Notifications are blocked by settings, not by the apps themselves
When notifications stop appearing on a Motorola phone, the problem is almost always in one of four places: the app's notification settings, your phone's Do Not Disturb mode, your battery saver, or the notification channel for that specific app. Motorola phones run Android, which gives you control at multiple levels, and notifications can be turned off at any of them. The app itself is almost never broken — you just need to find which layer has been switched off.
The fastest way to fix this is to check each layer in order, starting with the most common culprit: the app's own notification settings inside your phone's main settings menu. Most people don't realize that turning off notifications for an app in the app itself is different from turning them off in your phone's settings, and both have to be on for you to see anything.
Key Takeaways
- Check your phone's main Settings app under Apps and Notifications to see whether notifications are turned on for that specific app.
- Do Not Disturb mode silences all notifications except calls and messages from starred contacts, and it often turns on automatically at night.
- Battery Saver restricts background activity for apps, which can prevent notifications from arriving even if they are turned on in settings.
- Some apps have multiple notification channels (like "Messages" and "Alerts" separately), and you may have turned off only one channel while leaving others on.
- Restarting your phone clears temporary glitches that prevent notifications from working, even when all settings look correct.
Check the app's notification settings in your phone's Settings app
Open your phone's Settings app and tap Apps and Notifications. Scroll down and find the app that is not sending notifications — for example, Gmail or WhatsApp. Tap the app name, then look for Notifications. If you see a toggle next to "Allow notifications" or similar wording, make sure it is turned on (it should be blue or green, not gray).
Some apps also have notification channels, which are separate categories within the app. For example, Gmail might have a channel for "New mail" and another for "Promotions". Tap Notifications again and look for a list of channels. If one channel is turned off (grayed out), turn it back on. This is a common reason why you see some notifications but not others from the same app.
Turn off Do Not Disturb mode or adjust its settings
Do Not Disturb is a Motorola feature that silences notifications, calls, and vibrations. On many Motorola phones, it turns on automatically at night or when you are in a meeting. To check whether it is on, swipe down from the top of your screen twice to open the full Quick Settings panel. Look for a button labeled "Do Not Disturb" or a moon icon. If it is highlighted in blue or green, tap it to turn it off.
If you want to keep Do Not Disturb on but allow certain apps through, tap and hold the Do Not Disturb button (do not just tap it), then tap Settings. You can choose to allow calls and messages from starred contacts, or allow alarms and reminders. Some apps like phone calls and text messages are usually allowed through by default, but notifications from other apps will still be blocked.
Check whether Battery Saver is limiting background activity
Battery Saver restricts what apps can do in the background, including receiving and displaying notifications. To check whether it is on, swipe down from the top of your screen twice and look for Battery Saver or Battery Optimization. If it is highlighted, tap it to turn it off. If you want to keep Battery Saver on, you can add individual apps to an exception list so they work normally while the rest of your phone saves power.
To add an app to the Battery Saver exception list, go to Settings, then Battery or Battery and Device Care (the exact name varies by Motorola model). Look for Battery Saver or Adaptive Battery, then tap it. Find the option to add apps or manage exceptions, and select the app that is not sending notifications. Once it is on the exception list, that app can receive notifications even when Battery Saver is on.
Restart your phone to clear temporary glitches
Notifications sometimes stop working because of a temporary glitch in Android's notification system, not because of a setting you changed. The fastest fix is to restart your phone. Press and hold the power button until a menu appears, then tap Restart. Wait for your phone to turn back on and try the app again.
If restarting does not work, try clearing the app's cache. Go to Settings, then Apps and Notifications, find the app, and tap Storage. Tap Clear Cache (not Clear Data, which will erase your account information). This removes temporary files that might be interfering with notifications without affecting your data inside the app.
Check whether the app itself has notification settings
Some apps have their own notification controls inside the app, separate from your phone's Settings app. Open the app and look for Settings or Preferences, usually found in a menu (three dots or lines) or at the bottom of the screen. Look for a Notifications section and make sure notifications are turned on there as well. For example, Facebook has notification settings both in your phone's Settings app and inside the Facebook app itself — both have to be on.
If the app has a Notifications section, check whether you have turned off notifications for specific types of messages. Many apps let you turn off notifications for certain categories while keeping others on. For example, you might have turned off notifications for promotional messages but left on notifications for direct messages. If you want to see all notifications, turn on every category in the app's settings.
Reinstall the app if nothing else works
If you have checked all the settings above and notifications still are not appearing, the app itself may have a problem. Go to Settings, then Apps and Notifications, find the app, and tap Uninstall. Then go to the Google Play Store, search for the app, and tap Install to read it again. This removes any corrupted files that might be preventing notifications from working.
Before you uninstall, take a screenshot of any important information in the app, because uninstalling will remove your local data. Your account information and messages are usually stored on the app's servers, so you can log back in after reinstalling, but it is safer to check first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some notifications come through but others from the same app do not?
The app likely has multiple notification channels, and you have turned off only some of them. Go to Settings, Apps and Notifications, find the app, tap Notifications, and look for a list of channels like "Messages" or "Alerts". Turn on any channels that are grayed out.
Do Not Disturb is off but I still see no notifications — what else could it be?
Check Battery Saver next, because it can block notifications even when Do Not Disturb is off. If Battery Saver is on, either turn it off or add the app to the exception list in Battery Saver settings. If that does not work, restart your phone.
My notifications worked yesterday but stopped today — did an update break something?
Android updates sometimes reset notification settings to their defaults. Check the app's notification settings in your phone's Settings app and turn them back on. If the app itself updated, check its in-app notification settings as well.
Can I turn notifications back on for just one app without turning them on for everything?
Yes. Go to Settings, Apps and Notifications, find that specific app, tap Notifications, and turn on the toggle next to "Allow notifications". Other apps will keep whatever notification settings they already have.
What is the difference between turning off notifications in Settings versus in the app itself?
Your phone's Settings app controls whether the app is allowed to send notifications at all. The app's own settings control which types of messages within that app trigger notifications. Both have to be on for you to see anything.