Facebook notifications stop for three main reasons: you turned them off yourself, your phone's settings are blocking them, or Facebook's app needs updating
Most people who lose Facebook notifications discover they accidentally disabled them weeks or months earlier and forgot. The second most common cause is your phone's operating system — iOS or Android — blocking notifications at the system level, which overrides anything Facebook's settings say. The third is an outdated app that has bugs or permission issues. This guide walks you through checking each one in order, starting with the easiest.
You will need your phone and about five minutes. If you use Facebook on a computer instead of an app, the process is different and covered at the end.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook notifications can be turned off in three places: Facebook's app settings, your phone's notification settings, and your phone's app permissions — you need to check all three.
- Your phone's operating system can block notifications even if Facebook's settings say they are on, so checking your phone's settings is often the fastest fix.
- Uninstalling and reinstalling the Facebook app clears permission problems and updates the app in one step.
- If you use Facebook in a web browser on your phone, notifications work differently and require your browser's permission, not your phone's.
Check Facebook's notification settings first
Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (called a menu) at the bottom right of the screen. Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings. Scroll down to find Notifications.
You will see a list of notification types: Messages, Friend Requests, Comments, Likes, and others. Tap each one. If the toggle next to it is gray or off, tap it to turn it on. The toggle should turn blue. Do this for any notification type you want to receive. If all the toggles are already blue, move to the next section — the problem is in your phone's settings, not Facebook's.
After you turn on the notifications you want, go back and look for a setting called Notifications at the very top of that menu. Make sure the main toggle for all notifications is also on (blue). Some phones show this as Allow Notifications.
Check your phone's notification settings for Facebook
Your phone has its own master list of which apps can send notifications. Facebook's settings do not override this — if your phone says no, Facebook cannot send anything.
On iPhone: Go to Settings (the gray gear icon on your home screen). Tap Notifications. Scroll down and find Facebook. Tap it. Make sure Allow Notifications is toggled on (green). Below that, check that Sounds, Badges, and Banners are all on. If Banners is set to Off, tap it and change it to Temporary or Persistent.
On Android: Go to Settings (usually a gear icon). Tap Apps or Applications (the name varies by phone maker). Find and tap Facebook. Tap Notifications. Make sure Allow Notifications is toggled on. If you see an option for Importance, set it to High or Urgent so notifications actually alert you instead of sitting silently in a list.
Check your phone's app permissions
Your phone also controls whether apps can access certain features. Facebook needs permission to send notifications, and sometimes this permission gets revoked during a system update or if you denied it when you first installed the app.
On iPhone: Go to Settings, then Privacy. Scroll down and look for Notifications. Tap it. Find Facebook in the list. If it is not there, or if it shows a gray circle next to it, tap it and make sure the toggle is on (green).
On Android: Go to Settings, then Apps. Find Facebook and tap it. Tap Permissions. Look for Notifications in the list. If it shows Denied or Not Allowed, tap it and select Allow.
Uninstall and reinstall the Facebook app
If you have checked all three places above and notifications are still off, the app itself may have a bug or a corrupted permission file. Uninstalling and reinstalling clears this in one step and also updates the app to the latest version.
On iPhone: Press and hold the Facebook app icon on your home screen until a menu appears. Tap Remove App, then Delete App, then Delete. Go to the App Store, search for Facebook, and tap Get, then Install. Sign in when prompted.
On Android: Press and hold the Facebook app icon until a menu appears. Tap Uninstall. Go to the Google Play Store, search for Facebook, and tap Install. Sign in when prompted.
After the app finishes installing, wait a few seconds, then open it. Go back to Facebook's notification settings (the first section above) and turn on the notifications you want. Your phone should now send them.
If you use Facebook in a web browser instead of the app
Facebook notifications in a browser work differently. They come from your browser, not from your phone's system, so you need to give the browser permission instead.
On Safari (iPhone): Open Safari and go to facebook.com. Tap the address bar at the top. Look for a small icon that looks like a bell or a circle with a line through it. Tap it. Select Allow to let Facebook send notifications through Safari. You may also need to go to iPhone Settings > Notifications and find Safari, then make sure notifications are on for Safari itself.
On Chrome or Firefox (Android or iPhone): Open the browser and go to facebook.com. Tap the three dots (menu) in the top right corner. Tap Settings. Tap Notifications. Make sure notifications are turned on. You may also see a prompt from the browser asking if you want to allow Facebook to send notifications — tap Allow.
Browser notifications only work when you have Facebook open or when the browser is running in the background. They are less reliable than app notifications, so if you use Facebook often, the app is the better choice.
What to do if notifications still are not working
If you have completed all the steps above and still receive no notifications, try these two final checks. First, restart your phone completely — turn it off, wait ten seconds, and turn it back on. This clears temporary glitches that block notifications.
Second, check whether your phone's Do Not Disturb or Focus mode is on. On iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner of the screen. On Android, swipe down twice from the top. If you see a moon icon or a Do Not Disturb label, tap it to turn it off. These modes silence all notifications, even if individual apps are set to send them.
If notifications still do not arrive after these steps, the problem may be with your internet connection or your Facebook account itself. Try opening Facebook and checking whether you can see new posts and messages — if the app loads normally, your connection is fine. If you still see no notifications after a full day, contact Facebook through the app's Help & Support menu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I get notifications for some things but not others?
You may have turned off notifications for specific types of activity in Facebook's settings. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Notifications and check each category. You can also turn off notifications for specific people or groups — if you muted someone, you will not get notifications from them even if notifications are on for everyone else.
Do I have to turn on all notifications or can I pick which ones?
You can pick. In Facebook's notification settings, each type (Messages, Comments, Likes, Friend Requests, and so on) has its own toggle. Turn on only the ones you want to see. Many people turn on Messages and Friend Requests but turn off Likes and Comments to reduce noise.
Will turning notifications back on drain my phone's battery?
No. Notifications use very little battery. The battery drain comes from Facebook running in the background and checking for activity, which happens whether notifications are on or off. Turning notifications on does not increase how often Facebook checks — it only changes whether you get alerted when something happens.
What if I only want notifications when I am not using Facebook?
Facebook does not have a built-in setting for this. Your best option is to turn off notifications entirely and check Facebook manually when you want to, or use your phone's Focus or Do Not Disturb mode to silence notifications while you are actively using the app, then turn it off when you close the app.
Can I get notifications on my computer instead of my phone?
Yes. Go to facebook.com on your computer, click the down arrow in the top right, click Settings & Privacy, then Settings. Click Notifications on the left side. You can turn on notifications for your browser. Your computer will show notifications in the bottom right corner (Windows) or top right (Mac) when something happens on Facebook, even if you are not looking at the page.