Facebook notifications allow users to stay updated on activity happening on the platform. When you receive a notification, a red badge will appear on the notifications icon at the top of Facebook. This badge indicates the number of new, unread notifications you have.
What do notification badges indicate?
The notification badge shows the total number of notifications you haven’t viewed yet. This includes notifications for friend requests, messages, comments, likes, tags, and more activities. The badge will show a number like “3” or “15+” to indicate how many notifications are waiting.
Some examples of what may cause notification badges include:
- Someone sends you a friend request
- Someone comments on your post or picture
- Someone tags you in a post or picture
- Someone likes your post or picture
- Someone messages you on Messenger
- Someone invites you to an event
- Someone adds you to a group
- It’s your Facebook friend’s birthday
The notification badge makes it easy to see at a glance if there is any new activity you should be aware of on Facebook. It allows you to check back and engage with the new notifications when you have time.
Where do the notification badges appear?
The notification badges appear in two main places on Facebook:
- On the notifications icon at the top right of Facebook next to the account menu. This shows your total number of unread notifications.
- On individual apps and icons within Facebook, like Messages, Groups, Watch, or Gaming. This shows the number of unread notifications for that specific app.
For example, you may see a “3” badge on the notifications icon at the top, and also a “1” badge on the Messages icon if you have 1 unread message. The numbers on each badge reflect the total notifications for each part of Facebook.
What if you don’t see notification badges?
If you are not seeing notification badges on Facebook, there are a few possible reasons:
- You don’t have any new notifications. The badge only appears when you have at least one unread notification.
- You have notifications turned off. Go to Settings & Privacy > Notifications to check your notification settings.
- You have badges disabled. Go to Settings & Privacy > Notifications > Badges to enable them.
- You’re using an older version of Facebook. Make sure the app is updated to the latest version.
- It’s a technical issue. Try refreshing the page or logging out and back into Facebook.
If none of those fix the issue, you may need to report the problem to Facebook directly so they can troubleshoot.
How are notification badges different from the red dot?
In addition to notification badges, you may also see red dots on various parts of the Facebook interface. These dots function differently than badges:
- Notification badges show counts of unread notifications. Red dots simply indicate something new or unviewed.
- Badges appear on the main notification icons. Red dots appear on other UI elements like the Menu or Shortcuts bar.
- Badges only appear when you have at least one notification. Dots may indicate one new item.
For example, you could have a red dot on the Menu icon when you have unseen Friend Requests, even if you have 0 notification badges. Or your Shortcuts bar may show dots when friends post new stories, but no notification badge until you are tagged.
What do the colors on notifications mean?
When you click into your notifications, they may appear with different colored highlights. Here is what the colors indicate:
| Notification Color | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Blue | Indicates interactions with your content like reactions to your posts or comments on your photos |
| Pink | Indicates new friend requests or messages |
| Yellow | Indicates endorsements or recommendations from friends |
| Purple | Indicates friend anniversaries or birthdays |
The colors help you distinguish different types of notification activities at a glance when checking your notifications feed.
How do you clear notification badges?
There are two ways to clear notification badges from Facebook:
- Click on the notifications icon. This will open your notifications feed and mark all notifications as read.
- Click on the individual app icons that have badges. This will open that tab and mark those notifications as read. For example, open Messages to clear the badge count there.
Once your notifications are marked as read, the badge numbers will reset to 0.
The notifications feed shows your most recent notifications by default. You can click “More” at the bottom to view older notifications and ensure you’ve cleared everything.
Can you turn off notification badges?
If you don’t like seeing notification badges, you can disable them:
- Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Click on Notifications on the left sidebar
- Scroll down and turn off “Show Badges”
This will remove all notification badges from the top icons and app icons. However, you will still get notifications – you just won’t see a visual badge count.
Should you use a third-party app to manage notifications?
A few third-party apps like Notisave and Social Hub can help you consolidate and manage notifications from different social media, including Facebook. These let you customize notifications more granularly.
However, Facebook’s own notification settings are usually sufficient for most users. The native app gives you options like:
- Muting specific people or pages
- Turning off notifications for individual apps like Groups or Events
- Changing notification sounds and pop-up previews
Unless you need advanced notification scheduling or filters, sticking with Facebook’s tools is the easiest free option. Using third-party apps introduces privacy risks and extra complexity.
What’s the best way to manage Facebook notifications?
Here are some tips for managing Facebook notifications effectively:
- Tune your notification settings. Turn off notifications you don’t need.
- Mute spammy people or pages.
- Check notifications daily. Don’t let them pile up.
- Clear badges by opening notifications.
- Use shortcut icons to filter notifications by source.
- Turn off badge counts if they feel overwhelming.
Staying on top of your Facebook notifications helps you stay connected and engaged with your friends and interests on the platform.
Conclusion
Facebook’s notification badges provide a handy visual indication of unread notifications and activity on the platform. The badge count and red dots help summarize what’s new that you should check. While you can disable badges if desired, most users find them useful for staying updated. With customized notification settings and some habit forming, you can effectively manage notifications to suit your preferences.