Discord Notifications Not Working? Easy fixes for desktop and mobile
Discord is ideal for connecting gamers and other communities around the world. The app’s plethora of features makes it one of the best chat applications out there. But, it’s not always perfect and has it’s fair share of glitches.
One common query users complain of is Discord notifications not working. Conversations on Discord often need members to know fast. Given this, notifications not working are a bummer. You end up having a number of unread messages, missing important updates, and could be left out of events.
Due to this, you need to solve issues with Discord notifications not working fast. But don’t worry — your Discord DM notification won’t go away, just like that :)
If you’re looking for how to fix your Discord notifications, check out the solutions below. Find fixes for both desktop and mobile. Also, see how to fix issues with Discord notification sounds.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Enable Discord Desktop notifications
- Check Discord Server and Channel Notification settings
- Turn off Discord ‘Do Not Disturb’ status
- Configure streamer mode settings
- Update Discord as well as your desktop Operating Software
- Check Discord app notification settings
- Turn off DND status
- Push Notification Inactive Timeout Settings
- Stop app operations and clear the data
- Check Discord permissions
- Set correct output device
- Check notification sounds
- Streamer Mode Configuration
- Check System Sound settings
5 fixes for Discord desktop popup notifications not working
- Enable Discord Desktop notifications
- Check Discord Server and Channel Notification settings
- Turn off Discord ‘Do Not Disturb’ status
- Configure streamer mode settings
- Update Discord as well as your desktop Operating Software
Enable Discord Desktop notifications
Make sure that you’ve not disabled Discord notifications on your desktop. Follow the steps below and then restart Discord.
- To do so, click on the gear icon next to your username to go to ‘User Settings’ → ‘Notifications’. Toggle on ‘Enable Desktop Notifications’
- Also check to make sure your computer allows notifications. On Windows, go to ‘Windows Settings’ (Windows key + I) → ‘System’ → ‘Notifications & actions’. Here, toggle on ‘Get Notifications from apps and other senders’. Check the options applicable to the apps as shown. From the list of apps shown on the page, also toggle Discord ‘On’.
- On Mac, go to ‘Apple menu’ → ‘System Preferences’, click ‘Notifications’. Now select the Discord app on the left and click ‘Allow Notifications’.
Note: On Windows, also disable Focus Assist to allow notifications. Go to ‘Windows Settings’ → ‘System’ → ‘Focus Assist’. Set this to ‘Off’ and turn off all automatic rules.
Check Discord Server and Channel Notification settings if notifications are not working
Your server or channel settings may be set to mute certain notifications. This could lead to Discord notifications not working.
To check your server settings,
- Right click on the server name, and select ‘Notification Settings’. Ensure that the ‘Mute xx server’ option isn’t on.
- Also select the messages you actually want to see notifications for. If you select ‘Only @mentions’, then you won’t be notified of messages without your name tagged.
- You can also suppress certain notifications + override notification settings for individual channels here.
To check notification settings for channels,
- Right click on the channel name, select ‘Notification Settings’.
- Here you can choose between Server default, @mentions, All messages and Nothing.
Turn off Discord ‘Do Not Disturb’ status
Discord users can set their status as Online, Invisible, Do Not Disturb, Idle or any custom status. The Discord DND status blocks all desktop notifications. Make sure this isn’t selected:
- Click on your profile icon at the bottom of the page. Check the option selected and if it’s DND, change it.
- If you’ve set a custom status, open it and check the ‘Status’ drop-down. Ensure that DND isn’t selected.
Configure streamer mode settings
If you’ve got a streaming app such as OBS open, then Discord mutes notifications by default. You might have left the streamer mode on.
- Open Discord ‘User Settings’ → ‘Streamer Mode’. Toggle off the ‘Enable Streamer Mode’ option.
- If you wish to see notifications with the streamer mode enabled, you can do so. Toggle off the ‘Disable Notifications’ option. Although this may not be the best option for your privacy when streaming.
Update Discord as well as your desktop Operating Software
An outdated version of the software you’re using can cause Discord notifications to not show.
Discord’s desktop app automatically checks for updates every time you open it. You can also refresh it to make it check for updates. To refresh, press ‘Ctrl + R’ on Windows or ‘Command + R’ on Mac with the Discord app open. Or, on your Windows taskbar, you can locate Discord in the ‘Hidden Icons’ menu. Here, right click and select ‘Check for updates’.
Also ensure that your Windows or MacOS is updated. On Windows, go to ‘Windows Settings’ (Windows Key + I) → ‘Update & Security’. In this, go to ‘Windows Update’ → ‘Check for updates’. Restart your PC once installed.
On Mac, click ‘Apple menu’ → ‘System Preferences’ → ‘Software Update’.
Fix issues with Discord notifications not working on mobile
- Check Discord app notification settings
- Turn off DND status
- Push Notification Inactive Timeout Settings
- Stop app operations and clear the data
- Check Discord permissions
Check Discord app notification settings in case that's the reason Discord notifications don't work
Make sure that notifications are turned on on Discord mobile. To do this,
- Open the Discord app, tap on the three lines on the top left. Now, tap on your profile icon at the bottom right to go to ‘User Settings’. Here, go to ‘Notifications’, turn on both ‘System’ and ‘In-App’ notifications.
- Also go to the ‘Tweak Notification Settings’ option. and check the notifications you desire for direct messages, friends, etc. from the list. Toggling on all the options usually does the trick.
Turn off DND status
Like your computer, you may have set your Discord status to ‘Do Not Disturb’ on your phone. This would bar all notifications.
To check this,
- Open Discord, click on the three lines on the top left, then your profile icon at the bottom right to go to ‘User Settings’.
- Beside the ‘Set Status’ option, you should be able to see your current status. Change it if it’s been set to Do Not Disturb.
Push Notification Inactive Timeout Settings
Discord avoids sending push notifications on mobile when you are at your computer. Due to this you may notice issues with Discord notifications not working on the phone. You can adjust the time and set how much time you need to be inactive on the computer. Only after that many minutes will you receive notifications on your phone.
On your desktop, open Discord and go to ‘User Settings’. Go to ‘Notifications’ → ‘Push Notification Inactive Timeout’. Keep the duration less so that you receive notifications on your phone as they come.
Stop app operations and clear the data
Sometimes, cache memory conflicts with your app’s data and this could cause the app to not function well. You can check your ‘Settings’ → ‘App Settings/ Manager’ and search for Discord. Here, clear the data and cache. Also press the ‘Force Stop’ button to stop all existing operations. You may need to login to your Discord account again after deleting the data.
If this doesn’t seem to solve the issue, go to the Play Store or App Store depending on your device and check for updates. Also try uninstalling and reinstalling the app.
Check Discord permissions
On an Android device, go to ‘Settings’ → ‘App’/ ‘App Manager’. Search for Discord and check the app’s permissions. Locate notification permissions and enable all options.
If you use an iPhone, open the Settings app and go to the ‘Apps & notifications’ menu. Locate Discord and tap on ‘Permissions’ to see the permissions given to the app. To change a permission setting, first tap on it and then choose Allow or Deny.
In some cases, Battery Savers or Battery Optimization modes can also withhold notifications. Find the Battery Optimization menu in Settings. Or, check the settings on your battery saver app. Here, allow notification permissions to Discord.
4 ways to fix Discord notification sounds not working
- Set correct output device
- Check notification sounds
- Streamer Mode Configuration
- Check System Sound settings
If your notifications seem to be working fine, but for some reason, you hear no sound, check this out. Apply the fixes below to fix issues with Discord notification sounds not working.
Set correct output device
Your audio output device may not be set to the one you’re using. For example, if you have earphones on, and the device is set to speakers, you will not be able to hear the notifications.
To check this, go to ‘User Settings’ → ‘Voice & Video’. Here, select the output device you’re using and check it’s volume.
On mobile devices, the output mode is set automatically.
Check notification sounds
You may have sounds turned off for certain notifications. Check this by going to ‘User Settings’ → ‘Notifications’. Scroll down to ‘Sounds’ and toggle on all the notification sound options.
To check the Discord notification sound settings on your mobile, go to ‘User Settings’ → ‘Notifications’. Here, click on ‘Tweak Notification Settings’. Toggle on ‘Allow Sound’. Also check the ‘Voice’ settings to make sure a tone has been set.
Streamer Mode Configuration
If you have streamer mode enabled, you can enable the sound settings, or switch off streamer mode.
Go to ‘User Settings’ → ‘Streamer Mode’ and turn off ‘Enable Streamer Mode’. Or, scroll down and toggle off the ‘Disable Sounds’ and ‘Disable Notifications’ options. If you don't want to switch off streamer mode, this is ideal.
Check System Sound settings
Although this seems quite obvious, your speakers may be muted or set at a low volume. On a Mac, go to the Volume control in the menu bar and drag the slider to turn up the volume. On a Windows PC, you can click on the speaker icon on the taskbar or press the hotkeys (usually F3 or Fn+F3) to do the same. On a mobile device, you just need to press the buttons at the side to adjust the volume.
Furthermore, Windows users can check the volume options for a given app. Go to ‘Windows Settings’ → ‘System’ → ‘Sound'. Here under the advanced settings, go to ‘App Control and Device preferences’. You will now see all the open apps listed. Adjust the Discord app’s volume settings.
