Facebook allows users to view notifications about activity on their profile or interactions with their posts and content. Notifications are an important part of the Facebook experience, allowing users to stay up-to-date on what’s happening.
What are Facebook notifications?
Facebook notifications alert users when something happens on the platform that relates to their account. This can include:
- Friend requests
- Comments on your posts
- Likes and reactions to your posts
- Tags in posts or photos
- Messages
- Event invitations
- Birthday reminders for friends
- Suggested posts or pages Facebook thinks you may like
Notifications appear in the notifications tab on Facebook desktop or the activity log on Facebook mobile. On desktop, the notifications tab has a red icon showing the number of unread notifications. On mobile, a similar red icon appears at the bottom of the screen. Tapping or clicking opens a list of notifications.
Why are Facebook notifications important?
Notifications serve several purposes on Facebook:
- They allow users to stay updated in real-time about interactions and events related to their account.
- They facilitate engagement and conversation by informing users when others have interacted.
- They help users discover new content and accounts to follow based on Facebook’s recommendations.
- They encourage users to spend more time on Facebook responding to notifications.
Without notifications, users would have to manually check for updates frequently. Notifications bring relevant activity directly to users’ attention.
How to view notifications on desktop
On the desktop version of Facebook, notifications appear in the top right corner of the screen. Follow these steps:
- Click the notifications icon (red icon showing number of unread notifications).
- A drop-down menu will appear showing a list of notifications.
- Unread notifications will appear in bold text.
- Click on any notification to go directly to the relevant post, comment, etc.
- The notification will be marked as read.
Notification menu options
In the notification drop-down menu, you have some options:
- Filter – Filter notifications by All, Unread, and Read.
- Mark all as read – Mark the entire list as read.
- Turn off notifications – Disable all notifications.
- Settings – Manage notification settings.
How to view notifications on mobile
On the Facebook mobile app, notifications work similarly but appear in the activity log:
- Tap the Menu icon (three line icon).
- Tap Activity Log.
- You’ll see a list of notifications.
- Unread notifications will be indicated in bold.
- Tap any notification to go to the relevant content.
To access notification settings, tap the More Options icon in the activity log and select Notifications.
Manage Facebook notification settings
If you receive too many notifications, you can manage them:
- On desktop, click the arrow in the notifications tab and select Settings.
- On mobile, tap More Options in the activity log > Notifications.
This will open notification settings. You can toggle notifications on or off for:
- Specific friends and pages
- Event reminders
- Groups
- Live Videos
- Fundraisers
- Games
- Products and shopping
You can also choose whether to receive notification sounds and display previews in desktop notifications.
Other notification preferences
In notification settings you can also configure:
- Nearby Friends notifications – get notified when friends are nearby.
- Location History reminders – get reminders to review your location history.
- Login approvals – require a code to login from unknown devices.
- Login alerts – get alerts about logins from other locations.
- Two-factor authentication – add an extra layer of security.
Is there a notification limit?
Facebook limits the number of notifications that can be displayed or stored to prevent overload:
- The notifications tab displays a maximum of 99+ if you have more than 99 unread notifications.
- Only the newest notifications are shown – older ones get bumped out of the list.
- Facebook only retains notifications for a certain period before deleting them. It varies based on notification type.
So if you don’t view notifications promptly, you could miss seeing some. There’s no published info from Facebook on exact retention times.
Do notifications expire?
As mentioned above, Facebook deletes notifications after a certain time period passes. Here are some rough guidelines on Facebook notification expiration timeframes:
| Notification Type | Expires After |
|---|---|
| Page posts and comments | 1-2 days |
| Friend requests | 14 days |
| Pokes | 1 day |
| Likes and reactions | 1 day |
| Friend’s posts | Hours |
| Messages | Varies – longer if unread |
So notifications for less important activities like likes may only show for a day before expiring from your notifications tab. Unread messages may stick around longer. But generally speaking, Facebook notifications are temporary, not permanent.
Never miss important notifications
To ensure you see time-sensitive notifications like messages or event invites before they expire:
- Check notifications often – don’t let them build up.
- Enable notification sounds on your device.
- Consider using a third-party notification manager tool.
Ways to view old notifications
Since notifications are temporary, what can you do if you need to view an old notification that expired? Here are some options:
- Activity log – Your activity log retains some expired notifications for a longer period than the notifications tab.
- Mobile push notifications – If you have these enabled, they create a record you can view.
- Email notifications – Check the email notifications Facebook has sent you.
- Use search – In some cases you may be able to search for the relevant post or content.
But overall, Facebook is designed for timely notification management. Don’t rely on being able to retrieve notifications weeks or months later.
Troubleshooting Facebook notifications
Sometimes Facebook notifications can be problematic. Here are some common notification issues and fixes:
Missing notifications
- Double check notification settings – you may have turned off certain notifications.
- Too many to display – Facebook limits visible notifications.
- Check activity log – may show notifications not visible elsewhere.
- Expired notifications – Facebook deletes old notifications daily.
- App issues – force close and restart the app, reinstall if needed.
- Device issues – check device notification settings, reboot device.
Delayed notifications
- Connectivity issues – notifications rely on internet access.
- Background app refreshing disabled – enable for timely updates.
- App issues – force close and reopen the app.
- Server issues at Facebook – usually resolved in a few hours.
Repeating notifications
- Known Facebook bug – others have reported duplicate notifications.
- Background app refreshing causing repeats – disable and re-enable.
- Try marking all as read – may clear stuck repeats.
Unwanted notifications
- Adjust notification settings – turn off certain notification types.
- Unfollow people or pages – stop getting notified about their activity.
- Restrict an app’s access – stop its notifications.
- Mute people or groups – selectively mute notifications.
Conclusion
Facebook notifications are a core part of the Facebook experience, alerting users to activity and engagement in real-time. Notifications appear in the notifications tab on desktop and the activity log on mobile. Managing notification settings allows users to control which notifications they receive. However, notifications are temporary – expired notifications cannot be retrieved unless they were preserved in an activity log or email. Troubleshooting notification issues usually involves adjusting notification settings, app refreshes, or device reboots. Overall, proper notification management is key to staying up-to-date on Facebook.