your Android phone — this is usually a gear icon on your home screen or in your app drawer. Scroll down until you see Apps or Applications (the exact name varies by phone maker). Tap it, then look for Notifications or App notifications. This screen shows you every app installed and whether notifications are currently on or off for each one.
If you don't see a Notifications option in the Apps section, try looking directly in the main Settings menu for Notifications as its own item. Samsung phones often put it there instead. The path changes depending on whether you have a Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus, or another brand, but the concept is always the same: find the list of apps and their notification status.
Key Takeaways
- Notifications are controlled in Settings under Apps or Applications, where you can turn them on or off for each app individually.
- Some apps also have their own notification settings inside the app, which override the system-wide setting.
- Turning notifications on at the system level does not mean you'll get every notification — the app's internal settings still filter what actually reaches you.
- If an app's notifications aren't working even though they're turned on in Settings, check the app's own notification preferences first.
- Do Not Disturb mode silences notifications during set hours, but the notifications still arrive and appear in your notification history.
Turning notifications on for a specific app
Once you're in the Apps or App notifications section of Settings, find the app you want to receive notifications from. Tap on it. You'll see a toggle or switch labeled Notifications, Allow notifications, or sometimes just On/Off. If the toggle is gray or off, tap it to turn it on. The toggle should turn blue or show "On" to confirm the change took effect.
After you turn on notifications at this level, the app can now send you alerts. But the app itself may have additional filters. For example, Gmail might be allowed to send notifications system-wide, but inside Gmail's settings you could have turned off notifications for certain labels or senders. If you turn on notifications in Settings but still aren't seeing them from that app, go back and check the app's own settings — usually found by opening the app, tapping the menu or settings icon, and looking for a Notifications section.
Understanding notification channels and categories
Android organizes notifications into channels, which are categories within a single app. For example, Gmail might have a channel for new mail, another for reminders, and another for security alerts. You can turn notifications on for the app overall but silence specific channels, or vice versa.
When you tap on an app in Settings and look at its notification options, you may see a list of channels below the main toggle. Each channel has its own on/off switch. If you want all Gmail notifications except for promotional emails, you'd turn on the main Gmail notifications but turn off the promotions channel. This gives you fine control without having to turn off the entire app's notifications.
Some phones also let you set the importance or priority of each channel — whether it makes a sound, vibrates, shows on your lock screen, or appears silently in the notification shade. These options appear below the channel name when you tap on a channel itself.
Using Do Not Disturb to pause notifications temporarily
If you want notifications to keep arriving but not interrupt you during certain hours, use Do Not Disturb mode. This silences sounds and vibrations without turning off notifications entirely. Open Settings, search for Do Not Disturb or Quiet hours, and turn it on. You can set a schedule so it activates automatically at bedtime and turns off when you wake up.
While Do Not Disturb is active, notifications still arrive and stack up in your notification shade — you just won't hear them or feel them vibrate. You can also set exceptions so that calls or messages from specific contacts still get through even during Do Not Disturb hours. This is useful if you need sleep but want to be reachable for emergencies.
Checking notification permissions for each app
Android 12 and newer require apps to ask permission before they can send notifications, similar to how they ask for permission to access your camera or location. If an app never asked for notification permission, or you denied it, the app cannot send notifications no matter what you do in Settings.
To check whether an app has permission to notify you, go to Settings, then Apps, then find the app. Tap Permissions and look for Notifications in the list. If it shows Denied or Not granted, tap it and select Allow. After you grant permission, the app can send notifications if you've also turned them on in the notification settings.
Some apps ask for notification permission the first time you open them. If you accidentally tapped "Don't allow" or "Deny", you can always come back to Permissions and change it. The app won't ask again — it will just remember your choice.
Fixing notifications that aren't working
If you've turned on notifications in Settings but still aren't receiving them, work through this checklist. First, make sure notifications are actually on in Settings under Apps — toggle them off and back on to refresh. Second, open the app itself and check its internal notification settings; some apps hide notification controls inside their preferences menu. Third, check whether Do Not Disturb is active; if it is, notifications are silenced even though they're technically on.
Fourth, restart your phone. Notification systems sometimes get stuck, and a restart clears them. Fifth, check whether the app has permission to send notifications in the Permissions section of Settings. Finally, if the app is very old or hasn't been updated in months, uninstall it and reinstall it from the Google Play Store — corrupted app data sometimes breaks notifications, and a fresh install fixes it.
If notifications work for other apps but not for one specific app, the problem is almost always in that app's settings or permissions, not your phone's system settings. If notifications don't work for any app, the problem is usually Do Not Disturb being on, or a system setting you've changed.
Notification badges and LED lights
Some phones show a small number badge on the app icon to tell you how many unread notifications you have. Others have an LED light that blinks when notifications arrive. These features are separate from notifications themselves — you can have notifications turned on but badges turned off, or vice versa.
To control badges, go to Settings, find Notifications, and look for an option called Notification badges, App icon badges, or Badge count. Toggle it on or off. For LED lights, search Settings for LED or Light and adjust the color and behavior. Not all phones have LED lights, so this option may not appear on your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I not getting notifications even though they're turned on?
Check three things: whether Do Not Disturb is active, whether the app has notification permission in Settings under Permissions, and whether the app's own internal settings have notifications turned off. Restart your phone if you've just changed settings. If only one app isn't working, the problem is in that app's settings or permissions, not your phone.
Can I turn on notifications for some apps but not others?
Yes. Go to Settings, Apps, and tap each app individually. Turn notifications on for the ones you want and leave them off for the others. You can also use Do Not Disturb to silence all notifications during certain hours while keeping them on for the rest of the day.
What's the difference between turning notifications on in Settings and in the app itself?
The system-wide setting in Settings acts as a master switch — if it's off, the app cannot notify you. The app's internal settings act as a filter on top of that. Both have to be on for you to receive notifications. If the system setting is on but the app setting is off, you won't get notifications.
Do notifications still arrive if Do Not Disturb is on?
Yes. Do Not Disturb silences the sound and vibration, but notifications still arrive and appear in your notification shade. You can set exceptions so that calls or messages from specific contacts still make a sound even during Do Not Disturb hours.
How do I know if an app has permission to send notifications?
Go to Settings, Apps, tap the app, then tap Permissions. Look for Notifications in the list. If it says Allowed or Granted, the app has permission. If it says Denied or Not granted, tap it and select Allow.