There are a few common reasons why your phone may not be notifying you when you receive Facebook messages:
- Your phone’s notification settings are turned off for Facebook – Check your phone’s settings to make sure notifications are enabled for the Facebook app.
- The Facebook app’s notifications are turned off – Open the Facebook app, go to Settings > Notifications and make sure they are turned on.
- Your phone is set to Do Not Disturb – Your phone will not notify you of any notifications when Do Not Disturb is enabled. Make sure it is disabled.
- Your Facebook notification settings are customized – Check the Facebook app’s settings and make sure your notification preferences are enabled.
- The Facebook app is not up to date – Make sure you have installed the latest version of the Facebook app from your phone’s app store.
- There’s an issue with your Facebook account’s notification settings – Log into Facebook on a desktop browser to check your account’s notification settings.
If your phone is still not notifying you of Facebook messages after checking these common issues, here are some troubleshooting steps to resolve the problem:
Troubleshooting Steps
Check Your Phone’s Notification Settings
The first thing to check is your phone’s overall notification settings. Different phones have different names for this area, but look for “Notifications” in your phone’s Settings app. Make sure notifications are enabled globally on your device.
Specifically look for the setting that allows notifications to show in the status bar at the top of the screen. Toggle this on if it is disabled. You may also see a setting for notification dots/badges for app icons – make sure this is enabled.
Confirm Facebook App Notification Settings
Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu button in the top right. Go to Settings > Notifications. Make sure the following toggles are enabled:
- Notifications
- Sounds
- Vibrations
- Pop on Screen
This will make sure all notification types are enabled. You can further customize which specific notification types you want by tapping on each category and toggling the options on or off. Make sure New Messages is toggled on.
Check Facebook Notification Settings on Desktop
Log into Facebook on a desktop browser and go to Settings > Notifications. Make sure you have notifications enabled for emails, texts, and web/desktop notifications. Specifically look for the New Messages option under the Email section and make sure it is toggled on.
Force Stop and Clear Cache of Facebook App
Sometimes the Facebook app can get stuck and a refresh is needed. Open your phone’s Settings app and go to Apps. Look for the Facebook app and tap on it. Choose Force Stop to fully close out of the app. Then tap Storage > Clear Cache to delete any corrupt temporary data.
Restart the Facebook app and check if notifications are now working. Re-enable any notification settings if needed.
Update or Reinstall Facebook App
Check if you have the latest version of the Facebook app by going to your phone’s app store and searching for Facebook. If an Update option appears, tap it to get the newest version. If there is no Update button, you already have the newest version.
As a last resort, you can uninstall and reinstall the Facebook app:
- Go to Settings > Apps and tap the Facebook app.
- Tap Uninstall and confirm when prompted.
- Go to your phone’s app store and search for Facebook.
- Tap Install to download the app again.
Reinstalling the app will reset all data and notifications should start working again. Make sure to log back into your account and re-enable notifications.
Check Do Not Disturb Settings
If your phone is set to Do Not Disturb mode, you will not get any notifications from any apps. Open your phone’s Settings and check if Do Not Disturb is switched on. Toggle it off to resume notifications.
You can also customize your Do Not Disturb settings to allow notifications from certain apps or contacts by tapping on Do Not Disturb and configuring the exceptions. Add the Facebook app or individual contacts so you still get their messages.
Restart Your Phone
If all else fails, perform a simple reboot of your phone. Power off your phone completely and leave it off for at least 30 seconds. Then turn it back on and open Facebook to test notifications again. Sometimes a reboot can resolve app glitches or system problems preventing notifications.
Additional Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some other things to check if notifications are still not working after following the troubleshooting steps:
- Update your phone’s operating system – There may be a bug fixed in a newer OS version.
- Check if notification sounds are muted – Go to Settings > Sounds to check.
- Disable battery optimizations for Facebook – This will prevent your phone from killing the app.
- Disable power saving mode – These modes often limit background app activity.
- Check if Facebook was disabled in the background – Go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Battery to check.
- Make sure Messenger notifications are on – The separate Messenger app has its own notification settings.
If the problem only happens when connected to WiFi, try switching to cellular data instead to see if notifications come through. This can help narrow down connectivity issues.
You can also temporarily use an app like Pushbullet to mirror notifications across devices as a workaround. But be sure to continue troubleshooting the root cause.
Preventing Notification Issues
To avoid notification problems in the future, here are some tips:
- Keep your apps updated – Install updates promptly to get bug and performance fixes.
- Don’t fully close out apps – Let them run in the background to maintain notifications.
- Check settings after OS updates – Notifications can get reset or changed.
- Don’t use task killers or battery savers – They can disrupt app processes.
- Restart your phone regularly – This clears out temporary glitches.
Setting up a regular notification check on your important apps can help catch issues early before they become big problems.
Why Facebook Notifications Are Important
Getting timely notifications from Facebook is critical for staying connected. Some key reasons you don’t want to miss Facebook notifications:
- Messages from friends and family – Stay up-to-date on conversations.
- Notifications when tagged in posts – See what others share about you.
- Notifications from groups – Important updates from communities you have joined.
- Birthday reminders – Never forget to wish your friends happy birthday.
- Friend requests – Accept new friends right away.
- Events invites – RSVP to events you get invited to.
- Comment and post reactions – See when people interact with your content.
Missing these notifications can make you feel disconnected from your social circles and out of the loop on what people are sharing. Having timely notifications helps nurture relationships and avoids hurt feelings when you don’t respond to messages.
Conclusion
While missing Facebook notifications can be frustrating, the steps outlined in this article should help resolve most issues. The key is methodically checking each setting and troubleshooting one step at a time. Patience is required as well since rebooting and reinstalling apps takes time. But in the end, you should be able to get your phone beeping and buzzing with Facebook alerts once again. Maintaining your notification hygiene by promptly updating apps and restarting your device can help avoid problems in the first place. With some diligence, you’ll stay connected with the people that matter most.