Snapchat notifications stop arriving when you've turned them off in your phone's settings, disabled them inside the Snapchat app itself, or when your phone is in Do Not Disturb mode. The fix depends on where you disabled them — and whether you meant to.
Most people discover their notifications are gone by accident. You silence your phone during a meeting, forget to turn notifications back on, and then wonder why friends aren't reaching you. Other times you deliberately turned them off because they were too frequent, then changed your mind. Either way, the solution is straightforward once you know which setting controls what.
Key Takeaways
- Snapchat notifications can be turned off in three separate places: your phone's main notification settings, inside the Snapchat app, and through your phone's Do Not Disturb or Focus mode.
- If your phone is in Do Not Disturb or Focus mode, Snapchat (and most other apps) won't notify you even if notifications are turned on everywhere else.
- You can turn notifications back on for all Snapchat activity at once, or customize which types of messages (direct messages, stories, friend requests) send you alerts.
- Snapchat's notification settings are separate from your phone's volume — a silent phone won't stop notifications from appearing on your screen, but it will stop the sound and vibration.
Check Your Phone's Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode First
Before you dig into app settings, check whether your phone itself is blocking notifications. On iPhone, swipe down from the top-right corner to open Control Center and look for a moon icon (Do Not Disturb) or a purple Focus icon. If either is active, tap it to turn it off. On Android, swipe down twice from the top to open Quick Settings and look for Do Not Disturb or Focus mode — tap it to disable it.
When Do Not Disturb or Focus is on, your phone silences notifications from almost every app, including Snapchat. You won't see alerts on your screen or hear sounds, even if Snapchat's own notification settings are fully enabled. This is the most common reason people think their notifications are broken when they're actually just silenced at the phone level.
Turn On Notifications in Your Phone's Settings
On iPhone: Open Settings, scroll down and tap Snapchat, then tap Notifications. Make sure "Allow Notifications" is toggled on (it will be green). Below that, you can choose whether notifications appear on your lock screen, in Notification Center, or as banners at the top of your screen. Toggle on whichever style you want.
On Android: Open Settings, tap Apps or process Manager, find and tap Snapchat, then tap Notifications. Toggle on "Show notifications" or "Allow notifications" — the exact wording varies by phone maker. You may also see options for notification importance or priority; set it to "High" or "Default" rather than "Low" or "Silent".
If you see a toggle that says "Allow notifications" and it's already on, your phone is not the problem. Move to the next section.
Enable Notifications Inside the Snapchat App
Even if your phone allows Snapchat to send notifications, the app itself can override that and turn them off. Open Snapchat and tap your profile icon in the top-left corner. Tap the gear icon (Settings), then scroll down and tap Notifications.
You'll see toggles for different types of alerts: Messages, Stories, Friend Requests, Snap Reminders, and others depending on your app version. Turn on the ones you want to receive. If you want all notifications, toggle on everything. If you only want to hear about direct messages but not friend requests, turn on Messages and turn off Friend Requests.
After you change these settings, close Snapchat completely and reopen it. The app sometimes needs a moment to sync the change with your phone's notification system.
Check Whether Snapchat Has Permission to Send Notifications
Your phone may have revoked Snapchat's permission to send notifications without you realizing it. This sometimes happens after a phone update or if you haven't used Snapchat in a long time.
On iPhone: Open Settings, tap Snapchat, and look for a Notifications section. If it says "Not Allowed", tap it and select "Allow Notifications". Then go back and make sure "Allow Notifications" is toggled on.
On Android: Open Settings, tap Apps, find Snapchat, tap Permissions, and look for Notifications. If it says "Not allowed" or is toggled off, tap it and select "Allow". Some Android phones also have a separate Notification settings page within the app settings — check both places.
Turn Off Quiet Hours or Scheduled Quiet Time
Snapchat has a built-in feature called Quiet Hours that silences notifications during times you set. Open Snapchat, go to Settings (profile icon, then gear), scroll to Notifications, and look for Quiet Hours or Do Not Disturb Hours. If it's turned on, either turn it off or adjust the time range so it doesn't cover the hours when you want notifications.
Some Android phones also have their own scheduled Do Not Disturb that runs on a timer. If you set it to turn on at 9 p.m. and never turned it off, it might still be active. Check your phone's Settings under Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode to see if a schedule is running.
Restart Snapchat and Your Phone if Notifications Still Don't Work
If you've checked all the settings above and notifications still aren't coming through, close Snapchat completely and reopen it. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or swipe down from the top-right on newer models) and swipe Snapchat off the screen. On Android, open your recent apps and swipe Snapchat away. Wait 10 seconds, then open Snapchat again.
If that doesn't work, restart your phone. This clears out temporary glitches that sometimes prevent notifications from working. Turn your phone off completely, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on. Then open Snapchat and test whether notifications arrive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I getting notifications but no sound or vibration?
Your phone's volume is likely set to silent or vibrate-only mode. Check the physical mute switch on the side of your iPhone, or open your Android's volume settings and make sure it's not set to vibrate or silent. You can also control notification sound separately in Snapchat's notification settings — go to Settings, Notifications, and look for Sound or Vibration toggles.
Can I get notifications for only certain friends?
Snapchat doesn't have a built-in way to notify you for specific friends. You can mute notifications from individual conversations by opening a chat, holding down the person's name, and selecting "Mute". This stops alerts from that person without unfriending them. For everyone else, notifications will work normally.
Will turning notifications back on drain my battery?
Notifications themselves use very little battery. What drains battery is the app constantly checking for new messages in the background. If battery life is your concern, you can leave notifications on but turn off background app refresh for Snapchat in your phone's settings. You'll still get notifications when you open the app, but Snapchat won't run in the background.
What if I turned off notifications on purpose and now I want them back?
Follow the steps in the "Enable Notifications Inside the Snapchat App" section above. You can turn on all notifications at once, or pick and choose which types (messages, stories, friend requests) you want to receive. There's no penalty for changing your mind — you can adjust these settings as often as you want.
Do I need to reinstall Snapchat to fix notifications?
Reinstalling should be your last resort. Try restarting the app and your phone first. If notifications still don't work after that, you can uninstall Snapchat, restart your phone, and reinstall it from the App Store or Google Play. This clears out any corrupted files that might be blocking notifications, but it's rarely necessary.