Receive notifications in the way you expect on your iPhone

If you don’t get notifications in the way you want, you may need to check your settings or a paired device, such as an Apple Watch.

Settings to check for app notifications

Settings to check for Messages notifications

Settings to check for notifications on a paired Apple Watch

Before you begin

Check notifications from a specific app

  1. In the Settings app, tap Notifications.

  2. Tap the app that you haven't received notifications from.

  3. Turn on Allow Notifications then choose how and where you want to receive those.

Set alerts to choose whether notifications appear on your Lock Screen, in Notification Centre or as a Banner while you use your iPhone.

When you turn on Badges, certain app icons can display information. If you turn on Badges for Mail, for example, the number of unread emails across your inboxes will appear above the Mail icon on your Home Screen.

When you turn on Announce Notifications, Siri will read notifications from the app out loud.

Always receive notifications from a specific app

In iOS 15 or later, you can turn on Critical Alerts for supported apps so notifications come through even when all other notifications have been silenced:

  1. In the Settings app, tap Notifications.

  2. Select an app under Notification Style.

  3. Turn on Critical Alerts if available.

When you turn on Critical Alerts in the settings for an app, that app can send you notifications even when all other notifications are silenced.

Turn your Focus setting on or off

With iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 or later, Focus lets you stay in the moment when you need to concentrate or step away from your device. You can customise Focus settings to choose when you want to receive alerts and notifications and to select what apps or contacts can generate alerts and notifications. You can also schedule a Focus setting to turn on at certain times or after certain actions.

  1. Open Control Centre.

  2. Tap the Focus setting — like Do Not Disturb or Work — that appears. (If only the Focus icon is there, no Focus setting is on.)

  3. Tap the Focus setting again to turn it off.

If you have other linked Apple devices —  such as Apple Watch or iPad — check whether they are in a Focus setting too. When you turn on a Focus setting, it works across your linked devices.

Allow notifications even when you turn on Focus

  1. In the Settings app, tap Focus.

  2. Tap the Focus setting you want to change notifications settings for.

  3. Tap People or Apps.

  4. Make sure Allow Notifications From is selected, then tap Add People or Add Apps.

  5. Choose the people or apps you want to receive notifications from while you use Focus.

  6. Tap Done.

In the settings for Focus, you can add contacts you want to receive notifications from even when your Focus area is turned on.

You can’t allow notifications from apps with the Driving Focus setting. Other Focus settings — such as Sleep or Do Not Disturb — have more options to do things such as silence notifications only when your iPhone is locked.

Find out how to customise your Focus settings

Check whether a Messages conversation has been muted

  1. In Messages, tap the conversation you haven’t received notifications from.

  2. Tap the image or icon at the top of the conversation.

  3. Turn off Hide Alerts.

You can use Messages to hide notifications for specific conversations with one contact or a larger group.

When you turn Hide Alerts on, the Alerts button will appear next to the conversation. This will only stop notifications for that conversation, not for everything on your iPhone. You still receive all other messages and view notifications for them on your Lock Screen.

Always receive notifications from a specific contact

If you set a contact as an emergency contact, sounds and vibrations will come through even when all other notifications have been silenced:

  1. Open Contacts.

  2. Select the contact you always want to receive notifications from, then tap Edit.

  3. Tap Ringtone or Text Tone, then turn on Emergency Bypass.

The Emergency Bypass setting for your emergency contacts will allow notifications from those people to come through even when your phone has been silenced.

Choose whether notifications appear on your Apple Watch or iPhone

If you use an Apple Watch, notifications will go to either your Apple Watch or iPhone — not both. To choose where your notifications appear:

  1. In the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap My Watch.

  2. Tap Notifications.

  3. Tap an app to view its options.

To use the same notification settings on apps that appear on both your Apple Watch and iPhone, tap Mirror my iPhone.

Other apps allow you to customise your notifications. Tap Custom, then choose an option:

  • Allow Notifications: Notifications will appear in Notification Centre and your Apple Watch will alert you.

  • Send to Notification Centre: Notifications will be sent directly to Notification Centre without your Apple Watch alerting you.

  • Notifications Off: The app won't send you any notifications.

If you customise an app's notifications, you can also group notifications from that app. Tap Notification grouping, then choose an option: Off, Automatically or By App.

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